We can't let these 304 dogs starve!

1. In Romania, Maria has almost no kibble left for the 304 dogs at the shelter, they already don't eat enough. They will starve if nobody intervenes!

"The situation for dogs in the shelter is not good. The food is rationed, as we have to make sure all of them have a bit to eat. We have 10 bags of food left right now, but we need 25 per day to feed all the dogs in the shelter.

If we are not able to find food, the consequences will be many. Dogs at the shelter will have less and less food, even days when they almost don’t eat. This is especially dangerous for the sick ones and the puppies, plus if they don't get fed, dogs become agressive with each other, which is a situation we are desperately trying to avoid with a shelter of 304 dogs.

We have very few donations from private individuals and companies nowadays, we use our own money and we ask for food in the parking lots of supermarkets as much as we can. On good days, we maybe manage to raise enough for a day’s worth of food at best... We are constantly worrying about how we can feed them the next day. This uncertainty is very stressful. My heart aches with the thought that we won’t have enough food for all the dogs."

2. Rain and freezing temperatures hit the shelter hard, the dogs are cold, they need kibbles to get through the winter.

"It is very cold and wet now, there is a lot of water in the kennels, and a lot of mud. This only adds to the distress the dogs are in right now, without enough food. The cold season is affecting us a lot on a general basis, it makes it very difficult to clean, and it is particularly challenging for sick dogs and puppies.

We need this campaign to succed so we can sleep at night knowing the dogs are fed and safe. We need this campaign to succeed so that all these innocent souls can have a fighting chance and a more peaceful life than what they had before coming to the shelter. We also need it to succeed so we can have a chance at getting over the dire situation this pandemic has created."

3. Ivo was wasting away on the side of the road, injured and paralysed, before being brought to the shelter. Under treatment, he has no hope of recovering without kibble.

"Ivo was brought to us about 2 weeks ago by our daughter, who noticed him on the side of the road while driving in a neighbouring town. He was clearly in distress, he couldn’t move his back legs and had wounds on him. He was also extremely skinny, she couldn't leave him like this.

We immediately took him to the vet, the Xray confirmed his spine is fractured,  but unfortunately it has been a while since he is in this condition. The senses in his legs are not fully lost, he still has some reflexes.

So he is receiving treatment now, the chances for him to fully recover are slim, but we have to try. He is only 8 months old, very sociable even with strangers. He is still skinny, he needs proper feeding so that he can recover. Without food, he has no chance at anything close to normal life. "

4. The shelter does not have any grants, and donations have been scarce for months. Maria and her husband have very meagre personal resources, they cannot buy kibble.

"Before the pandemic started we had a lot more donations. Now, there are fewer, and when we do receive some, the money is less than it used to be. Our own money is not much, and is just not enough. I don’t think that will change in the near future, there are a lot of people in Romania that lost their jobs and a lot of companies struggling not to go bankrupt.

The city hall of Salonta has helped us a while ago by giving us some land for the dogs, but that was the only thing they could help us with. We have debts, especially to the vet clinic. Thank God they are good people and still always help us with the dogs even if that only adds to our debt for now, but I fear that it will still be a long time until things get better. I don't see anything improving.

At this stage, we are unable to buy food, because we don't have enough resources. I pray each night that people will help us."

4. Maria's husband had emergency heart surgery 3 months ago and is no longer able to help her at the shelter. She is now alone to take care of the 300 dogs, and overwhelmed with worry.

"My husband’s state of health is very slowly evolving. He is feeling better than a month ago, but he still has a long way to go. It is only just the two of us, he still tries to help me, but he cannot do manual work for long, is not allowed to lift anything heavy, we have to be very careful so that he doesn't get too tired as it could be dangerous.

With everything going on, we are not so well. My husband’s health issues created a very dark cloud of worrying and stress. I mostly have to manage everything on my own, which is very difficult with the number of dogs we have at the moment. Trying to raise funds, while caring for more than 300 dogs, and spending endless sleepless nights worrying about how to feed them, it is all very stressful."

6. Maria is not asking for money, only kibbles to keep the dogs from starving.

"We have always been big dog lovers. It all started years ago, when we met. We realised we both have a love for animals and we wanted to help them. We started saving animals and we ended up having 70 dogs before realizing there had to be something more we could do. We founded the organization, we sold our apartment and with the help of Salonta city hall we managed to slowly build the shelter.

Even though we are going through hard times right now, there is not a second when I feel sorry for doing this. Helping animals is an extremely rewarding job and it has become my life. I only wish people would learn the importance of doing this and the unconditional love these animals have to offer. It will take some time until we all recover from this pandemic and I truly hope we will find ways to manage and cope."

7. If this campaign succeeds, Maria will not receive any money but 3000 kg of kibbles, delivered from the Animal Webaction logistics platform in Romania.

Animal Webaction has a logistics platform in Romania which enables us to intervene quickly and deliver kibbles.

8. Collections held in shops are not enough to meet the shelter's needs, Maria is overcome and does not manage to find new help.

"We are not so well known in Romania like other shelters from big cities, so this makes raising money for the shelter even more difficult. Trying to raise money or food leaves me with less time for cleaning the kennels and general maintenance around the shelter, which I have to do on my own.

We interacted with two other rescues since the last campaign, but unfortunately we haven't managed to set up a collaboration.

Our rescue is important because the problem with stray and abandoned dogs in Romania is still big. We receive calls from all over the Bihor county from people who find dogs. Hopefully, besides saving and taking care of dogs, we will also help change the culture in our country and teach people the importance and value of contributing to your community and helping others."

9. Campaigns launched on Animal Webaction often fail.

When a campaign fails, Animal Webaction cannot deliver the products. The beneficiary doesn't receive anything and the buyers are refunded. 

10. In Romania, it is difficult to find funds for kibbles, there are no aid, no grants, no foundation... Many abandoned dogs die alone in the streets, in complete indifference...

If you know of a foundation or NGO that could help Maria, please invite them to contact us so that we can put them in touch with each other.

If you represent a Foundation or NGO for animal protection, please help Maria's dogs, contact us and we will put you in touch!

If you want to come to the shelter to help Maria or if you want to send her directly kibbles or a check, contact ther via Facebook (note: direct help is under your own responsibility).

11. If you make a purchase on Animal Webaction, it will be protected by our guarantees.