15th – 22th of June 2008

Pro Animals Finland invited me to Finland during June, so we planned this trip with some time ago. I thought that would be good to take also Elodia with me as we have found her a nice loving familly there. She was calm during the drive to BUcharest and also in the airport, as if knowing that she is going to a better life. After an almost 2 hours flight we, me and Elodia, arrived in Helsinki, where we met Kiia.As was pretty late we slept during night at a hotel nearby the airport and Elodia slept in bed like a baby. Next day, I met Anu, with whom I went in some pet shops.

Some things really looked strange to me in the pet shop, like little shoes for dogs and other things that I found really useful and a waste of money. Seeing all those things, I could not think at all the poor dogs back in Romania who don’t want fancy clothes or accesories, just a bowl with water and some food. For a second I had a small envy on dogs in Finland, as some live so nice lifes and are so spolied, and our dogs are happy if you say a nice word to them on the streets or just lay your hand. But, I guess it is like in humane life…………..

Next, I was so happy that is hard to describe in words as I met the romanian dogs that became finish during this year. I met all the 5 puppies Kiia found while she had been here  and Tanja, who’s a vet, promised that she will find them loving home in Finland if they survive until being big enough for vaccination and transport. I grew the five small puppies until they were big enough but the separation day came when I drove them to Bucharest to fly to Finland. I must admit that at the beggining I had my doubts regarding finding them home in Finland but……..when I saw them all big dogs now, with their wonderful families, how happy and playful they were, I had been extremely happy. I also met Mutza and Morko, that live with Carita ( who also visited us in March 2008), Mutza recognized me as she was kissing and playing with me, which was normal as I grew her since she was just a poor sick puppy, but Morko was too interested by the other dogs.  I also had the opportunity to give an interview to a newspaper. Afterwards, we took a calm vegetarian dinner and the traditional sauna, of course. 

The next day, we visited  a center for dogs and cats,named " Lost and Found"  where were brought dogs and cats that were found on the streets  but also a center for cats.

There were lots of cats, and was interesting for me to see how it is organized a cattery, as I had been mostly visiting dogs’ shelters. All the cats had inside and outside room, where they could sleep, eat, play. They were not very freindly, so there was all the time people spending time with them in order to socialize.

As I wanted to see a grooming center, we went together to a huge pet shop,that had a grooming place also. The lady, who was doing this job for over 30 years, had shown me the bathing place, the grooming place and also the different tools that she uses. We had a long chat and I was happy to know something about this, planning to open sometime in the future a place like this here in our city.

I had a great meeting with some beautiful horses living in a farm. I couldn’t stop being very amazed looking at them, they were so big and shinny, with a long blond hair. And they were very sociable. I wanted to kiss them but I was glad just to pet them and give them something to eat.  

I couldn’t help talking to the cows also, who were very curious to know what’s with me there, so when I called them they came so fast to the fence. Some quickly left me when they realised that all I want is to pet them, but there were few who were so anxious to pet them.

Of course, that all was for me a holiday, as I had done all that I liked, being surrounded  with animals, but Kiia decided to offer me also some "treatments": first they have offered me some SPA hours, which I enjoyed so much, then the sauna near the lake, then the facial treatment offered by a wonderful big-hearted lady, but also a gorgeous view from a mountain ( Kiia and Jukka took me to a ride in the forest, climbing the mountain).

And finally we withdraw to the summer cottage. It was MidSummer Day, where the entire night sun is up in the sky and all the people go to their summer cottages. We were there with Surda, Tasha and Bugsy, who I think are the most happiest dogs in the world together with Kiia and Jukka.

And finally the departure, after meeting in the airport with Anu who brought some medicines to take it back in Romania to the shelter. I just want to thank to Kiia, Jukkia, Anu and all the people who made this trip possible.

Shelter management training during 4-8of March 2007 

During the ICAW international animal welfare conference 2006 held in Ljubliana, Slovenia, I have been discussing with Mr. Mick Chidgey from Dogs Trust, England, about the possibility of following a training.

 September 2006 – VGT Animal Conference in Austria

http://www.animalconference.eu/presentations/files/Romania_ProAnimals.pdf

Our association don’t usually give dogs abroad, but starting with 2007, , some of our shelter dogs were adopted in Finland. Almost all the new owners came here before making the adoption. We gave our dogs in the belief that they will have a better life there that we could ever offer them. Recently photos show us that they are happy now, surrounded with love and care.

We do not ask any money for giving dogs to new familly, no charge or fee as others may think, the owner  cover only the vet costs ( like vaccination, microchip and passport). We do not sell dogs, we just help them have a better life with new and loving owners.

KIKI – adopted in November 2008

TINA – adopted in September 2008

ELODIA – adopted in June 2008

UNA – adopted in May 2008

 MUTZA and MORKO – adopted in March 2008

GRIA AND KLENKKA – adopted in September 2007
We saved Gria from the municipality cathers’s van. She was about to be killed but we found that van and saved all the dogs inside, who were very frightened, full of vomit and excrements. We saved Klenkka from a city nearby. He was wandering the streets, having a big skin problem, with no hair on his body and also a leg problem, limping all the time.
  

After a period o good care and attention, Gria and Klenkka recovered. One of our finnish visitors, Ms. Heli, was charmed by them both and decided to offer them a home. So, Heli, did a second visit to our shelter and took them to Finland. Saying good bye it wasn’t easy, but we believed in their chance for a better life.

Since September, they are in a loving home in Finland, where cold and the sad street life from Romania, are just a bad dream.
  

SURDA, TASHA and RONNY – adopted in 2007 and 2008

Surda was saved from the municipality’s catchers in 2002. She was about to be killed but we found her and took her into the shelter. At the beginning she didnt like to stay in the shelter and she was jumping over the fence, lay down in front of the shelter or stay up on the kennels. It didnt pas too much time and we realized that she was completely deaf, that’s why she was more alone then playing with the other dogs. In the last year, she became very alone and didnt go out too much of her cage, althought she had the possibility. As it is very hard to find an owner who would like to take a deaf and not very young dog, she was about to stay with us until the end of her days but luckly, Mrs. Kiia Vasko, decided to offer her a home back in FInland. We were very happy for her, as she would really deserve a better life. In September 2007 Kiia took her out of the shelter and Surda was a completely changed dog, she was playful, happy and we couldnt recognize her anymore. At the hotel, she slept in bed, looking very amazed but content at everything that surrounded her. The flight was well, and once arriving at her new home, she found a new friend, Bugsy – also rescued from an estonian shelter – and she ……..

Tasha is about 5 years old.We rescued her from a city near, called Carbunesti, in 2004, where the mayor was catching dogs, keeping them into a so called shelter without water or food and afterwards they were violently killed, even threw in a well alive. We found out about this tragedy, went there and after many meetings with the mayor, we saved Tasha and her friends from the municipal shelter. She was between the lucky ones, being saved just before going to be killed. She had to undergo an eye surgery, but she recovered quickly and she was an adorable dog, she loved to take her into our arms and she was kissing her all over our face, to show us her gratitude for being saved and for all we did for her.

 Luckly, Mrs. Kiia Vasko, decided to offer them a home back in FInland. We were very happy for them both, as they would really deserve a better life. In 2007, Kiia took them out of the shelter and Surda was a completely changed dog, she was playful, happy and we couldnt recognize her anymore. At the hotel, she slept in bed, looking very amazed but content at everything that surrounded her. The same with Tasha. The flight was well, and once arriving at their new home, they found new friends, Bugsy – also rescued from an estonian shelter – and Ronja.

Both Surda and Tasha are more then lucky dogs ,as they couldn’t ever find more loving and kind family.

"They both are adorable and so lovely personalities. At this moment I "work" sitting on our bed and all four dogs are sleeping around me. I had to came to home to work, because there is some repairings in our office and too much noise. And at home our bed is the only place big enough where we all can be close to each other.Tasha still sleeps every night between me and Jukka. Surda sleeps in other room but at five o’clock she comes to bedroom and jumps to our bed and woke us up. Both like snow, but especially Surda loves to go for walks outside and jump like a rabbit on snow. Tasha and Bugsy are best friends and they play and run every day inside and outside. Surda and Tasha loves to be close to us and be petted. Tasha has loved kisses from the beginning but nowadays also Surda loves to be kissed and hugged tightly. Usually dogs are always near us where ever we are at home.We have tried to take photos but somehow Surda still is afraid of camera and runs away always when she sees camera and we have only photos of her back and tail. Tasha watches also TV and when she sees men in television she starts to snarl. Yesterday I was reading one economical magazine and Tasha was in my armpit and on one page there was a big photo of a face of one man and when Tasha see that photo she started to sneef the photo and were very alarmed. I do not know if she has bad memories of some men so she is careful with them. But Tasha loves Jukka and Jukka’s son Teemu..." Kiia 

You can read bellow the stories of some of our dogs, who had passed through big sufferings. Some were abandoned by their owners because “they got ill” and instead of taking care of them, they choose to give them away. The big majority were living on the streets, and although they had different health problems, being also very skinny and weak – couldn’t be able to provide food by themselves – no one cared for them, people were just passing careless besides them, some even hitting them to make them go away under the reason that the dog “make them sick” when they see . 

Animals with health problems are always a priority for us. We collect them from the streets, take them to the vet for medical care, and afterwards, to the shelter for taking care of them as best as we can.  Less then 5 % had to be put to sleep as -despite our efforts nothing could be done, 10 % after the recovery period still remained with some small deficiencies – but can happily live with it without affecting any function and  more then 85 % of those dogs were completely recovered.

Read Copilu’s story

Read Teodora’s story

Read Lucky’s story

Read Toivo‘s story.

Read Vierme‘s story

Read Lilă‘s story

Read Wilma‘s story.

Read Lily’s story .

Read Mura‘s story

 

Read Caciula’s story

Read Daisy‘s story.

Read Buffy‘s story

Read Johnny’s story

Read Madalin’s story

 Read Miraje’s story

Read Carma’s story

 Read Scaby’s story

Read Carmel’s story

Read Otravita’s story

Read Bogdan’s story

Read Vamitza’s story

Read Mira’s story

Read Stelutza’s story

THEY ARE OUR LUCKY DOGS

We know that besides medical care, animals need love and affection, this being one of the strongest medicines sometimes, especially for those dogs who once had an owner who just dumped them when seeing they got sick. Not only the phisical suffering bring them down, but also the suffering of being rejected by the owner they were so attached.  After treating them we neutered them also. We are extremely happy for being able to provide them the needed care for a period and for finding them responsible and caring owners.

Lucky was abandoned at the shelter, probably because he had a skin problem, his skin disease covering almost his entire body, having only small parts of hair. We did our best for him, good treatment and food. He had a very strong personality and was suffering a lot for being left. After a time, Lucky gain weight,made a beautiful hair and we found him an owner and the home he deserved. He together with his owner came to the shelter in a visit, by car.

Pamela - Someone brought Pamela to us, after finding her in a very bad condition, having a big wound on her head. She was very skinny and sad. We took care of her as we knew best, treating her everyday. After a while, she started to feel better, she gain weight ,the wound dissapeared completely and was the "jewel" of the shelter. We neutered her and luckly, we succeeded to find her a great home and a loving familly. ……………..

Rick , was abandoned by a teacher, woman who was pretending to be an animal lover. When she brought him to the shelter,he was very very skinny,sick and with a big wound on the upper side of his neck. Fortunately, after we treated him, he recovered well, put some weight and we also found him a an owner.

Mathilda – We found Mathilda in December 2004, very skinny, weak and sick. After several months of intense care she put a lot of weight on, became more confident and she started to feel much better. Luckly, after only several months we succeeded to find him an owner. In the adoption day, she felt that she is going to leave the shelter with hours before, she was extremely sad and when the new owner came with the car, she hidded in her cage. But, finally she went out with us and met her new owners with whom she left at her new home.

The familly – Bellow is the Family, as we called it. One evening, we found them abandoned tied with a rope on the fence of the shelter. There were two females with 8 puppies. For more then a month we took good care of them,until one day when a man with his family came and take the mother with the puppies promising to find home for the rest of the puppies.

Sinni and Lupitzu -

"The quality of life is more important then the quantity" and we fully agree with it. For us every dog is the same, deserving the same chance for life and never make differences. When you are involved in animal welfare, you are on the second plan and animals first , always !

SUCCESSFUL STORIES – most of this dogs had been either abandoned by their families under different reasons ( getting sick for ex.), found on the streets in terrible conditions or saved from the municipality’s catchers. After offering them the best care they became healthy beautiful dogs, who fortunately found also a loving owner.

BEFORE AND AFTER – Many of the dogs we saved, had different health problems but we know that without our love, attention and care nothing would have been possible and a big procent of the dogs we have , wouldn’t exist now.if you love them, you must trust them and belive in their will for life, no matter how hard this is for you, or how many sacrificies you personally have to do………..as the reward they give you it’s above words.

NEUTERINGS - reducing the number of new born is an accomplishent for us , especially in a county where the stray dogs number is huge. We have been neutering from rhe beginning of our activity when the word " neuter" was completely unknown here, seen by vets as a surgery not as a method also for reducing stray dogs’ number. We have been neutered hundreds of dogs and tens of cats along time.

ADOPTIONS – finding an owner for one of the dogs we have in our care it is very important, so we use posters and leaflets to promote adoptions together with some advices about responsible ownership. It is a reall accomplishment for us every time we are able to find a good and loving home to our dogs or cats.

EDUCATION AND THERAPY PROGRAMMES – through our school education programme,"Open your heart", through the animal assisted therapy " Soul to Soul" and through the information programme " Be a responsible citizen" we wish to make people aware about animal welfare and protection, about the fact that every animal need respect and compassion but also about the positive influence that animal can have towards our mental and psihical health.

COOPERATION WITH INSTITUTIONS – working together for the same cause we all know that it is an advantage for solving different problems of a communitty.

PRO ANIMALS IN MASS-MEDIA ATTENTION - since our beginning in 2000, there had been lots of press articles in the local, national but also international mass-media. Besides this, we had also broadcats at the local and national TV.

VISITS and TRAINING ABROAD  – we had the opportuninty to go to some International Conferences, to do some trainings and also to visit some shelter abroad.