DONA’S STORY

April 2009

Through the resolution from 19.03.2009, it started the penal investigation against Bonculescu Stelian, for committing a crime according to art.208, alin.1, Penal Code, taking into account that at 08.11.2008, he stole from the posession of the injured party, Serbanoiu Carmena, a horse, causing a prejudice of 2000 ron. FRom the investigations made, it was decided that at 08.11.2008, the blamed Bonculescu Stelian, went to a land property of Pro Animals Tg-Jiu, where it has the quality of presiddent the injured party Serbanoiu Carmena, from where he stole a horse. It resulted also that during Mai 2008, the injured party Serbanoiu Carmena took in her care a horse that has been found abandoned in the area of canine shelter from Narciselor street, from Tg-Jiu, being established afterwards that the horse belongs to the blamed Bonculescu Stelian, who had been sanctioned according art.2, pnt.19, Law no.61/1991, the horse remaining in the possesion of the injured party, who provided her the medical treatment and food. After the situation of the horse improved considerably, the blamed party went to the land of the injured party, from where he stole the horse. The prejudice wasn’t recuperated. Taking into account the material of the penal, results that in this case are applicable the art.10,b,Penal Code, as through its concret way and means used the deed don’t represent the level of concret danger  of a crime, bringing a minimal touch to the social relations regarding heritage. Also, taking into accoun that the blamed party is known with penal history, but condemned for other types of crimes then the present one, we appreciate that appling a sanction with administrative character is enough for re-educating the blamed party. Therefore, it is confimed the proposal of the Police representatives for not starting the penal against Bonculescu Stelian, for the crime accoring Penal code, as it hadn’t been committed this fact, as the blamed party stole the horse from the property not fenced.

Conclusions:1.Removing sentence under the penal from the crime of theft of Bonculescu Stelian. Applying the fine of 700 Ron. 2. Not starting the penal investigations against Bonculescu Stelian. 3. Judging expenses of 100 ron paid by the blamed party.

April 2009

As a coincidence, at exactly one year since being found first time, on 07.04.2009, we saw Dona passing with the gipsy and the other mare, right near shelter. We were shocked to see her state, looking very weak and sick. Asking the gipsy about some wounds on her front legs, he said that " she fall down on her knees several times, as I make long trips with her, pulling the carriage". We told him to care for her, as she looks pretty bad and remained to meet next day. 

On 09.04.2009, the gipsy passed again with her, late, when he though we weren’t there.  When we looked at her, she was more weaker then the other day, and the wounds on her front legs were bigger and severe. Then, we decided to call the vet and Police. When Police came, and he was asked about her state, he said that "I use her at work daily, I just returned with her from a village ( about 60km distance) and tomorrow I am going again. I can’t treat her, but I give her to you if you withdrow the complain to Police for theft".  When he was asked to give a written declaration he refused, almost hit a policeman and ran away, leaving Dona with us.

She had visible open wounds, on her back and blood on her body. When the gipsy was asked from where are the wounds he said " I beat her from time to time, it is normal".

At her front legs she had a huge infection, and she could hardly walk.

We have asked help to transport her at our home. On the way from shelter to home, we have drived through the city. Being very weak and not fed,  she fall down on her knees again on the streets, she raised up alone, but blood was running out her front legs, so we had to bandage her to stop the bleeding

Second day, at home, we called the vet  but also the inspectors from the Sanitary Veterinary Direction, who came and noticed her poor state of health. They also issued papers stating her situation.

At our home,we have started treatment( as besides her wounds and infection she has also a respiratory problem), that will take a lot of time. Hopefully she will recover taking into account her situation.

We have deposed complains at the Police but also at the Sanitary-Veterinary Direction, together with sanitary-veterinary certificates and photos, in order to fine the gipsy and we can adopt legally Dona.

February- March 2009 

The file of Dona theft from our garden is under investigation by the Police. Unfortunately, things go extremely slow, also because Police don’t give any importance to animal cases.

Here is an answer from the Police on 11.12.2008 given to our addresses from 08.11.2008 regarding Dona’s theft, that states that our complain has been registered in the evidence of the paperworks with known authors and after the investigations the file will be send to the Prosecutor Institution with legal proposals.

So on 16.02.2009, the Police sent the file to the Prosecutors’ Institution, who, after the prosecutor’s decision, sent it back to Police on 04.03.2009, for starting again investigations.

As ou can see, if an animal is neglected, abused or stoled the Police treat it like an object, nothing more. 

January 2009

On 13th of January, the gipsy "owner" of Dona came to the shelter saying that the Municipality Catchers collected  Dona and his other mare and  took them into the public shelter. He came to ask us to speak with the Chief to give Dona back to him without paying the fees. We called the catchers chief who said that they pick Dona and the mare up because someone complaint they busted into their lands. Next day we went to the Public Horse shelter where we found Dona.

 She was so sad, with her eyes dirty and in tears. When I called "Dona" she turned her head in an instant coming to the fence. We gave them some breads to eat, as all they had was straws. She was very weak and didn’t look too well. Unfortunately, legally we couldn’t take her out of there, so we had to leave.

 The next day, we saw the gipsy passing near shelter with Donaand that mare, sign that he got them back.

The file of Dona had been sent by the Police to the Court of Law, waiting for a trial to start. 

December 2008

 Everyday, since the gipsy stole Dona, he passes with her and his other horses in front of the shelter. He brings them every day around 16-17 o’clock to the field near the shelter and leave them there until next day in the morning. He does this like the other gipsies as he has nothing to give them eat.  In the day he uses them at work and then he bring them to field to eat what they find. He also leave them on the rain, snow and frost and with no water Dona, lost lots of weight lately and the signs of not being well taken care of, started to be easily seen.

 November 2008

On 8th of November 2008,we received a phone from  our worker from the shelter who told her that the gipsy " the owner" came at shelter saying that he has Dona. When  we heard we thought we were going to die, so we run in the courtyard to see if it is real. Indeed, Dona was no where. We deposed an intimation to Police stating that the gipsy stole Dona from our garden. The chief of gipsies contacted us and proposing a blackmail: to give them 1000 Ron and to take Dona back but also to withdraw the intimations from the Police ( what was impossible).

Since then we are living a nightmare. We can’t do anything legally to take her back, because we have to wait for the investigation of the Police that we don’t know how much it will take , taking into consideration the fact that the Police don’t give any priority to animal cases and neither guide too much after the Animal Protection Law.

It is very hard, as we see the gipsy everyday passing with Dona and his other poor horses in front of the shelter bringing them to the field from 4 pm to 10 pm the next day, to eat grass,but now being so cold they stay during night in the rain, in the cold, with no water and no other food. During day, the gipsy use them to different works, mainly to carriage.

September 2008

So, we decided to take her to our home, where she could stay free and have much more space. She is a gorgeous horse now, very clever and from time to time too naughty. We brought her a friend, Zuzu,a small horse that we found abandoned on a national road between cars who unfortunately despite our efforts, didn’t survive.

June-July-August 2008

Soon, the results started to be seen .
 Here is Dona, if you recognize her………We can’t forget when she was laying down back in April, almost dead and people were saying " let her die…"  and we said "NO because she will live".Those people  thought that we were crazy probably, but despite our extremely hard work, we have no doubt that we did the right thing……Dona is the most beautiful horse for us….The scarces remained from all her suffering, but she changed her hair and she got lots of weight. Daily, besides the other kind of food, we were also bringing her grass and took her for eating on a field. We couldnt let her alone because of the gipsies.

When Dona recovered, the gipsy who let her to die started to say that he wants her back. From our side, this was out of question, to give her back to this awful man, but he started to threat us that he will steal us, that he will kill us, that he will cut us a leg and an arm etc. We deposed an intimation to the Police for this threatenings.

May 2008

There were days, weeks extremely hard. Her state was very bad, she couldnt stay on her feet, she was falling down and we need several people to raise her. There came vet, assistants, gipsies , who said that she must be put to sleep because she will not survive. But, we said NO, putting to sleep is the easies thing to do and at some cases it is made only by cowardice. So, we decided to fight for her life, as she was fighting too, not willing to die. We had to keep her hanged up under her belly for several weeks in order to strenghten her legs and also bringing her the best food. We were also asking vet assistants to come to make her the treatment everyday. Because she stayed layed down so many times, and probably had fallen also in the past, on her left side she had huge wounds and got a very bad infection at her right leg. Daily, we were cleaning her wounds very careful. But, despite her situation she never gave up and her will of life gave us the power to go on….

08th of April

The next day, in the morning, we saw her abandoned, laying down on the field from the back of our shelter. We have found out the the "owner" said that he will let her to die.We called again Police, whom unfortunately didn’t know about the Law for Animal Protection so couldn’t apply it, and also the vet who made a treatment.

She had different bloody wounds on her body and a gipsy told us that it might be from the iron whip used by gipsies to beat horses.   We cleaned her wounds. Her son was staying near her, smelling her all the time.

But, there were gathered also some dogs from the gipsies district waiting to eat her alive, as it had happened in the past.

We fed her and we could hardly raise her on her feets, transporting her to the stable we made. The Policeman had also made a report stating that we will take the mare to our care.

07 th of April

 We have been announced that a horse was laying somewhere in the city, and the gipsies – trying to raise her – dragged her on the concret. There came also the Police who fined the owner with 200 Ron for leaving her without surveillance. The horse was very weak and skinny. The gipsy took her into his carriage to carry it home and we told him to take good care of her, to feed her, as we will visit her the next day.

We have found out that three weeks ago she had been found on the streets alone so the Communitary Police and the Public Catching Service took her to the horse Public Shelter. The gipsy had tried to take her out but because of formalities couldn’t do it sooner, accusing that she lost weight while staying there.