We can't let these 153 dogs starve!

1. In Northern Macedonia, Ivana will soon run out of kibble to feed the many dogs abandoned in the streets and public dumps: they will starve if no one intervenes!

"People keep abandonning their dogs, including at the dump where there is no food, nothing but plastic and smoke. Dogs there are starving, we feed about 50 of them there, they are skin and bones, anemic, and in bad health overall. Any time I go to feed them, I fear that I'm not going to see them again, overthinking on my way to the dump, what if I'm not going to find that dog anymore, what if don't manage to save this one etc... Things are slightly better for those on the street who manage to find some leftovers, but their number keeps increasing so they can't find enough.

We have to improvise now, as we don't have enough food to feed everyone anymore. We have dry food left for 3 days only, we try to mix it with whatever we manage to find so that dogs still eat enough, but it is just a mix of this and that, and not something we can keep up for long. 

My main concern is starvation. I'm panicking, I feel like I'm struggling for air, choking. I have to spend wisely the food that is left now not only among strays, but also among dogs at the shelter. I feel a lump in my throat when I think of this, I cannot function normally knowing this..."

2. Left at the dump after she gave birth to her puppies, Alfa survives thanks to Ivana's care. She will not be able to survive on her own if Ivana can no longer bring her kibble.

"We've known Alfa for about a month, she was most probably kept by someone who left her at the dump after a litter of puppies. She is still young and hasn't lost faith in people for now, maybe she hasn't really seen the real cruel horror of the dump yet...

We will get her to the shelter as part of our TNR (Trap, Neuter, Release) program as soon as possible, but it isn't right now, and as with many other dogs we may have to bring her back to the dump afterwards - these decisions are hard, but sometimes there is no choice, we don't have enough space and food for them all. We need to be able to keep her fed and protected as much as possible so that her condition doesn't deteriorate at the dump."

3. Ivana's shelter also hosts 83 dogs, some of them extremely fragile. They need kibble to get through the winter.

"We currently have 83 dogs at the shelter, plus some additional ones kept at the vet, and in pension. We try to keep the number of dogs in the shelter stable, and improve their living conditions, but it is very difficult. The number of dogs has increased, some of them are in very bad health, they need to be constantly kept at the vet clinic, and we cannot afford it, that's too expensive.

I need to do whatever it takes to not let the dogs starve, otherwise I would have to bring them back to the dump, I cannot keep them here without food. Dogs in poor health won't get better and die eventually if I don't manage to find enough food, as they need nutrition to resist the side effects of toxic meds and get better. 

We ran out of options and resources, and we really need something like a final push of the year - some luck and help to survive till the new year, so the dogs can survive throughout the winter. I am not going to give up and I will do everything possible to keep everyone fed, but I know that financially I won't manage, so I really hope this campaign succeeds."

4. Rescued from the streets in a critical condition, Pero has only just finished his treatment. Still extremely weak and emaciated, he will not survive a kibble shortage.

"Pero is 5 years old. We brought him here from the street about 3 months ago. At one point he lost a lot of weight and could barely walk anymore, we took him to the vet and he was diagnosed with Leishmania and liver issues.

So far he has finished his medication and is in recovery, but he is extremely weak, has to be kept inside and wear clothes all the time, we just take him out on the sun in the hot periods of the day. He has no body mass to keep him warm and food means life for him.

Without food, he will die for sure and I am so hopeful for him, I want to see him running on a beach somewhere, I want someone to have the chance and see what a compassionate and loving dog he is and that he can truly be someone's best friend."

5. Veterinary bills keep piling up, but donations remain at a low point. Ivana is constantly juggling priorities, and she can't see any way to buy more kibble.

"The situation was a little better before the pandemic, as we got donations for food. But with the pandemic extremely hard times have come, we haven't had many donations, and ended up with a lot of dogs to take care of. 

We don't have any volunteers at all - even the old man that used to help us, is not here anymore, as we had to pay him some small amount, and currently, we don't have money at all. We have to manage by ourselves somehow. We have huge debts already especially at the vet, and the amount that we owe grows week by week considering the situation.

We give these dogs a chance to get an owner and home, good living conditions, far better than they could possibly get here in Macedonia. Anytime I get a new dog in the shelter, I hope his days are going to be better now, and that eventually, he will be adopted. But when I realize that we have food for less than a week for everyone who is still here, I become more down and anxious."

6. Ivana is not asking to receive any money, only kibble to prevent the dogs from starving.

"We are here 24/7 for these dogs, we live here, we keep an eye on them, some dogs need to eat 5 times a day and be under my supervision, some of them get meds that are very toxic, they can get worse anytime, so I sacrifice a lot of time for them, instead of being with my kids and family. For now, there is no balance and I dedicate much more time to dogs rather than to my kids, good thing is that my mother is around.

We spay dogs, feed them, vaccinate them, and trying to get them a proper home - that's a huge difference not only for dogs but also for people here. I feel positive after seeing some happy ends for the adopted dogs - I see their homes, I'm in contact with the adopters, I know those dogs are fed, and clean, and groomed, that cheers me up, gives me energy and strength to go further. 

I hope things will get better, that we will get food, and make the lives of those dogs a little better. Everything just has to be fine. There are dogs with no potential to get adopted, I just wish we can make their stay here happier."

7. If this campaign succeeds, Ivana will not receive any money but 2400 kg of kibbles, delivered from Animal Webaction's logistics platform in Macedonia.

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

8. Calls for donations and the search for sponsors remain without effect, the association's loyal supporters are already doing their utmost. Ivana and the dogs need this collection to go forward.

"We get financial help from our support group on Facebook, sometimes it's little donations, sometimes we are lucky to have a sponsor who will cover some of our expenses. But we haven't had enough lately. Sometimes we also get material donations, such as old blankets and pillows, or we receive food leftovers from restaurants, which helps us a lot, and that's great because we really need this type of help as well.

We didn't get any new sponsor, nor volunteer. We try to contact anyone who can help, we contacted for example an English organization, which helps dogs in Romania, but as Macedonia is not in European Union, things are more complicated, we have to pay customs for the food they could get, which is really expensive, so in the end it doesn't help. We had several attempts here to organize fundraisings here in Macedonia as well, but that's not possible, as we don't have good connections.

Yesterday it's been three years since we started this serious rescue mission with pets from the dump. Last night I was thinking how good it would be to get this food for our 3 years anniversary! Like a birthday present. We hope to have some supporters and help us move further. With fed and healthier dogs, things will go better, and we can rescue more pets."

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 Macedonia, neither the state nor the population wants to help the abandoned dogs. A lot of animals are left to die outside, there is no care for them.

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

If you represent an animal protection foundation or NGO, please help Ivana's dogs, contact us and we will put you in touch!

If you want to come to Ivana's shelter to help her or if you want to send her directly some kibbles or a check, contact Ivana 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.