We cannot leave these 122 dogs starve!

1. In Serbia, Sladja is almost out of kibble to feed the 122 dogs in her shelter. They will starve if no one helps!

"Serbia's inflation rate is off the charts, everything has become so expensive here : from gas to petrol, grain, oil... and of course pet food! Since the beginning of the year, the price of kibble has literally doubled. Having 122 mouths to feed is certainly not an easy task, in fact it is our greatest difficulty at the moment. 

I buy kibble for my dogs with my pension money and using the few donations I get from friends in Germany, but neither of these options is limitless... Even in Germany, the price of a loaf of bread has reached 5 euros! It has become difficult for everyone to feed themselves, so no matter how good-willed my friends are, they can't work miracles...

I am not a rich person and I don't get help from other organisations either. I usually try to find solutions and solve problems on my own, because I don't like to bother other people or put myself in the spotlight. But at this point there is simply no other option; I can't do it alone anymore! I am aware of my limits and they have been reached... Our situation has never been so dire and I'm afraid my dogs will be the first to suffer the consequences. They need to eat! I would die if anything happened to any of them...".

2. The dogs become nervous, Sladja is worried fights will break out if she does not find kibble quickly!

"The kibble that Animal Webaction sends us is of very good quality; when the dogs have it, they are happy and healthy. But when other, lower-quality kibble are consumed, the consequences are immediately noticeable. Dogs get diarrhoea, they become agitated and fights ensue...

The dogs fight, bite each other, and it's a vicious circle because we then have to pay for treatment, suturing of wounds, and medication at the vet. All of this requires additional funds that we simply do not have! And to make matters worse, even the prices of vaccines, disinfectants and anti-parasite tablets have increased in Serbia...

The problems keep piling up: we haven't had any adoptions in the last few months, we have a lot of dogs, a lot of kibble needs and very few donations... Everything is getting harder and harder and I am really worried about the future; some of my dogs have been with me for years! My biggest fear is that one of them will die because of the current situation... I couldn't bear it, I love them all, they are my family members!"

3. Donations and adoptions are plummeting as the country sinks into crisis. Sladja's resources are too low to make up for the shortfall, she can no longer buy kibble.

"I don't even know where to start... The crisis is hitting us hard and Serbia is not in the EU zone, so everything is even more expensive here! Our law for adoptions abroad is also very complicated, there are a lot of procedures, steps, tests to be done... all combined, it takes a minimum of 3 months to be able to send an animal away and it is very expensive. Needless to say that with the period we are going through, it is not surprising that our adoptions have dropped.

Adoptions on Serbian territory are also far from easy, in fact they are almost non-existent. Most people here don't have enough money to take care of a dog and the people who can afford it already have 2 or 3. Besides, everyone here wants a pedigree dog... Nobody wants a mongrel or an old shelter dog. And since the law limits dog ownership to a maximum of 3 per household... Well, I think you get the gist. 

We have a lot of mouths to feed and more dogs coming in than going out. My personal resources are melting like snow in the sun and the few donations I receive are too small... I have veterinary debts that force me to postpone certain operations. Kibble are the absolute priority at the moment, my 122 dogs can't stay hungry! This situation makes me terribly sad, I saved my dogs from certain death, I take care of them, I do my best... All this can't fall apart!"

4. Sladja isn't asking for money, only kibble to prevent the dogs from starving.

"What made me decide to dedicate myself to animals and found this association was my first encounter with dog catchers. This is a widespread practice here, with people being paid by the municipality to catch stray dogs and eventually kill them if they are not 'claimed' within a certain period of time. Witnessing such acts was the trigger, as I wanted to prevent such situations from happening again.

I started by renting a private property where I took in abandoned dogs that I used to feed on the street. Over the years I have helped over 350 dogs and the 122 that are still under my roof have the chance to live in an environment where they are cared for and loved. Of course, many of them are still waiting for good people to adopt them... I hope more of them will get this chance but until then, I will stay here, entirely devoted to them. They are my whole life!"

5. If this campaign succeeds, Sladja will not receive any money but 1600 kg of kibbles, delivered from Animal Webaction's logistics platform in Serbia.

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

6. Sladja's supporters are doing their best but the help she receives remains random, she can only count on this campaign to feed her dogs!

"Our financial situation is becoming more and more difficult. I try to collect donations on my FB page for medical bills, vaccines... We usually manage to collect 100 euros or so, maximum. That's not nearly enough! I have to finance the rest by myself, for medical treatments, food... 

I never over-sollicit people on my page because then you end up on a black list... And anyway, a lot of people are not interested in helping. Apart from the few donations I receive from my friends in Germany, nobody lends me a hand. I can't finance everything by myself, I really cannot do it alone. Animal Webaction is the only organization that can help me with food for the next little while!"

7. 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.

8. In Serbia, street dogs are hunted by the State and ignored by the population, volunteers like Sladja are their only hope!

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

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

If you would like to come to Sladja's shelter to help her or if you would like to send her kibbles or a check directly, please contact Sladja via the association's Facebook page (note: direct help is your own responsibility).

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