We cannot let these 105 dogs starve!

URGENT! In Serbia, Zuzana is running out of kibble to feed the 105 dogs in her shelter, they are going to starve!

1. In Serbia, Zuzana is almost out of kibble to feed the 105 dogs in her shelter. They will starve if no one helps!

"Buying kibble for my dogs has become particularly challenging in recent months. Everyone is affected by the inflation, prices have skyrocketed… we can't buy as much food as we used to, with the same amount of money. Our donations have also decreased, I imagine for the same reason. I honestly can't remember a winter when our resources were this limited!

I have tried reaching out to past donors and local businesses and the municipality for help, but it doesn't always work and even when it does, it's not enough to last more than a few days on end. Now more than ever, it is a day-to-day struggle, in the most literal sense. From one day to the next, we never know if we'll have food to give our dogs, so we often ration it...

Our situation has never been so precarious, it is very stressful, sad and painful...it honestly keeps me up at night! I try to think of ways to provide kibble and I’m always convincing myself that I will find a way, but right now I can't think of anything other than the success of this campaign to achieve it... It would give us the certainty to have enough kibble to give our dogs for a while, and that would be absolutely priceless..."

2. At the shelter, the lack of kibble threatens the dogs with malnutrition and prevents the association from continuing the rescues... This campaign is vital for everyone!

"In the depths of winter, it is essential that dogs are well fed to maintain their weight and body heat! We need to give them enough kibble, as well as blankets, straw... We do our best to meet these needs, but the supply of kibble is our biggest challenge and malnutrition is a constant concern for us. We have several very vulnerable dogs in our care who need kibble, vitamins and medication to aid their recovery, but our lack of resources means we have to make some tough choices! We can't buy everything... and unfortunately our helplessness doesn't end there.

Currently, there are more dogs than ever on the streets. Many owners are abandoning their animals for various reasons: lack of money due to the constant increase in prices, people leaving the country in search of better job opportunities, etc. I understand their difficulties, I am confronted with them myself as a shelter owner. But I am convinced that there is a more humane way to deal with these problems... Animals are not disposable! Faced with this influx of dogs on the streets and our unprecedented lack of resources, we are forced to stop rescues for the time being. It's just heartbreaking... We have to find kibble!"

3. Lina was wandering for weeks on end before Zuzana rescued her... Malnourished and weak, she needs kibble to recover!

"I found Lina on the street. One day, she simply appeared at one of the places where I am leaving food for stray dogs! Thanks to her chip, I found out that her owner had passed away and his family was living abroad. She had probably been on the street for many months... She was extremely thin and weak when we found her. She is slowly recovering from malnutrition but she still needs to gain weight. It is imperative that she's able to eat regularly and enough! Only this kibble delivery will allow her to fully recover."

4. Faced with declining donations and soaring costs, Zuzana is financially overwhelmed and can no longer buy kibble.

"Our association depends entirely on donations to survive. To collect them, we have donation boxes in 4 locations in the city and we make appeals for donations via our Facebook page and group. Some supporters are doing their best to help us, but everyone is struggling to survive these days... Our donations have halved in recent months!

To try and tackle this issue, we have been going to various places to ask for help over the last few weeks, with the help of an activist who has joined our cause. We are also trying to find new organisations to work with and so far we have received donations from 3 of them. These donations range from 1 to 10 bags of kibble and sometimes include monetary donations from 10 to 50 EUR. Every little bit helps, but unfortunately this is not enough to cover all the shelter's expenses... In addition, the price of veterinary services has almost doubled in recent times!

Every day is a struggle filled with uncertainty as we never know if we will have enough donations to feed our dogs and treat them, or if we will have to choose one over the other... It is crucial that this campaign succeeds! Kibble is the most basic need for our dogs and the money we don't spend on kibble can be used for veterinary expenses, which are also essential for the well-being and survival of our dogs!"

5. Zuzana isn't asking for money, only kibble to keep the dogs from starving!

"I have always loved dogs and wanted to help them. I began by feeding and caring for stray dogs and eventually, I founded a shelter to provide a permanent home for them. With time and hard work, we have been able to expand the shelter from a dozen dogs to now more than a hundred! 

Taking care of this many dogs involves a very structured daily routine : cleaning up the kennels, providing food, water, making sure the dogs have shelter from strong winds/storms and have shade during summer, enough space to run… It’s very physically demanding and mentally challenging, especially when we take in an injured dog. We need to make sure the dog is safe, well fed, and taken to the vet almost daily. We need to shelter it from other dogs until it gets well… Some dogs are very badly injured, and it hurts us to watch them suffer. It is very heartbreaking. 

I just hope that in the future, people will take more responsibility for the care of their pets and recognize the importance of treating them with love and respect. Children from a young age should know that dogs are our friends, but also a big responsibility. If we give them love and care, they will repay a hundred times more with love, friendship and affection.”

6. If this campaign succeeds, Zuzana will not receive any money but 1200 kg of kibble, 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 kibble.

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 Zuzana are their only hope.

If you know of a foundation or NGO that could help Zuzana, 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 Zuzana's dogs, contact us and we will put you in touch!

If you would like to drop by Pongo's shelter to help Zuzana or if you would like to send her kibbles or a check directly, contact Zuzana via Facebook (note: direct help is your own responsibility).

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