Kibble for SOS 163 chiens Serbie

1. In Serbia, Svetlana is out of kibble to feed her shelter’s 163 dogs. They will starve if no one helps! 

"At the shelter, there are 163 dogs depending on me at the moment, and I have never struggled so much to feed them! We hardly have any more donations and although I try to support the shelter by working two jobs, I can't cover all the expenses! 

Many things have been delayed because of the current lack of funds, essentially everything. And even if I redirect every little donation towards kibble supply, it's still not enough to cover more than 3-4 days at a time, buying the cheapest type of kibble available, and rationing the dogs' portions! It's a real disaster... This has been going on for about two months now and I'm having a really hard time with it.

At the moment we have literally two bags of kibble left which have already been opened, so I can basically say that the food is gone… I feel sad, helpless and stressed; I think day and night about how I'm going to feed my dogs... This campaign is more than necessary, it is vital! It is the only hope I have to feed my dogs and get through this dark time..."

2. Malnutrition is affecting the dogs at the shelter and Svetlana is already having to turn down rescues... She fears the worst if this campaign fails!

"At the moment, my dogs are eating the cheapest kibble on the market. Those are even a class below the regular kibble, the protein content is about 16%... which means they are very low quality. I mix these kibbles with leftover chicken, but it's still not enough, or even average food. I can tell just by looking at my dogs... They are less lively, play less often and the weaker dogs have more immunity problems. It's terrible, because we have a lot of older dogs in the shelter, and a lot of dogs with poor health. They all need better quality food in the right quantities to stay healthy. And even though our younger dogs are less sensitive, they will also be put at risk by this type of diet in the long run!

Sadly, the lack of kibble also prevents me from helping dogs on the street. And help is needed, believe me... A lot of dogs are abandoned every day, poisoned by people... the situation is very alarming. There are very few people who are willing to help the street dogs here and unfortunately I can't help them either, if I don't even have enough kibble for the dogs in the shelter... I have insomnia, I am very stressed... All these dogs need me to survive and I feel like I'm letting them down! I don't know what I'll do if this campaign fails... "

3. Without kibble, Tapi's treatment is ineffective... He will not survive without this delivery!

"Tapi is about 5 years old. I rescued him from the pound with his brothers and sisters. They all had parvovirosis, and he was the only one to survive... Unfortunately, his health has remained fragile since then. He has skin problems all the time... He takes a full course of anti-parasite treatment but his problems do not go away! The diet he is on is undoubtedly the cause... He will not recover without this delivery of kibble!"

4. Donations have dropped and debts keep piling up... Svetlana is no longer able to make up for the shortfall, and can no longer buy kibble.

"Because of the current financial crisis, people don't think about adopting at all. In fact, more and more dogs are even abandoned on the streets because their owners can no longer afford to look after them... People are stressed and afraid of the future, so it is easier for them to have one less responsibility. Of course, the same logic applies to donations. I have a small base of people who have been giving for years according to their possibilities, but given the current economic situation, their possibilities are greatly reduced... For example, if someone used to give 10 euros a month, they now only give 5 euros. I use my salary to try to make up the shortfall, but I don't earn nearly enough! 

I have huge vet debts for operations, treatments... I'm not able to get a regular supply of kibble either, to make passports for some dogs, or to make the necessary repairs to the shelter. I can't see any other way than to take out a loan to solve these problems, but I'm already paying one off... I work and spend all my spare time on the dogs, but I can't keep up and I have no local support!

People here don't necessarily have the means to donate and for some reason, they tend to think that people who run shelters do so for financial reasons and earn millions... This is absurd! Besides, the only time people actually come to my shelter is when they want to get rid of their dog. I sincerely hope that this campaign will be successful, because at this stage it's the only way that I can feed my protégés properly. I don't lack determination... only support!"

5. Svetlana is not asking for money, only kibble to keep the dogs from starving.

"The majority of people in my area are not aware of the need to help animals and find it difficult to understand why anyone would want to run a shelter dedicated to them. They don't understand why I choose to spend my salary on dogs and more generally, don't understand the point of getting involved in a cause that doesn't make money... I am often misunderstood, and the same goes for the dogs under my roof! People think they are aggressive, that they might be attacked if they set foot here... when in reality, it's just the opposite. It's the dogs that have ended up here because of the abuse that men have inflicted on them!

Helping these dogs is my vocation and I am aware of the responsibility I have, but it is really not easy to manage everything alone. Over the years, the large number of dogs in danger on the street has led to a large number of dogs in my shelter, and it's getting harder and harder to manage, in every way. I really wish things were different... I wish people wouldn't abandon their dogs, that they wouldn't abuse them, that the state would do its job and that people would help each other. Unfortunately, the reality is quite different... It's hard for me to accept this reality and face it, but the dogs will always come first, they are like family to me and I will always find it in me to fight for them. I know I have to do it, because no one else will..."

6. If this campaign succeeds, Svetlana will not receive any money, but 1600 kg of kibble, delivered from the Animal Webaction logistics centre in Serbia.

Animal Webaction has a logistics centre in Serbia which allows us to intervene quickly and deliver kibble.

7. Svetlana is in debt and her supporters have already done their utmost. She is afraid this kibble campaign will fail.

"The only regular help we get is from an organization based in Holland - they send donations once a month. Their help is greatly appreciated, but sadly it's really small amounts compared to all the costs we have. We are trying to send letters to other organizations in Europe, but so far we do not have any other support.

Our debts are overwhelming and we need this kibble, as this is our most urgent problem! Our dogs are suffering from a very poor diet and this can't go on any longer... This campaign is my only option to remedy the situation but I am very afraid it could fail..."

8. 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. 

9. In Serbia, street dogs are hunted by the State and ignored by the population, volunteers like Svetlana are their only hope.

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

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

If you wish to go to the association's shelters to help or if you want to send her directly some kibbles or a cheque, contact Svetlana  (note: direct help is done on your own responsibility).

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