We cannot let them starve!

1. In Serbia, Sladja is running out of kibble to feed her shelter's 123 dogs. They will starve if no one helps!

“At the moment, we have 123 dogs in our care and we are unable to take more dogs in, as the shelter is already full… It is very sad, when you know that the number of abandoned dogs doesn’t decrease in the streets… But we are in a financial crisis, the current state of the economy in Serbia is bad, donations are extremely rare, and we’re continuously indebted. Therefore, our ability to provide for the dogs is entirely affected by this financial situation… 

Our biggest difficulty at the moment is getting kibble, it’s become too expensive for us to cope! So, in order to make our stock last longer, we have to reduce the amount of kibble we give to our dogs. And even by doing so, there won’t be any kibble left for them in a couple days… I feel extremely bad about this, and my soul hurts. After that, I don’t know how we’ll manage to get kibble… I can’t let my dogs starve, it’s out of the question! That’s why this campaign must succeed!” 

2. Sladja fears the lack of kibble will weaken the most vulnerable dogs further and raise nervousness and aggressiveness: this campaign cannot fail... 

“I'm almost out of kibble and although I've been able to avoid the worst so far, I'm afraid of the many repercussions the lack of kibble will have on our dogs: if they don't have enough to eat, they will become nervous and angry, or even start biting each other... This can lead to more serious health problems, injuries, more dangerous fights or even fatal outcomes. I can't let that happen! Besides, it will lead to more expenses at the vet and we’re clearly unable to cover extra costs. We already have so many of our rescue dogs that have major, life-threatening health problems!   

If we let our dogs starve, it would cause a lot of health issues and cost us more in the long run… I am so afraid of what will happen if we don't get more kibble… Without kibble, the dogs will suffer and so will I! Animals are my family and my soul, and I would do anything to take care of them. We need this Animal Webaction campaign to succeed to ensure kibble supply for the coming month… If we don't get this delivery, I’ll be out of alternatives to keep my dogs fed and things will turn out really bad…”

3. Stela has suffered deprivation on the streets: she has to undergo surgery and won't be able to recover properly without this kibble delivery...

“We just rescued Stela, she's around 6 or 7 years old. We found her in the city, and she wasn't microchipped, so we don't know much about her story, unfortunately… When we found her, she was malnourished, covered in ticks, fleas, and burdocks. We took her to the vet in order to get her rid of the parasites. However, all in her behaviour indicates that she’s in heat and it is clear that she was abandoned unsterilised… She could have risked a pregnancy on the streets! 

It's really sad to think that Stela may have been abandoned by her owner. Negligent ownership is a criminal offence! A dog is not just an animal; it's a part of your family that needs to be taken care of just like a child. Now, the most important thing to do is to get her sterilised, but she will need more nutrients and kibble to make sure the surgery and recovery go well! Life on the streets and food deprivation has made her particularly vulnerable and that’s why she absolutely needs this kibble delivery!”

4. Sladja's debts stack up, inflation is high and donations are low: she's out of option and counts on this campaign to keep her dogs fed!  

“It is particularly challenging to ensure the dogs’ well-being, considering our lack of funds… I mostly use my own funds to cover everything (shelter maintenance, bills, vet care and heavy therapies, kibble…) but with such a high inflation rate, it has become so complicated… Sometimes, I manage to indebt myself in order to cover kibble expenses but it’s not always possible…

I even had to postpone some vaccinations for one month because I couldn’t afford them… To cover the shelter’s many costs, I try to get help from friends in Germany, but the operations and other expenses have created tremendous debts and I don’t know how or when I’ll be able to pay these back! 

Donations have decreased so much lately, and apart from my personal money, I only receive scarce donations from a support group on Facebook. But I won’t be able to order any kibble next month. With this Animal Webaction campaign’s success, we could get a more substantial amount of kibble and I will be able to feed my dogs!”

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

“My main concern is always the wellbeing of our dogs. We take care of them with love and attention, ensuring their health is good, and that they are happy… But in our area, there are still so many strays who need to be rescued and they’re living in dreadful conditions: they get poisoned, mistreated, mutilated... The municipality's decision to only allow two dogs in a yard/household has increased the number of stray dogs… Many people have chosen to abandon their dogs and most of these animals aren’t sterilised, which creates a neverending influx of strays… 

On a more positive note, we’ve recently signed a new contract with dogcatchers who catch dogs humanely. I take pride in my work. I have been here for a long time and I even received two awards for my efforts! But I don’t like to boast about myself. When I see the dogs, I feel a connection with them. I have saved over 500 of them! It’s a tough job, but their eyes and souls motivate me to continue to promote their rights. I’m concerned my poor health will force me to stop what I do, one day - but I know my amazing volunteers will continue this work in favour of dogs!”  

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

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

7. Sladja's supporters have done everything to help her cover the dogs' needs: she now has no other resort than this campaign to feed them...

“The resources we have are very limited. The only organisation that helps us is a group from Germany that provides us with small donations. Sadly, despite their amazing support, it’s insufficient for our dogs’ needs… When we reach out to other organisations, we tend to get negative answers as they’re all overwhelmed with inquiries…

One of the biggest misconceptions people have about animal rescue work is that we earn some money from it, which is absurd and impossible! The bank account is always overdrawn, we really struggle to make ends meet... We rely on donations but they’re not enough right now. 

It's frustrating when some organisations call me to ask for help, thinking that I have extra money or extra kibble. The truth is we definitely need help and support to keep rescuing and feeding our dogs and if the Animal Webaction campaign fails, we don't know how we're going to go on…”

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 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, 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 directly send her some kibble or a cheque, please contact Sladja via the association's Facebook page (note: direct help is made your own responsibility).

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