We cannot let this shelter's 400 dogs starve !

1. In Romania, Ildiko is almost out of kibble to feed her shelter’s 400 dogs. They will starve if no one intervenes!

"In the last 3-4 months we have seen a visible increase in the abandonment rate. We had many cases involving mothers with puppies but also pure breed dogs : bichon, American bulldogs, and American Staffordshire terriers. The situation is getting out of hand. Our kennels are at maximum capacity and financially speaking, this influx of dogs involves a lot more costs : vaccinations, deworming medicine,sterilizations, surgeries… and of course, kibble!

The thing is, our fundraising campaigns are not going well, donations are at an all time low. To be honest, I didn't really expect much considering the state of the economy and the inflation going on. Right now, we barely have enough kibble to last a couple more days, and I'm running out of options. I've even had to start cutting back on the portions for the dogs. It's really stressing me out because I know this kind of situation won't end well. I have so many precious lives under my care, and I'm scared they might start fighting if I can't find a solution fast. If this campaign doesn't succeed, our shelter, which should be a safe haven, will no longer be that anymore…"

2. The dogs' aggressiveness increases as the kibble stock decreases... Without this delivery, Ildiko fears she won't be able to avoid a tragic escalation!

"Due to lack of donations, I am forced to buy very low quality kibble and I can't buy as much as needed either. I compensate by feeding the dogs boiled rice and stale bread, but these are not nutritious alternatives... This diet can clearly be detrimental to the dogs' health in the long term and also generates tension and aggression. Fighting is what I fear most...

Many of our kennels have more than three dogs at the moment. I have a lot of dogs, too many dogs to stop them if they start fighting in a group! And life in a shelter is not easy either: the kennels, the constant commotion, the incessant noise, spending most of their time outside... To top it all off, it has rained a lot in the last few weeks, there is a lot of mud.This makes the dogs more nervous and if you add to that the lack of kibble, the risk of fights is considerably increased...

With my shelter, my priority is to help dogs that are in immediate danger, sick, injured... I fight tirelessly to help them and offer them a life as peaceful as possible. So it goes without saying that knowing my dogs are in danger because I am unable to provide them with kibble breaks my heart... Today, only this campaign will allow me to keep them safe and sound!"

3. Abused, abandoned, Natasa is in such a severely malnourished and emaciated state that her survival hangs by a thread if this campaign fails...

"I found Natasa in a field, about 2 weeks ago; she looked awful, in terrible shape. She was covered in wounds on her back, most likely from being beaten. She has a microchip, but her owner refused to acknowledge that it was his dog...

She spent the first week at the vet clinic where she received medicine and treatment for her back injuries, for fleas, ticks, babesiosis, and vitamins because she was so malnourished. It is clear from her demeanor that she was beaten and abused. She is a pure breed Moscow Watchdog, she is extremely scared of people, and runs away from them. It took me a few days just to get close to her and touch her...

The babesiosis is gone now and she seems to be getting better, but she is still very very skinny for her breed and her skin is still recuperating, so she needs good food, otherwise her health will deteriorate fast. Without this delivery, I'm afraid she won't make it..."

4. Ildiko struggles to meet the shelter's rising expenses amidst inflation and low donations. Only this campaign will ensure the dogs are fed!

"Everything is more expensive because of inflation: kibble, medication, veterinary visits and even building materials. I have a lot of debt at the vet clinic because all the new dogs that have come into the shelter have created a lot of expenses. Unfortunately, our donations continue to be very low... We have had a fundraiser going on for 3 months now and it has only raised about 400 euros. 

Our adoptions follow the same trend: locally, a couple came to adopt 2 puppies last month, but that's it. Internationally, we send about 3 dogs per month. With the increase in the number of abandoned dogs, it is impossible to keep this pace! I have a lot of dogs, a lot of expenses and the economic climate is getting harder and harder to navigate.

Kibble supply is our most recurring problem, yet the most basic need for our dogs... I desperately need this campaign to succeed so I can breathe a sigh of relief, pay off some debts, and have the confidence that my dogs will have enough to eat over the coming period!"

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

"My family and I dedicate our lives to helping animals, it is our calling. Over the years, we have rescued countless dogs. Rescuing a severely injured dog, witnessing their recovery and seeing their personality blossom are the most magical moments. But that is not how I measure the success of our actions.

I know I'm being hard on myself by saying this, as we help many dogs stay out of harm's way, keep them safe, and feed them, but I consider a rescue successful when and only if a dog has been adopted into a loving home. Unfortunately, statistically speaking, this is not the majority of them...

Here, there are plenty of dogs on the streets, but adoptions are still rare. Unfortunately, Romanians are not aware of the responsibilities of owning a pet. They consider them as goods to be thrown away when they bother them. Sterilization also has a long way to go. I still see a lot of people getting their female dogs pregnant before spaying them, perpetuating the same old myths... I don't see attitudes changing anytime soon and until they do, shelters like mine will have a lot of work ahead of them!"

6. If this campaign succeeds, Ildiko will not receive any money but 2400 kg of kibble, delivered from Animal Webaction's logistics platform in Romania.

Animal Webaction has a logistic platform in Romania, which allows us to intervene quickly and deliver kibble.

7. Ildiko keeps trying to get help to feed her dogs, but times are very hard and her supporters can't do more: her only option is this campaign!

"A German organization is helping us send about 3 dogs for adoption per month which, often times is more than I can get adopted here. They also help us with donations from time to time and lately, I've had to ask for their help more frequently than usual. I have had so little monetary donations that they had to send us food on three occasions in the past few months. The amounts sent covered almost half a month. They truly do amazing work, but sadly I cannot only depend on their help. 

These are hard times and we need to constantly find ways to get through them. We're trying to participate in local fairs, we've also reached out to foreign fundraising platforms. Unfortunately, the help we get from these initiatives isn't subsantial enough to sustain and feed a shelter of 400 dogs! People have been very unresponsive at our pleas to donate overall, that's why we need your help to get out of this situation. Only your campaigns can help us feed our dogs in the long term and I truly hope this one will succeed as we really, really need it..."

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 Romania, it is difficult to find funds for kibble, there are no aid, no grants, no foundation... Many abandoned dogs die alone in the streets, in complete indifference...

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

If you want to come to Ildiko's shelter to help her or if you want to directly send her some kibble or a cheque, contact her via Facebook (note: direct help is under your own responsibility).

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