We cannot let this pound's dogs starve!

1. In Bosnia, Ajla is out of kibble to feed the 72 dogs at the pound. They will starve if no one helps!

“The pound is currently home to 72 dogs but their number fluctuates, as some sadly pass away, whereas a few others are adopted, and new rescues are brought in… In this mountainous region, summer brings some respite from the harsh cold… But year-round, the biggest problem we face is the lack of everything: kibble, medicine, donations…

Besides, we’ve been out of kibble for 10 days: we're now forced to feed our dogs only once a day, with stale bread from a local bakery! This is the first time since we opened our doors that we have to cut back on food portions so drastically… Donations have significantly dwindled and inflation has driven up costs, so it’s definitely hard for us to buy kibble with our personal funds.

Given the financial context, we can only struggle to secure some food supply… If we can't get kibble soon, I fear we’ll lose many dogs to starvation. There's not much more to say; we desperately need this kibble campaign to succeed, it’s a matter of life or death!”

2. The situation at the pound is critical due to the lack of kibble: the dogs are famished, sick and fighting dangerously for their survival...

“The lack of quality food affects our dogs: they're losing weight, and most of them have skin conditions and dramatic shedding due to the lack of nutrients. When we manage to buy kibble, it’s always the cheapest type and most dogs have trouble processing it and get diarrhoea. The dogs are hungry, so tensions are also rising at the pound; they’re nervous and fights over food break out very often. Thankfully, no serious injuries have occurred yet… But these are dangerous and stressful situations, which could escalate quickly and lead to worse outcomes if the kibble shortage were to last! 

This ongoing battle for food is emotionally draining... We've reached a point where we're bracing ourselves for the worst – losing our dogs to starvation. We're fighting a seemingly impossible war, doing our best, but it's not enough! If we can't find any kibble, the strongest dogs will survive while the weakest will perish, whether due to deprivation, sickness or in fights... It’s breaking my heart to think about these terrible consequences: I'll have to watch the dogs we are trying to save die… It’s unimaginable.”

3. Lunani has a traumatic past and suffers from severe digestive issues due to poor nutrition in the streets: she cannot survive without kibble! 

“We rescued Lunani a month ago… She’s not even a year and a half old, yet she has a gloomy past behind: she was kept confined to a small, filthy cage, without experiencing love nor receiving any veterinary attention… Her attitude shows all the signs that she was severely deprived from human contact.

Her previous abusive owner had abandoned her in the trash. She’s suffered multiple pregnancies and was forced to eat chicken bones off the streets to survive… It has caused her severe intestinal issues. She’s heavily impacted by the current poor diet we’re feeding her with - this kibble delivery is vital for her health and well-being, as it will prevent her from damaging her digestive system even further.”

4. The financial situation is disastrous at too many levels: heavy inflation, scarce donations... Ajla cannot buy kibble for the pound anymore!

“The economic challenges we face now are tough: prices have soared, some items have even doubled in cost, while donations have dropped… Often, we can't even afford to take our dogs to the vet and have to postpone. In the past, we could offset the cost of food with a little medical care, but that's not possible now.

Donations, previously sustained through various Facebook pages, have nearly evaporated. People are struggling with the economy and saving their money. Our appeals for food, once fruitful every fortnight, now barely gather enough for a couple days' supply, in the best cases. It's disheartening…

Our outreach to local and international organisations hasn't been fruitful either: after being turned down multiple times, we are feeling really discouraged... Our appeals to local food producers for scraps have been mixed. While some restaurants have given us their leftovers, others have turned us away… We feel really alone, fighting for our dogs’ survival.”

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

“My journey into animal protection began with my first pets. I think passion makes everything easy... I'd often lose sleep over a sick dog, anxiously waiting for them to recover. That anxiety persists even today, but it's overwhelmed by the joy I feel when one of our dogs finds a home! These victories keep us going.

Adoptions, sadly, have plunged down to almost none, with only one happening a month and a half ago. It seems people don't want pets anymore, with more animals being seen on the streets… What we need is food, medicine, volunteers, and media coverage to help people discover our existence and actions. We still face a lot of resistance, mostly from those in power who could be doing so much more.

Our work has a direct impact: we give dogs a chance at life and create safer streets for people and children. If we don't rescue these dogs, they face a grim fate at the hands of dog catchers. Seeing the enforcement of animal protection laws in Bosnia remaining so lax despite their progressive nature is sad… Dogs are our best friends and it pains me so much whenever I hear that one of them gets killed in atrocious conditions…”

6. If this campaign is successful, Ajla will not receive any money, but 1360 kg of kibble will be delivered from the Animal Webaction logistics centre in Bosnia.

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

7. The pound's supporters have done all they could to help: Ajla now relies on this Animal Webaction campaign's success to feed the dogs...

“We don't have any dogs sponsored and no organisation to support us… The struggle for donations has become real lately: there's barely any money coming in for kibble... I think many people often don't know we exist, and I firmly believe that if we were more visible, things would be better for our dogs!

We try our best to keep our dogs fed, but it's impossible to do it all alone! Support from the community is essential for us to continue. Still, I’m beyond grateful for the kindness and support we've received so far. It's been a blessing and I really wish this campaign to help us feed our dogs will be successful too!”

8. Campaigns launched on Animal Webaction often fail...

When a campaign fails, Animal Webaction cannot deliver the products. The organiser doesn't receive anything and the buyers are refunded. 

9. In Bosnia, stray dogs are tortured and killed illegally without anyone looking...

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

If you want to come to Zunovnica's public shelter or if you want to send some kibbles to Ajla directly or a check, contact her on 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