We cannot let the 130 dogs at the Sapa U Srcu shelter starve!

1. In Bosnia, Slobodanka has run out of kibble to feed the 130 dogs in her shelter. They will starve if no one helps!

"The number of dogs in our care is constantly increasing. People are still dropping dogs off in front of the shelter, and our adoptions have drastically decreased. For Sabina, the association's president, and myself, caring for so many dogs has become an impossible mission.

Since last year, the price of kibble has doubled, while its quality has deteriorated dramatically - it's getting worse all the time! At the moment, we're completely out of kibble. We're asking for help on our Facebook page, but we're dependent on people's goodwill. And generally speaking, since the pandemic and the ensuing economic crisis, our donations have dropped considerably.

We're on the brink of collapse. We can't take it anymore, either physically or mentally. I've been doing this for many years and I can't count the sacrifices I've made, but it's getting harder and harder. We've run out of kibble and have no way of buying more. With winter just around the corner, things are about to get even more difficult... The dogs are in danger of starving to death. We need a miracle to avoid a catastrophe!"

2. The dogs are getting weaker by the day: diarrhea, weight loss, nervousness... Slobodanka knows the situation will turn into a nightmare without kibble!

"The dogs aren't eating enough, as we've run out of stock. We buy from day to day, but the quantities of kibble we manage to put together are far from sufficient. The dogs are losing weight, their bones are protruding, it's terrible. The poor quality of the kibble we give them is also a problem. It's all we can afford to buy, unfortunately, but it doesn't contain enough protein. These kibbles go right through them... and the dogs often have diarrhea.

I just don't know what to do. We can't close the shelter and release the dogs, because they'd either be captured by municipal workers or killed on the streets. But we also know that if we don't find a way to give them regular, nutritious meals, they'll end up fighting amongst themselves at the shelter. We're between a rock and a hard place, and each prospect breaks our hearts.

The lack of kibble is the biggest problem for the survival of the dogs and the shelter. We love them, they're living creatures and we can't let them starve! We've hit a wall. I don't know what's going to happen tomorrow. I can't sleep at night because I'm so anxious. Sabina and I are both at the end of our tether, and soon, without this kibble, our dogs will be too..."

3. With a seriously injured leg, little Melly desperately needs kibble to survive and boost her immunity!

"Melly is about 10 months old. We found her in Petrovac, hit by a car, injured and lying in a bush for days... We transferred her to the Prijedor clinic, where she stayed for a whole month. She has been moved to the shelter since August, and will unfortunately remain disabled for life. Amputation of her hind leg will probably be the best solution for her. A poor diet is disastrous for her, as she needs to strengthen her immune system and musculature. She's still young and growing, so this is a crucial time for her. We need kibble for her to grow up healthy, we can't let her down!"

4. Donations have dried up and international aid has plummeted, leaving the association drowning in debt and unable to buy any more kibble!

“We rely entirely on donations to run the shelter, but since last year they have collapsed. Sabina, the president of the association, works full time and often helps out with her own salary, but this is not not enough to cover all the dogs' needs. Locally, the authorities do not support us and even though most residents say they love animals, no one helps us.

We cooperate with an Italian organization, but on a considerably reduced scale, because everything depends on adoptions, which have also decreased significantly. We receive a little food, about enough to cover 10 days a month. The association also helps us by paying part of the veterinary costs, and until recently, by paying the shelter's rent. This is unfortunately no longer the case, because their resources are increasingly limited.

The costs of maintaining the shelter and dogs are huge. We owe the vet a lot of money, we are behind on rent payments and we also have unpaid electricity bills, even though we no longer have power at the shelter. We suffered a short circuit in June 2022, which burned part of the roof, and which we were unable to repair due to lack of funds. So we work in the dark or in the light of car headlights in winter... The lack of donations makes our work more difficult on a daily basis and it affects the dogs in our care! We have had to cancel treatments and can no longer afford to buy enough kibble, which is their most basic need. We are exhausted..."

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

"Over ten years ago, Sabina went to the Prijedor pound and saw the terrible conditions the dogs were living in. She took 20 dogs in her car and drove them to Banja Luka. That's where it all began. An informal group of animal lovers was then formed in Banja Luka and, in 2012, the association and the shelter were founded.

Personally, I've been looking after the shelter's dogs full-time for the past 5 years. Despite the difficulties of everyday life, I continue to fight because I love these dogs so much, and they love me back! My role is to take care of the dogs, feed them, clean them, look after them and, above all, give them the love they deserve.

Over the years, we've managed to adopt a total of 5,000 dogs, and we're very proud of this achievement! Unfortunately, our adoptions have dried up after COVID. The pandemic helped increase the number of adoptions at first, but then people went back to work and the mass returns of dogs to the shelter began. Some of the dogs have been at the shelter for over 5 years. It breaks our hearts, but we can never give up on our dogs, no matter what. There is no other solution for them in our area than our shelter! They need us."

6. If this campaign succeeds, Slobodanka will not receive any money but 1360 kg of kibble, delivered from Animal Webaction's logistic platform in Bosnia.

Animal Webaction has a logistic platform in Bosnia which allows 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 Bosnia, stray dogs are tortured and killed illegally without anyone looking...

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

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

If you want to come to Slobodanka's shelter to help her, or if you want to send her directly some kibbles or a check, contact her via the association's Facebook page (note: direct help is under your own responsibility).

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