Stray dogs of Serbia will starve to death!

1. In Serbia, Ivana and Ana will soon run out of kibble to feed hundreds of street dogs. They will starve if nobody intervenes!

"We visit and feed stray dogs daily at several locations in the city. The total number of dogs we take care of, having in mind both street dogs and dogs in shelters, is about 220. Many stray dogs live in packs in different locations without any shelter, and rely on our help. Several of them have health problems, we try to take care of as many dogs from the street who are sick or really need help.

There is a shelter for stray dogs at the city level, but its capacities are absolutely insufficient. So, it comes down to catching and keeping only aggressive dogs. In the winter months, the amount of food strays can scrap from tourists or human activities around is dropping, and it is especially true this year, considering the situation.

Lack of food on our side means irregular feeding for these dogs, and/or poor-quality nutrition, it is endangering their health, and making their lives even harder. When we cannot provide enough food, they also tend to become nervous and sometimes even aggressive, which means there is a danger not only for them but for the citizens as well. For us, personally, this is tremendous stress that stems from the daily uncertainty of whether or not we will have enough food for everyone."

2. Ivana and Ana also take care of 47 dogs in makeshift shelters, they too are threatened by the lack of kibble.

"Our shelters are located at two main locations in the city, and currently host 47 dogs. Conditions are more than modest : one is in a former Hippodrome, so dogs are placed in groups in the stables ; second one we only have outdoor boxes... We need straw for the winter to try and keep everyone warm, but more than anything we need food.

When we run out of food and/or money to buy food like in times like these, we try to make do and feed the dogs less and less quality food and bread, their immunity decreases and makes them prone to illness, and they face many digestive issues. 

We buy food when we raise funds through donations, mainly through social medias, which are not stable funding sources, leaving us without essential assets. The problem with food and the daily uncertainty is a heavy weight to carry, and right now we really need your help to continue the fight and save their lives."

3. Rescued in a terrible state during our visit, Nora is very emaciated, she won't survive without kibbles.

"We got an emergency call about her, she was found on the street and is in terrible condition. She was completly frozen, and very, very skinny, she still is. Although we are struggling, we couldn't leave her in this state. We named her Nora.

Since that day when we found her together, we brought her to the vet. All the tests came back negative, only her uterus is suspicious, but we have to make her put on weight before we can neuter her. She started eating, but she is very selective, and the vet strongly advised us to give her proper good food, which we simply cannot afford... We need help for her, we're afraid she isn't going to make it."

4. With a handful of volunteers, Ivana and Ana are fighting to keep their heads above water. But debts are piling up and threatening the association, they can no longer buy kibbles!

"Our primary source of funding is donations that we collect through Facebook, which is a volatile source, especially in these times. We receive about 2300€ from the city annually, for all our activities, which is of course precious but far from enough considering the scale of our rescue. 

We are lucky to have a good cooperation with an organisation from Germany, that helps us a lot with sterilization, as well as with our veterinary station, who is always there to help. Still, we have huge veterinary bills, and food, medicines and therapies for the dogs are constant expenses we have to face over and over again.

At this stage, our current debts are around 7000€. Some people are understanding, some are not, and that is also pretty stressful. A big part of our debts has to be repaid by the end of the year, there is simply no way for us to get out of this without additional help."

5. Ivana and Ana are not asking for money, only kibbles to prevent the dogs from starving.

"We, among others, won one big battle when euthanasia of stray dogs was forbidden in Serbia a few years ago. With the help of associates from Germany, we also brought under control the reproduction of dogs on the streets by sterilization. But there is no adequate systemic solution for the new situation yet.

Our association is patching holes in the whole story, and if it weren't for it, we can't even think what the solution would be - maybe to go back to euthanasia! This is one of our biggest fear. That is why we have to keep on fighting to care for these dogs.

We are in a constant battle for a change in the Law and stricter punishment of irresponsible owners, but we are still facing closed doors, so it will take time before the problem is solved at the root."

6. If this campaign succeeds, Ivana and Ana will not receive any money, but 2400 kg of kibble, delivered from the Animal Webaction logistics centre in Serbia.

Animal Webaction has a logistics platform directly in Serbia, which enables us to intervene quickly and deliver kibbles.

7. Despite their calls for help, the volunteers are unable to cope. Overwhelmed with worry, they need our help.

"We often fail to collect as much as we need, despite our regular calls for help. Obligations are many to care for these dogs, and there are few of us. The costs are high, the resources are unstable.

This end of the year is extremely stressful for us. Between the debts we have to repay, the lack of food, the cold that has started, and the rescues which never stop : we just take care of one dog, three more show up in the streets,

We are also afraid of the reintroduction of the movement ban by the authorities. We hope there will be no such measures again. We are currently managing to react and take care of all the calls about dogs in distress, but we definitly need help to continue."

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 Ivana and Ana are their only hope.

If you know of a foundation or NGO that could help Ivana and Ana, 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 Ivana and Ana'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 check, contact Ivana and Ana via the association's page (note: direct help is under your own responsibility)

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