Pro Animals Finland registered association aims at helping animals in need by focusing its support on one long-term project at a time and promoting animal protection based on sustainable development.

Our first project since autumn 2005 and still for many years to come is to support Pro Animals Romania, a small animal protection association that runs single-handedly a shelter of over 500 stray dogs in the city of Targu-Jiu, Romania. Additionally the association is also responsible for monitoring the animal protection issues of the Gorj County.

Summary of the situation of Pro Animals Romania in December 2011

Greetings from PAFi's president!

We founded our association Pro Animals Finland (PAFi) in September 2005. We started out of nothing – only the local instance and location were chosen and heads were full of plans and ideas. Of course before founding the association, we had done months of research in e.g. who would be our first cooperation partner as well as specifying our policy and future plans. From the beginning the basis of our activity has been in helping communities that have true problems and helping these communities locally since we must help where the problems really are and try to have an impact on the problems rationally and effectively.

Already in the beginning we got to cooperate closely with Pro Animals Romania, a local animal protection association protecting animals in the city of Tg-Jiu (c. 100 000 residents). Pro Animals Romania is also the oldest registered, non-profitable association of Gorj County. In April 2009 there were c. 300 different kinds of associations in Gorj County of which Pro Animals Romania was the most active and the only one focused entirely on animal protection and welfare. The founders of Pro Animals Romania have a profound feel to the local authorities in developing animal protection matters during their 10 years of activity.

During year 2006 we managed to implement a 2-week spaying & neutering-campaign which enabled the locals to bring their own pets for a free neutering. We also launched some of our long-term key projects in Romania, including local education programmes for different age groups and therapy dog programme. During year 2007-2009 we focused on developing these projects.

This all has demanded a lot: strong vision, dependable local cooperation partner and loyal supporters. We have achieved already much in a short time period but there is yet much to be done. In Tg-Jiu only a bunch of animals have proper living conditions and we still have great challenges ahead of us that in order to implement we need not only buoyancy but support from friends of animals.

Our greatest challenge since 2011- is to renovate a new shelter for the 500 stray dogs under PAR's care. In spring 2011 the city of Tg-Jiu "rented" PAR an old hall complex and its courtyard for them to renovate as their new shelter. The new animal shelter will include fenced areas for the dogs and facilities for a clinic and recovery rooms. The work begun in June 2011 and the first part is to finish by the early-September. Whether the project continues, it's completely up to us and our will to fight for the dream. Are we ready for this challenge?

Who has no courage to dream, has no power to fight.
Let’s make our dream come true together!

Best regards, Kiia