On World Animal Day 2008!

Greetings from Inkeri and Tuuli from Tg-Jiu shelter 

Inkeri and Tuuli have spent already over three weeks in Targu-Jiu and I’ve heard they’ve made themselves feel at home though entering to a whole another culture was quite shocking at first. Patricia picked them up and took them to the shelter already on their first day in Tg-Jiu after they had taken a little tour in the city together and picked up a map the size of a poster from the city hall so they wouldn’t get lost.

At the shelter Inkeri and Tuuli’s first reaction was shock – to see those hundreds of dogs. Sure they had known beforehand the number of the dogs and they had tried to psyche themselves to face it in reality but, of course, it had been totally surprising to see and experience it concretely. On their first few days Inkeri and Tuuli were like Patricia’s “shadows” as they took a lot of pictures, followed how the daily routines were done at the shelter and got to know to the dogs. Inkeri and Tuuli also got the chance to join on a visit to a vet to e.g. see how a dog’s broken leg was operated. Usually you have to wait several hours when being on a vet, this time was no different than the others. The operation itself consisted of drilling a metallic pin through the broken bone to support the bone. According also to Inkeri and Tuuli the level of hygiene and all the other common customs when visiting a vet were completely different than here in Finland. They got to see the operation right next to the dog that was being operated while the door of the operation room was open and every once in a while the other customers watched the operation from the door. The operation itself was put on hold every now and then due to the vet’s “statutory break” or him taking some time to talk on the phone. I’ve heard the dog has recovered well from the operation and is now much perkier. The little patient also moves smoothly on his three legs, “talks” to visitors and is an excellent babysitter of a little puppy called Pyry.

All in all, Inkeri and Tuuli have been busy stealing every possible task Patricia has. They have been cleaning the warehouse, puppy pen and caravan as well as feeding the dwellers of them. There’s always laundry to be washed and dishes to be done at the shelter and the time just flies by when just hanging out with the dogs, hugging and petting them. And surely after Carmena has had many days of high fever, the help from Inkeri and Tuuli has really been needed at the shelter.

One of the hardest things for Inkeri and Tuuli has been seeing homeless dogs all over the city all the time, especially when they are unable to do anything in a long run. In the city they already see familiar dogs that know they will get food from Inkeri and Tuuli and, of course, the reception is very happy! One day when Inkeri and Tuuli were walking to the shelter they saw a dead dog lying in the middle of the road. There was heavy traffic and nobody bothered to stop and move the dog away from the lane. Inkeri and Tuuli moved the dog by the road from which it had disappeared the next day. In Finland we are not very used to seeing dead pets in the middle of the road or the kind of indifference like in Romania - you can’t get used to it in Tg-Jiu either.

In Tg-Jiu the weather suddenly changed from +30 degrees Celsius of warmth to very autumnly. Now the weather is probably pretty much the same as in Finland though it’s quite warmer in there. Inkeri and Tuuli were very flattered to hear that they have “back up” here in Finland. Of course the positive things Carmena and Patricia have said about Inkeri and Tuuli’s contribution have also been heartwarming for everyone to hear. Inkeri and Tuuli still have many weeks to go and I’m sure they’ll have tons of things yet to be done. I’m sure in future you’ll get to hear about all the things they will still experience on their journey.

 

 

“The horse storage” of Tg-Jiu

There’s “a storage” of abandoned horses in the city of Tg-Jiu. In these storages the horses must stay for days and even weeks without proper care. Pro Animals Romania has constantly tried to intervene and for the past few days the treatment of horses in these storages (among other places) has given the local media something to talk about. Carmena and Patricia have been interviewed concerning the matter. Hopefully some day with relentless intervention some crucial changes are being made relating these issues.

The “dog shelter” of the city of Matasari

The city of Matasari belongs to Gorj County and its animal protection issues to Pro Animals Romania. The former mayor of Matasari agreed on a neutering programme of stray dogs with Pro Animals Romania already in 2004 but the new mayor elected a couple of years ago didn’t want to follow through the agreement and gave an order to kill dogs whatever it would take. A while ago a shelter of three outdoor cages was built in Matasari and already about 60 dogs had been collected to those cages during a month. Pro Animals Romania was reported on the terrible living conditions of the dogs of the shelter and how they were not given food or water not to mention any other care. Carmena along with some authorities went to check the situation. Even the officials were shocked by what they saw! After several days of huge media publicity and pressuring the dogs of the shelter were released since the living conditions at the shelter were so appalling. In addition to this the shelter was completely illegal.

Photos of Matasari ”dog shelter”

After two hours of waiting, the food that was given to the dogs was shown to Carmena and the authorities. The food consisted of a pot full of boiled oat meant for horses and cows!

Donations

Thanks to the cooperation between Faunatar of Ideapark and Wipet Oy we have been donated many, many sacks of dog food to be taken to Tg-Jiu shelter. Our friend, Mauri Ojala, who has spent the summer and the beginning of autumn here in Finland, will take the food to Tg-Jiu shelter as soon as he returns from helping in Albania. Mauri will also take with him to Romania e.g. clothes and toys for the Romani children of his home village. PAFi’s friends have collected these items during the summer and autumn.

PAFi’s new fliers

We have renewed our fliers a little and the new versions are now available in PAFi-site "HELP".

Hopefully as many of you as possible could spread our fliers around e.g. in your hometowns and this way tell about our activity. This is a very easy way to help us and we would appreciate it very much! 

Zuzu in Memoriam

Now I wish we could all have a little quiet moment in memory of Zuzu, the filly. The little Zuzu passed away a couple of days ago though Carmena and Patricia did everything they could to save Zuzu. The vet wasn’t available in time and Zuzu just couldn’t fight back anymore. Zuzu had been taken way too early away from its mother and Dona the mare couldn’t be a surrogate mother for Zuzu.

-Kiia-