Greetings from our trip to Tg-Jiu shelter
(travel photos)

We have come back from our tenth and very emotional trip to Tg-Jiu. The past four days after the trip have been hard. We all miss the shelter very much which is why we have been watching hundreds upon hundreds of travel photos and shedding many tears. We have been watching a documentary we received from Carmena over and over again because it reminds us of our friends despite the long distance we have from each other. The documentary is about the shelter and Carmena’s work.

Next, a few words about the trip.

Below are the travellers from left to right: Pirjo, Sari, Toni, Jukka and Kiia.
   

Saturday 4/3

Early on a Saturday morning we packed three suitcases and a few bags in the car and drove to get Toni along. Then, we headed for the Helsinki-Vantaa airport where we were supposed to meet the rest of the travellers, Pirjo and Sari. Soon after arriving at the airport, we greeted Sari who had been to Tg-Jiu once before, and her friend Pirjo who was excited to meet Carmena, Patricia and the dogs at the shelter.

Our luggage went through the check-in smoothly because we had managed to count their weight correctly and the luggage was well within the weight limits without the help of a scales. We didn’t have to worry about leaving something behind at the airport or about paying extra for exceeding the weight limit.

Our schedule was pretty tight so we didn’t have time for anything else except to do some last minute souvenir shopping and head for the departures terminal. I had a speed date with Airi from the Homeless Bulgarian Dogs registered association at the airport and I got to exchange a brief hug and greetings with her.

After we got on the airplane, we noticed it was only half full so we had plenty of space at the back of the plane. Sari and Pirjo were talking to each other while Jukka rested for the long drive ahead. Toni and I were discussing Pro Animals activities, cooperation and the principles having to do with them. Toni and his wife Heli are neighbours with Jukka and I so we have discussed animal protection and our work a lot, but the closer we got to Tg-Jiu shelter, the deeper everything became.

After arriving in Bucharest, we were on our way to Tg-Jiu on a rental car a half an hour ahead of schedule. Jukka and I had become so accustomed to the road that we stopped to meet some old and some new friends on the way. We didn’t see our old four-legged friends at a few rest stops and we wondered where they might be.
 

After arriving at Tg-Jiu, we headed for the shelter first where Carmena, Patricia and about 400 canine friends were expecting us impatiently. We parked the car at the front of the shelter and the first dog to meet us was Nemo, the oldest guard dog at the shelter, showing some stiffness in its legs. Then, we met another faithful guard dog called Kitza. The third dog we got to meet at the front of the shelter was a new-comer and a little bit cautious around us strangers. When we were greeting the guard dogs, we were reminiscing guard dogs Gogu and Kiti, who kept us company for several years at the shelter but suddenly disappeared from the shelter during the same year.

Then, Patricia hurried to welcome us and soon we got to hug Carmena, as well. These moments of meeting each other again are always moving and happy. If anything, the long distance between us is hard to bear.

After exchanging hugs, we hurried to the warehouse building of the shelter where there were some bitches that had been spayed early that week and a few sick dogs. Evening activities had not been finished there and the workmen were bustling around us like small ants, trying to get things done so they could go home to celebrate Easter-related traditions. Then, led by Carmena, we walked to the third part of the shelter, where evening check-ups were still unfinished. We met many of our old friends and saw some new faces. We couldn’t wait for the next day to properly greet hundreds of friends. However, we had a long trip behind us and we still had to check in to a hotel, have dinner with Carmena and Patricia and do some Easter-related activities.

At the hotel, we were met by familiar staff members and Jukka and I got our regular room. We are beginning to suspect that the hotel doesn’t give the room to anyone else. The room might have a smell that others find strange but we think it’s familiar and lovely.  It’s the smell of the shelter and you couldn’t get rid of it even if you wanted to.

At around 10 pm Patricia came to get us to dinner at her husband’s pizzeria. Carmena and Patricia’s husband Mihai joined us and we enjoyed delicious foods that were brought to our table for two hours. Carmena, Patricia and Mihai were still fasting so they didn’t eat anything but vegetables while we ate something more substantial. Patricia had told me beforehand that their Easter activities during Saturday night include taking candles to their loved ones’ graves and attending the Easter mass. Although the day had been pretty long already, we wanted to accompany Carmena and Patricia to the graveyard. It was a familiar place because it is situated near the shelter. When we were driving to the graveyard, it felt that the whole city was there and that we wouldn’t find a parking space near the graveyard. Patricia managed to park the car a kilometre away next to some park where we walked towards the graveyard, hand in hand along with the stream of people.

The stairs and the front of the church that was situated near the graveyard gate was full of people who were listening to the priest, but led by Carmena and Patricia, we walked straight towards the graveyard. After walking on uneven and stony paths for a while, we arrived at the grave of Carmena’s ex-husband’s parents. Carmena’s father was also there, setting up some candles. We greeted each other and soon made our way to the next grave. When we had walked through the whole graveyard and lit candles at a third grave, Patricia took some boiled and dyed eggs from her bags and told us they have a specific meaning. Soon we were participating in a very interesting custom that was strange to us. Everyone recited to the person next to them the words “Christ has risen” and after that person had replied “He has risen, indeed”, they knocked their egg to another. Once everyone had done that, the eggs were examined. According to the tradition, the person whose egg remained uncracked should get all the eggs. However, this time that person didn’t have to eat the uncracked egg. I wonder whether the tradition was changed at the last minute after Carmena and Patricia saw our puzzled faces and especially Toni’s whose egg remained uncracked…

Carmena’s father bade us farewell and returned to the church to participate in the mass. Carmena and Patricia followed to see us to the hotel where we arrived at 1.30 am. We exchanged hugs, said good night and agreed to meet each other at the shelter in the morning. After getting to bed, I fell into a deep sleep until I had to wake up in the morning.

Sunday 4/4

After waking up in the morning, we heard a knock on our door. Once we opened the door, Pirjo explained to us that Sari and herself had found two puppies outside the hotel who should be taken to the shelter. We agreed to let the puppies wait in the car while we ate our breakfast, and to scope the area for more puppies or perhaps their mother, in which case we would have to reconsider taking the puppies at all.

The breakfast consisted mainly of coffee and juice which we drank fast and were ready to go. We didn’t find any more puppies or adult dogs in the neighbourhood so we took the two puppies to the shelter. Because the supermarket Kaufland ahd shut its doors for Easter Sunday, we bought some snacks from a nearby gas station. The puppies got tasty yoghurt for breakfast.

After arriving at the shelter, Patricia came to meet us and told us that they are going to start returning the spayed bitches in the warehouse building to the outdoor pen. Pirjo and Sari took the puppies to get accustomed to the RV while Toni and I rushed to help clean the cages in the warehouse building. Jukka was left behind at the front of the outdoor pen to open the gates while the dogs were carried back to their own booths. Patricia was also giving treatments to the dogs and while I was helping her, I saw the insides of the medicine cabinet for the shelter dogs. I noticed that veterinary studies had made Patricia more sure of herself which made it easier to treat the dogs accurately. The medicine cabinet was so well organized that a blind person would have found the right medicine there. Patricia now orders the medicine directly from a local pharmaceutical company. She gets antibiotics, antiflammatory, skin care and other kinds of medicine at a wholesale price. This is good news because we can now give money for the medicine instead of bringing medicine and flea treatments to the shelter all the way from Finland.

             

Once we had cleaned the warehouse, each of us went to do our own chores as everyone was busy to greet and pet the shelter dogs. The puppies we had brought to the shelter, were doing fine at the RV and they were also well fed now.

Because it was a sunny and warm day, I decided to reach for my camera to begin to take as many photographs of the shelter dogs as I possibly could. Luckily, I have become a well trained photographer over the years, so I can take photos and pet the dogs at the same time. Sometimes I slip my camera in my pocket so I can use both hands to pet the dogs and to receive wet kisses. An hour after another passed meeting my lovely friends and I almost couldn’t leave, let alone think about anything else. Patricia came to tell me that she has to go eat dinner with her husband’s parents and that she would be right back.

At some point, I noticed that Pirjo and Sari were working hard with the help of a brush and scissors all over the shelter. During our trip, many dogs got a new look for the spring. Some dogs were satisfied with just a gentle brushing. Even the smallest touch normally matters. I was amused when I noticed that there were actual queues to the ladies’ hair salon.

Carmena had told us in the morning that on Sunday we would have to try to finish all chores at the shelter faster than normal because Easter Sunday is a special day for locals and everyone wants to spend at least the evening dining and socializing with their families. That day would also mark the end of a week-long fast. That meant that the shelter employees had to leave early to be with their families. We were planning to accompany Carmena’s brother’s family for dinner.

The day went by incredibly fast and soon it was evening. We did a quick evening round at the shelter with Carmena before the dogs would go to sleep so we could see that all was well at the shelter.

Once we had arrived at the hotel, we had about an hour to take a shower and change clothes before Patricia would come to get us for the Easter dinner.

The evening with Carmena and her brother’s family, Patricia and her husband Mihai was relaxed and we had so much to talk about. We also got to laugh at each others’ expense from time to time, and felt we were all family. During midnight, we got sleepy and had to say goodbye and go to bed.

Monday 4/5

Monday morning was grey and rainy. It didn’t bother us so we had a quick breakfast together at the hotel and then rushed to the supermarket Kaufland to buy some necessities and get some cardboard for the dogs who were staying inside the warehouse. The staff at Kaufland never seizes to be amazed by us, rushing from one place to another, getting supplies, dog food, tons of wieners and stacks of cardboard off the shelves to our shopping carts.

Once we had arrived at the shelter, we unloaded our supplies, checked how the puppies at the RV were doing and of course went to see the dogs inside the warehouse. The smallest one won my heart by its big and trustful eyes.

Pirjo and Sari continued with their on-the-go hair salon. Sari, who had confessed to be a cat-lover, was making conversation with the commander-in-chief of the shelter dogs, called Suzy the cat, and her young aides, Jerry and Tom.

Jukka was still feverish so he went to the pharmacy to get some medicine. Toni and I headed inside the warehouse that was at the third area of the outside shelter. Our intention was to organize the dog food and check some donated supplies that had come to the shelter in March. Patricia told Vasile, who is an employee at the shelter, to help Toni because some of the bags were pretty heavy and Patricia was afraid that I would sprain my back. Tens of dogs came to help and when the insides of the warehouse were in neat rows, I made a small-scale inventory and saw that everything was okay.

Luckily, we had enough travellers this time so we could split up to visit different parts of the shelter and greet all the dogs. It is extremely painful to visit one area, knowing that you have many more left, and then possibly do the same round all over again.

Below are a couple of photos of one of the oldest inhabitants of the shelter, Jimbata, who has always had the ability to jump over the shelter fence and take some excursions of its own. Nowadays, Jimbata likes to lie at the front of the warehouse and inside it during the night between its travels.

We were supposed to meet Carmena’s pets and horses Dona and Daria, Dona’s fowl, as well as tens of dogs that Carmena was taking care of and who were living near Carmena’s home. We would also have to do the hardest part of the whole trip, which was to visit the city shelter.

Jukka and Toni received other chores before the afternoon, as Carmena had gotten a report of a dog that was trapped inside a ten-metres-deep concrete pool and couldn’t get out. The men saved the dog in distress and an article was written about the good deed in the local newspaper. Read the article here . Using the Google translator tool, you’ll get the big picture.

Many friends were waiting for us at Carmena’s. Two dear friends, Mickey and Bursu were gone, however. I took a moment to honour my friends’ memories at their graves. Carmena has taken many dogs to the shelter from home because it’s impossible for her to take care of them alone. Every now and then Carmena gets some help from Maria who comes to look over her pets while she’s gone for the day.

There was a lot going on at the lot next to Carmena’s when 20 dogs were following us to Dona and Daria. The horses were eating at their stables and hiding from the rain. Both of them looked great and we could see that they had taken some mud baths. Carmena told us that both Dona and Daria are stubborn and in need of training because otherwise they would become impossible to handle. We are now trying to get a horse handler from Finland to help Carmena train Dona and Daria. We already have the right person in mind for the job.

We drove to the city shelter from Carmena’s and the closer we got, the more anxious I felt. There were about ten dogs loose on the front yard and they seemed glad to see us. They were lucky to have a decent life.

Once we got inside the shelter, or the concrete death camp, we faced the ear-aching barking that bounced off the walls and became so loud that I sometimes thought there was a jet flying too close to the shelter.

Each of us was walking along a long hallway where there were cages on both sides, with approximately five dogs in them. Some of the dogs were sitting or just lying down, looking very apathetic but many of them still had the strength to get excited and jump on the cages, reaching for our hands and trying to get as close as possible. This time the dogs seemed to be in somewhat good condition but when you know how fast they deteriorate, get sick and die, their present good condition isn’t much consolation. On the contrary, it made me more anxious. Later we realized that there were no dogs walking around the city centre so the dogs had apparently been moved to the shelter. Instead, we met several skinny and poorly-looking dogs just outside the city. I tried to control my feelings and get through at least one side of the hallway but when I was about half way there and met a small dog that grabbed my wrist with its paws and wouldn’t let go, my heart was broken once again. I couldn’t control myself anymore, I ran out in tears, trying to calm myself down.

I walked along one side of the outside shelter and noticed that there were two collected horses in the horse department near the shelter. The horse department is one part of a huge concrete building that mainly consists of some walls and something that used to be the roof. When I got to the horses, I noticed that there were five little puppies and their mother living in the building, also. The puppies were still so small that they couldn’t climb over the thresholds and see the world even though they were very curious already. Jukka and I took some food and water to the puppies so they would at least now have their stomachs full.

Carmena wanted to show me a dangerous pool on the other side of the shelter. The pool has at least one metre or more water at the bottom and Carmena told me that several dogs fall into the pool. Carmena has asked to have the pool covered several times but why would the city cover a pool that helps them get rid of dogs.

From the city shelter, we came back to Carmena’s shelter where the dogs’ barking was like music to my ears. I had to go inside the shelter straight away to cry my eyes out and let familiar canine friends comfort me.

The day had turned into night yet again and we had to say goodbye to the shelter dogs and go back to the hotel where we had just enough time to take a shower and change clothes before an evening together with Carmena and Patricia.

Even though the day had been hard to bear, we managed to have a few laughs in the evening. Carmena told us about a shelter on the local TV and about a 45-minute long documentary on Pro Animals Romania. Its purpose is to inspire the locals to adopt homeless dogs from the shelter. The documentary had aired a few times already and more was coming. It was already Tuesday when we said goodbye to Carmena and Patricia and went to bed. 

Tuesday 4/6

The last morning of our trip was cloudy. It wasn’t supposed to rain which made us happy, although we were starting to think about how hard it would be to say goodbye. We all had become used to certain daily routines that more or less included socializing with dogs and cats. I tried my best to pet the shelter dogs as much as possible and tell them how much their Finnish godparents and friends care about them.

I had promised to take some dog food with Carmena and Patricia to a lady who had moved into an abandoned one-room cabin by a railroad crossing and who has several dogs and two cats to take care of. We left around noon and when we got closer to the cabin, we noticed the lady walking the smallest of the dogs on a leash.

Carmena and Patricia talked to Stella for quite some time as to how we could help her. Carmena even called the Tg-Jiu officials to ask for help that way. Unfortunately Stella resides in another locality and as long as she cannot officially be registered in Tg-Jiu, she will not receive any help from the city. Large tears were running down Patricia’s cheeks when she heard Stella hadn’t had anything to eat during Easter. Together we will try to figure out ways to help this good-hearted woman and her animals. We have to get the cabin surrounded by fences if the woman decides to stay there with her dogs. Patricia and Toni went back to see Stella that afternoon to give her some food and Patricia promised to visit her several times a week to give her food and sufficient treatment for the dogs.

The afternoon consisted also of putting up a few ”passive” monitors at the shelter. Jukka and Toni went to look for proper screwdrivers and batteries for the monitors. Because the shelter isn’t owned by Pro Animals Romania, we were told we couldn’t put up real cameras. We hope these pretend cameras will help to avoid trespassers and the like at the shelter.

The evening came, and we were starting to panic as we didn’t want to think about leaving home the next morning. Teary-eyed, I ran all over the shelter trying to say goodbye to all my hundreds of friends. They probably felt my sadness and tried to cheer me up the best they could. Luckily, we would meet again soon, which made me less sad.

We gathered at the home of Carmena’s brother’s family for a late dinner. The atmosphere was of course sad, and both Carmena and Patricia wanted to be sure that we would come back soon.

When it was time for goodbyes, they seemed never-ending. I exchanged hugs with Carmena and Patricia and none of us wanted to let go. We have become close friends over the years and I’m so grateful for everything Carmena, Patricia and all of their dogs have taught me already. I can’t wait to learn more from them during the following years!

On Wednesday morning, we headed for Bucharest. It was still dark when we drove away and the city of Tg-Jiu was just waking up. Our thoughts were with the Tg-Jiu shelter even though the road took us away from it. 

Thanks to Pirjo, Sari and Toni for an amazing company. I’m sure we will meet again.

-Kiia-

- SM