My trip to Tg-Jiu shelter 9-13th of June

It was finally the day when my long-planned shelter trip came true. I could hardly wait until the plane landed to Romania. I think I was one of the first people coming out of the plane. I was glad that my luggage also found their way to Romania, because my bag was full of medicines and other useful stuff for the shelter.

We drove to Tg-Jiu on a rental car. The journey was quite a culture shock, as we saw both alive and dead stray dogs along the road. We stopped at nearly all resting areas with the wieners that ran short quickly, as the journey was nearly 300 km. Unfortunately, we had to accept the fact that we could not help every stray dog. We had to try to rejoice at the few dogs, whose day we were able to make with an enjoyable meal.

Of course, we had to visit the shelter immediately, and I went to greet the inhabitants of the shelter on the first evening. The new human guest was welcomed by a barking choir of over 500 dogs. However, the barking soon changed to curious snooping and after that there were a dozen of dogs asking me to play with them or scratch them, doing which I spent the whole evening. I could hardly leave the dogs and go to sleep to the hotel, and I came back to the shelter first thing in the morning. I was warmly welcomed by Carmena, who looked after my well-being during my whole stay.

I spent the first morning at the shelter working with the trimmer donated by the Finnish pet shop Faunatar, and made a closer acquaintance to my new friends. Some of them appreciated my services, others announced that “go ahead but at your own risk”. These fellows were this time left without a haircut ;). There were a few dogs recovering at the hospital department of the shelter, and it was interesting to get to follow Patricia working on the seriously wounded dogs. Patricia also showed pictures of their previous patients that now were happily frolicking at the shelter. I could not believe that they were the same dogs that looked dead in the pictures. Carmena and Patricia are true miracle-workers! Patricia’s veterinary studies are a great help to the shelter dogs and they allow Carmena and Patricia to take even better care of the dogs.

The routines of the hospital department were breakfast and cleaning of the cages and floors. There were two workers that took care of the feeding and watering of the dogs as well as cleaning of the shelter from morning until evening. The most impressive moment of the day was Carmena’s evening tour, when she went through every cage and wished each dog good night. Carmena remembered the name of every dog, they really were her family members. Carmena was very strict with everything being OK and every dog doing fine. I was slightly afraid of the next day, because it was time to visit the city shelter. The road to the shelter was not long, but took a long time because Carmena stopped to feed the stray dogs at certain spots along the road. The dogs were waiting for Carmena in the bushes and some of them ran behind the car knowing that supper was coming.

Carmena visits the city shelter every day to check that the dogs have been given food and water, and she brings along a bucketful of delicious meat chunks that she shares equally between all dogs. There were around 200 dogs at the shelter that did not only look different, but the sound of the barking was not welcoming and it did not stop when the guest was familiarised with. The screams of the dogs were painful and they did not stop at all. The dogs were running around stressed in the concrete-floored cages of 10 square meters, and those that had spent longer time at the shelter had already given up. They had lost hope and just waited for death. There were two litters of puppies at the city shelter, but I heard that they had no chances of survival, not even for the first few days. Some of them were already gasping for their last breaths of air. At that point I could no longer hold back the tears… All the dogs at the shelter were facing an equally inconsolable end and a definite death. Some of them have to suffer at the shelter for a long time before their strengths decline and an infectious disease or hunger defeats them.

After seeing the city shelter I looked at Carmena’s shelter with new eyes. How joyful Carmena’s dogs were! I named it the Happy Shelter! Carmena and Patricia have succeeded to offer their dogs life and that is the best gift there is!

I also got a privilege to visit Carmena’s home that Carmena however announced to be the home of the dogs. There were many kinds of dogs: big, small, three-legged, one-eyed, but they all shared one thing. Happiness. The tails were wagging and joyful barking was certainly heard by the neighbours, too. Carmena’s garden was like a small paradise. So cosy and beautiful. We also visited Dona and Daria, the horses that Carmena takes care of at the piece of land she owns next to her home. Carmena also has a shelter for about 50 dogs there, to dread the neighbours. I can’t but wonder and admire the devotion and sacrifice. Animal protection work certainly gives a lot, but it takes a lot, as well. You have to face so many negative issues and people and so many sad destinies of dogs, which it is a lot to bear for one person. With Patricia we went to check a few lots with the new shelter project in mind. Unfortunately they all had their problems, regarding to electricity supply, lot price, or too close neighbours. The search for the suitable lot continues.

Much more happened during the trip, but not to write a novel that no one will read, I summarise everything I experienced to one moment that has left a big pawprint to my heart: I will never forget the moments when I sat at the shelter holding the dogs, the sun was coming down, and I watched how restfully the shelter inhabitants begun to retire for the night. The familiar and safe routines of the day had been done and now it was time to retire to their own doghouses to rest and to gain strength for the games of the next day.

I also experienced how easily the local people abandon their dogs to Carmena’s and Patricia’s shelter, and I understood how frustrated the women must feel from time to time. Below there’s a picture of a man, who left a dam and a bagful of puppies at the shelter.

In the picture below, my dear goddog Scapi and me

Beside the dogs of the shelter, also Carmena and Patricia conquered my heart. They became like another mother and sister to me. So my family did grow even during this trip, although I did not bring along a four-legged family-member… yet.

Summer greetings,

Jenni

PS. More pictures from the shelter trip coming up.

-TL