4.6.07

Hello everyone!

The trip to Tg-Jiu is getting closer and closer and after this newsletter you get to read the traditionally long report.

I’ll say a few words about PAFi first.

The end of May was pretty busy for PAFi. There were flea markets (Helsinki, Tampere, Pori) and Eläin! (Animal!)- fair. Our warmest thanks to all the helpers at flea markets and fairs and to those who have given things and medicine to be taken to Tg-Jiu. Thank you goes also to Faunatar Riihimäki who donated lottery prizes for Eläin!-fair.

PAFi participated also in the opening of Faunatar Tampere last Saturday.

The total income of all previously mentioned events was about 1.300 euros. The flea market is still open in Pori and Tampere.

The next place PAFi goes to represent itself is situated in Jyväskylä. The event is PetExpo from the 30 th of June to the 1 st of July. Please, do come and say hello! http://www.petexpo.fi/.

In a week we (Heli, Niina, Jukka and me) will be in Tg-Jiu. We’ll be having a couple of busy and memorable days at the shelter, we’ll be giving out diplomas for the pupils participated in the education programme and we’ll also be visiting the elderly at retirement home.

PAFi received finally an answer from the Finnish Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry in the end of May. The answer was about the donation application we had sent. The Ministry had 100.000 euros to be given out to animal protection organisations here in Finland. The decision concerning PAFi was negative since the Ministry doesn’t support Finnish animal protection organisations that help countries outside the Finnish borders. It’s a pity but I saw it coming. Sure I hoped that people in the Ministry would’ve seen our work meritorious enough to be supported but unfortunately that didn’t happen. Of course, we aim at finding new possibilities all the time.

Suomen Rescue Koirien Kummit ry http://www.srkkry.com (Finnish Rescue Dogs’ Godparents registered association) wishes to help PAFi in helping Pro Animals Romania and has taken a god dog, Arttu, from the shelter. SRKK ry has also promised to donate a part of the membership fees until the end of year 2007 for the construction of the new shelter in Tg-Jiu. Our warmest thanks to SRKK ry for their support.

Then a few words about Tg-Jiu.

Carmena and Patricia have been awfully busy. During May there have been no employees in the shelter and women have had to stretch to their limits. Patricia told that she’s so sad and worried seeing her mother more and more tired as the days go by. Patricia tries to help at the shelter as much as she can but there are limits for her strength too. The stress the situation has caused is affecting already the few hours they sleep at nights.

Today there had been a couple of employee candidates at the shelter. This has happened before and the candidates have soon left when they have understood how hard the job is. Of course the local people also feel that the job at the shelter is humiliating and undesirable because of that.

Carmena and Patricia have to work in animal protection matters not only in Tg-Jiu but in the whole Gorj province. The people in the province have somehow misunderstood the animal protection issue, they think that the responsibility of the animal care can be left on the shoulders of Pro Animals Romania! The law for animal protection and welfare isn’t familiar at all for the citizens and the police authorities have also so much to learn.

The latest case represented the adverse attitudes concretely. Two men had brought a dog to the shelter in a sack. When Carmena and Patricia had asked to let the dog out of the sack and inquired why the dog had to be abandoned, the men had tried to lie. They said they had caught the dog nearby their houses and claimed that the dog had tried to attack their chickens. When Patricia had called the police to clear things out, the police had all of a sudden defended the men that had brought the dog and wondered why the women had even called the police! The police thought that the women should have just taken the dog without any questions. The police had even threatened to fine Carmena and Patricia. Eventually it became clear that the dog had had puppies (that had already been killed) and they just wanted to get rid of the dog.

People also bring sick dogs to the shelter to be treated instead of taking them to the vet. Lastly a woman had brought a puppy in a coma and full of worms to the shelter and insisted that Carmena cures the dog. When Carmena had suggested that the woman should take the dog straight to the vet, the woman had had a terrible tantrum and accused Carmena of abandonment of a dog! Isn’t that absurd?

Minni, Ninni and Penni have cheered up and gotten their stomachs full. Their skins have also been treated. For helping the girls, people have donated 365 euros.

Usko and Toivo are doing extremely well (look page 2)! I got new pictures of Usko from Patricia. Patricia’s camera broke down so there are no pictures of Toivo yet. She took pictures with a borrowed camera but somehow wasn’t able to transfer the pictures to a computer. Soon we’ll get fresh new photos of both of the boys since we have three digital cameras and a video camera with us on our trip.

I wish you all nice and sunny beginning of the summer!

Regards,

Kiia