Report of the visit to the shelter

On Saturday morning we went to the bank to deposit donations we brought with us to the account of Pro Animals Romania. It was a very confusing experience because the officer in the bank started to questioning Patricia from where the money has come and why etc… The bank was full of people and everyone could hear the loud discussion made about the donation. We had to justify that the money is really donated and targeted to the dogs of the shelter of Tg-Jiu. After Patricia explained that it is very difficult to Romanians to understand why somebody want to help stray dogs instead of people.

After visiting the bank we went to see the land Carmena and Patricia have managed to buy and to where they would like to build the new own shelter. The land situated near dump place and around there were numerous stray dogs wandering all around trying to find something to eat.

We started to walk near to the peace of land which had already measured with sticks for the new shelter building by Patricia and her grand father and when we get to the land we experienced a huge surprise. The land was ploughed upside down and all those measures were disappeared. It was shocking how someone could have done that and then I was thinking that do anything can be done in this country easily without facing difficulties and fighting. I felt so sad and hoped that if I just could have the power to help
more Carmena and Patricia.

Visiting the land Carmena and Patricia has bought and where they would like to build the new shelter

Then was a time to go again to have a lunch made by Carmena and soon after we went back to the shelter, going first to the hospital as we did day before. First thing after coming to the shelter was to run to the store room to check how are those little puppies and other dogs staying there. Puppies were fine and I was so glad that Mosu could stand up and he had eaten much just before I arrived. Puppies had taken their places with other youngsters and I was so sure that lovely “mother Mura” was taking care of those new puppies as well as she had taken care of other orphans before.

Smile!

Time we spent inside the shelter went as same as day before. We were surrounded with friends and had very touching moments with them again. Carmena found a new dog inside the shelter and she thought that someone had thrown the dog over the fence during night. The dog was very skinny and had skin problems but fortunately was eating very well when Carmena offered food. That happens all the time – dogs are abandoned to the shelter too often. It was miraculous how well other dogs had taken the newcomer inside the shelter. In other circumstances they could have killed the new one.

New dog who was thrown over the fenceof the shelter in night time

Dinner time

After the darkness came and dogs were fed was time to us to say goodbye to the dogs of the shelter. I had to go to say goodbye also to my three puppies and Mosu and Igor and Mura and Marcela and all other friends in the store room.

The Three Little Musketeers of mine

In the evening we were again invited to have a dinner with Carmena and Patricia. The evening was full of unforgettable moments and we felt that it would be difficult to say good bye the very next day. All the little dogs of Carmena and Patricia were waiting for a change to be near us and tell their story and gratitude to being saved from the streets to that little house of love and care.

It is time to say good bye - but we will come back!

On Sunday morning Patricia came to our hotel and we went to say good bye to Carmena and have a quick breakfast before it was time to leave Tg-Jiu and drive to Bucharest with Patricia. Weather was very beautiful and in daylight we could also admire views to the mountains and little villages beside the road. Unfortunately on the daylight we saw also things which made us sad. Numerous and numerous dead dogs on the road - probably hit by cars. And every day there is coming more and more dead dogs. Patricia told us that in Romania there is much more stray dogs than dogs at homes. And most of those dogs who are at home are guardian dogs. We saw also men in the fields with guns and when I asked why are they there with guns Patricia told me that she thinks they are hunting dogs.

It took only 4 hours to drive Bucharest and there were no jams on the way. Patricia wanted to come with us to the airport and stay with us until we had to go to the checking. We hugged tight and promised that we will meet again very soon.

We spent a lot of time in the shelter in two days and would remember our staying there forever. We promised to Carmena and Patricia that we will return and will do all we can to help them to keep the dogs in the shelter and at their home alive and in good health. The work Carmena and Patricia are doing is so hard and there is no time for resting that we are very worried about how long will

Carmena and Patricia hold on. If they loose their hope or their health those dogs in the shelter and in the city of Tg-Jiu do not have anything. The dogs just can not survive without these two wonderful women. We hope from the bottom of our hearts that animal lovers and associations all over the world would wake up to help Carmena and Patricia. We promise that it is worth to do.

We want to thank Carmena and Patricia for the hospitality and emotional moments we spent with them as well at their home as in the shelter. We are constantly watching video clips and photos we took during our visit and feel very strongly that we have to get back very soon. We saw that Carmena and Patricia are real animal lovers and they put the well being of the dogs in the shelter, at their home and in the city ahead instead of their own well-being.

Carmena and Patricia both are very well educated women and if they just wanted they could take benefit to increase their own wealth status. But they have chosen to help stray dogs. Carmena and Patricia have earned every kind of support from us we ever can give them. We truly respect and admire them.

I and my companion Jukka have recently settled up an Finnish association Pro Animals Finland ry. Our association has been settled up to take an effort to help Pro Animals Romania to take care of the dogs in the shelter of Tg-Jiu and support Carmena and Patricia on their way to build own private shelter to the land they have managed to buy.

With love,

Kiia