We need your help!!!
Shelter "Island of Hope",
Kishinev, Moldova
Please read our story and updates. There is a lot more
information in updates.
Articles and TV reports about "Island of Hope" and
our campaing to raise money for new shelter.
Part1
https://www.facebook.com/UTRONACTC/videos/1334831319945309/?pnref=story
Part2
https://www.facebook.com/UTRONACTC/videos/1334831319945309/?pnref=story
http://locals.md/2017/otkryit-sbor-sredstv-dlya-priyuta-dlya-bezdomnyih-zhivotnyih/
https://ru.sputnik.md/society/20170507/12539434/jivotnie-kishinev-priiut.html
The history of our "Volunteer Center. Assistance for
homeless animals" began in the autumn of 2013.
The situation with stray animals in Moldova is very harsh: the
abandoned and domestic dogs are killed by cruel methods by order of
the State.
People who are strongly against the killing of the dogs, were
going to the Necropolis (territory where dogs are being killed)
rescuing the poor animals and transporting them to our shelters, all
run by volunteers, without any state support.
But the shelters had limited space, so quickly they were
overcrowded and we could not rescue any more. Then a group of
volunteers agreed to contract with an owner of some land in a
village and received permission to bring dogs to the territory.
This is how the "Island of Hope" began. It was hard to
start a shelter without any support. Only relying on ourselves, but
the more people learned about us, the more they helped. They began
to come to the shelter to help.
We conducted Volunteers days, community workdays, improved the
territory, built a booth, carried animals, treated, socialized,
adopted them....
Soon though, the owner decided that we are earning money on dogs
and raised the rent to a very high price. As only Volunteers, we
could not pay such a sum, but simply to release 240 dogs we could
not do. It was decided then: to find a new territory.
We
organized a local fundraising, but our country is so poor that many
people do not have enough to eat. To collect the necessary amount
for the construction and improvement of a new territory we organized
charity concert in one of the theaters of the capital.
Gathering our forces, we, the team of girls began to construct
new territory, which was rented. The people from young to old, came
to us, all wanted to help to create a safe place for victims of
human cruelty.
Happiness
does exist and happened, we moved!
The
New territory was in the valley, there was no light, no water: in
the rainy days the shelter was flooded, so the dogs had to climbed
onto the kennels and float on them ; in the warm seasons of the
year, we had no place to store the meat, cereals and medicines - it
was hard. However, thanks to the support of citizens, our Volunteer
Center continued to live.
We assisted the animals, which were brought to us, we treated
them, we returned to them faith in people.
We
had many difficult moments, but we coped! Thanks to those who
supported us, those who came and helped, brought food, medicine,
helped financially - monetary assistance was for the costs of a Vet,
the many costs of dealing with horrific injuries and neglect of
these poor dogs and paying the rent.
We are engaged in productive adoption of our dogs, to free the
space in the shelter for new ones, hundreds of animals on the street
need our help. We are so happy when our dogs find love in their new
families. We try to keep in contact with all who adopted our
favorite Islanders. The new owners send us photos of our formerly
homeless dogs, in their new homes.
And
even with all the difficulties, we were happy there, in our shelter
and found the strength to move forward in saving our lovely
friends.
But our happiness didn't last long: the land near our
shelter was given for the construction of residential buildings -
the shelter became a nuisance. The Mayor of the local City Hall
started to threaten us: they put an ultimatum to vacate the area or
they will give an order to shoot our dogs. It's against the law, but
our country is very corrupted on this level. We decided we had to
find new territory; it was a very hard situation, we only just moved
here, and did not have much strength to move forward, but the lives
of our pets were dependent only on us.
Again searching for new
territory and Finance for its improvement. We appealed to many
companies, organizations, but everywhere we heard refusal. And when
we're desperate to find a new territory for rent, we found help from
a German shelter for homeless dogs: we have paid a temporary rent
for a small part of their territory.
Construction and moving to
new territory have been done fast, but it was very difficult to find
assistants who would be able to come and help us, because the
territory was very far from the city.
We
have built cages and moved the dogs. All the rest: the repair of the
room allocated to us under the clinic and quarantine, kitchen and
service yard improvement - we did with the help of caring people,
after we moved here. Once again, we continue our work to save the
homeless animals and to find a good family.
But
then....
In May of last year, we were warned that the contract
for the rent expires in December 2017 (Update, September 22, 2017 -
deal was worked out with landlord and rental contract was extended
till December of 2018) and it will not be extended - we have to
vacate the area. And again on the horizon, no prospects: rent again?
- No, it is not reliable, because at any time, we can be told to
leave, under any convenient pretext, and moving with our dogs and to
have to rebuild each time, every two years is very hard.
We,
the three women volunteers - we feel heaviness. Our population of
Moldova looks at an animal as a thing: without proper care,
suffering cruelty and abuse; those who help the volunteers - very
small percent. Our country is very poor, and the Government of
Moldova supports another plan to resolve the problem of homeless
animals - persecution and murder, no public shelter or assistance to
volunteers in the programs of humane treatment.
We need our own
land, so that we can work in peace: to provide assistance to
homeless animals, to carry out sterilization and keep our animals
until they will find their family.
An area where we will be
able to place 20 enclosures, a building for medical bloc, including
clinic and quarantine room, service yard, consisting of a kitchen,
where every day is cooked porridge for our pets and a room for the
employee.
We are already in despair, our strength leaves us,
but when we remember how many difficulties we have already passed,
we believe, that it was not in vain, that our goal is real. We have
a great desire to help the poor, abandoned animals of Moldova.
Can you help us to do this please.
Our first project is to raise at least 45,000$ to buy the
land and build the kennels.
Help spread the word!
