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Free sterilisation for pets from low-income families
Every hour in Romania, another unwanted puppy is born — left to fend for itself on the streets, in factory yards, or roadside ditches. With an estimated 600,000 stray dogs, the country faces one of Europe’s most urgent animal welfare crises and the unsterilized dogs and cats giving birth to more unwanted kittens and pups are amplifying the suffering.
Since 2002, working with different local vets, ROLDA delivered more than 25,000 free or low-cost sterilisation procedures* through community campaigns, preventing hundreds of thousands of unwanted births especially in the rural areas.
The sterilization efforts were not made in vain. And while the decrease of dog population is visible in some areas of Romania, there is still a lot of work to be done for the areas who struggle economically.
The price for veterinary services and supplies which increased repeatedly doesn’t help the cause, transforming the cost of a pet sterilization in a “luxury” for disadvantaged community.
The law remains strict, requiring pet owners to sterilize their pets (which is good, in essence, but force the people with low or no income to abandon their animals to avoid penalties).
ROLDA exists to #givehope to animals and people who care about them and we decided to continue our efforts to invest in sterilization campaign for communities that need our help the most.
We want to see less unwanted pups and kittens born, to reduce pet abandonment and keep pets and people together. But we can’t do this alone.
To sterilize 5000 dogs and cats per year we need to raise in range of $130,000 for this amount to be matched.
(*The cost of a sterilization is approx $52 and each time you contribute with a $26, your gift is being matched.)
Sterilization: a smart way to protect animals in the future, preventing the born of unwanted ones
Hope was found on the field, with an injured eye and tied by the leg with metal wire which caused her a deep wound.
She was very agitated and soon we realized that despite her poor sight, she was trying to look where her babies were. Because she wasn’t abandoned alone. We welcome them in our shelter but sadly, couldn’t save Hope’s injured eye. After the surgery, it became clear that Hope can’t see with the other eye either. Her leg healed well, her babies survived and grow nicely and Hope started a new life in Sweden where she was adopted. Our shelter can’t welcome all puppies and adult dogs like Hope even if we would want it. Sterilization prevents more drama to happen and a simple spay means less strays born in the future to be exposed to cruelty, hunger and neglect.
Unit cost $52
Estimated cost $130.000
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#FriendsForever was created by ROLDA to help seniors keep their pets healthy and prevent them from being forced to abandon the only friend they may have.
In a shelter with hundreds of dogs, highly contagious diseases – such as distemper – could be devastating. This is why ROLDA imposes a strict quarantine period for all new rescued dogs, during which they receive broad-spectrum vaccines before they are let socialize with current residents of our shelter. However, vaccinations must be ‘topped-up’ annually with booster shots.
A much deadlier condition we must protect our dogs from is the lethal heartworm, a parasite found in mosquitoes which can be passed on to dogs from bites. Heartworms – as the name suggests – find a home in the cardiovascular systems of dogs and eventually cause fatal heart disease. What makes heartworms such deadly killers is the early stages of infection are very subtle and difficult to spot.
Parasites – such as fleas and ticks – may be tiny but the risk they pose to our dogs’ health can be huge. Ticks – a danger to humans and dog alike – carry Lyme disease, can cause severe anaemia, even seizures in case of weak puppies. Fleas – whilst more of a nuisance – can cause severe infections, especially from repeated scratching and breaking of the skin. Prevention is better than cure in all cases. ‘Spot-On’ treatments are effective in the case of fleas and ticks.
Romanian culture of dog ownership may seem harsh compared to Western Europe where dogs are often lucky enough to sleep in their master’s bed! In the countryside, usually, dogs ‘live’ outside, in gardens, and are rarely allowed indoors. This is often because many Romanians fear thieves or wild animals entering their property and dogs act as a deterrent. By supporting ROLDA’s doghouse project today, you are giving dogs in Romania the instant relief they seek and the refuge they need to survive.
