Maddy’s Trip to ROLDA shelters

Getting on a plane and driving across a country could feel like an arduous task at hand but given the bigger picture at play, I knew this was going to be a special one. Last week, I flew out to meet the dogs and cats at our shelter in Galati, Romania and was truly touched by the incredible souls I met – animals and humans alike.

Meeting the dogs at our shelter in Romania was about them – learning about their personalities, understanding what they’ve been through and hoping it would help bring them one step closer to their forever homes. As we grow our adoption programme in the UK, we want to offer these dogs the best chance they can and to be able to go to Romania and get to know each dog means we are one step ahead when choosing the type of home and family that will best suit their personalities and individual needs.

It is hard to miss the strays that litter the streets in Romania, it is part and parcel of moving around the country. Some dogs are settled street dogs and are looked after by kind people who go out of their way to feed them and offer kindness. However, it’d be dishonest to not mention that they can still be under some threat by those who are not part of the “dog loving” community – meaning most are left uncared for with little help. Some discarded after being used as hunting dogs or guard dogs, some, despite being owned, neglected medically and in very poor condition and others simply having litter after litter, adding more pups to the stray dog population. That’s what spurs us all on to do the job we do at ROLDA.

It is safe to say the dogs who have landed and found themselves in the shelter in Galati are in incredible hands, and I certainly felt no different. The team who run our small shelter welcomed me with open arms and are the tiniest team of two ladies called Flori and Aurelia – who love each animal as their own. They work hard, day in day out ensuring each cat and dog have what they need, whether that’s as simple as their daily meal or administering medication or relentlessly aiming to walk each dog and socialise them in the local village. And what was most special to see? The way these ladies adore each animal and shower them with love that is kind and gentle.

Throughout my time in the shelter, I played with, trained and assisted with preparing the dogs for adoption. This consisted of spending time with each one, recording their weight and measurements and observing their personalities. Time and time again each dog showed me their uniqueness, willingness to learn, openness to love – despite maybe having not known it before. Most incredibly, even if they were nervous to meet someone new, they had a desperation to trust, to try as hard as they could to experience the kindness that was on offer to them if they wanted to take it. It is this resilience that dogs embody that amazes me every time I work with rescues and I believe it is no doubt down to the kindness that is shown to them at the shelter.

I also got to spend time with Dana – who is the driving force behind all of ROLDA’s efforts – globally! Dana is a selfless woman, striving to make a difference in every unfortunate animal’s life, no matter where they come from, what they’ve been through and how they are today. I felt truly lucky to be on her team and part of the charity’s mission to bring hope to every animal and globally make lasting change to animals’ lives in Romania and beyond.

With a force of nature such as Dana, a team that are dedicated every minute of the day such as Aurelia and Flori and dogs and cats that are truly some of the most special souls I have met, the future for ROLDA is going to go from strength to strength. I got to see the land where the Pawz Up center will be – a sanctuary that is going to offer so much promise and will be groundbreaking for the lives of so many animals and the conversations we had about how plans for the future are going to encapsulate the best intentions of every animal’s welfare was truly exciting to be a part of. ROLDA’s mission goes above and beyond what overseas rescuing has ever done before and means we are one step closer to changing the stigma of animals being “just a stray” or “another overseas rescue”. I feel privileged and lucky to see how we grow and hope you will join us on that journey.