What could have been: Mina’s Story

In a dim, overcrowded public shelter in Romania, a mother dog named Mina huddled in the farthest corner of her cold, concrete kennel. The thick, stagnant air reeked of waste, death, and fear. Barking and cries echoed endlessly around her, but no one came to comfort her or the other frightened dogs. Mina’s four tiny pups pressed into her for warmth and safety, their fragile bodies shivering on the filthy concrete floor.

Mina had once known kindness—a family, a yard, a little girl who loved her—but those memories faded each day in this place. She had been left behind when her family moved away, and soon after, was caught by the city’s animal control. The shelter workers barely noticed her growing belly, and when she went into labor, there was no one to help. Her puppies came into the world silently, under the harsh glare of fluorescent lights, the stench of death, whimpers and cries, and the constant barrage of angry voices.

Food was tossed into her kennel carelessly, sometimes landing out of reach. Water bowls were often empty or knocked over, and Mina learned to go thirsty so her pups could nurse. Sometimes, staff banged on the cages to quiet the barking, sending waves of terror through the room. When they hosed down the kennels, icy water splattered everywhere, soaking Mina and her babies. She would scramble to shield them from the spray, her body trembling with exhaustion and anxiety.

Each day, Mina’s pups whimpered for warmth and food, and Mina did everything she could—licking their faces, curling tightly around their bodies, anything she could to reassure them they were safe…even though she knew they weren’t. She watched in horror as staff dragged sick or frightened dogs, sometimes shouting or yanking too hard on their collars. Sadly, those who disappeared rarely came back.

No gentle hands reached through the bars for Mina or her little ones. Visitors were ushered past the kennels quickly, told not to touch the dogs. Mina’s tail no longer wagged, and her eyes grew dull with worry and fatigue. Still, she fought to protect her babies from the harshness of this place, even as her own strength faded.

If you had walked past Mina’s kennel, could you have simply kept walking?

One morning, Mina woke to find one of her puppies too still, its tiny body cold despite her efforts to keep it safe. Quiet tears wet her muzzle as she nudged the pup, hoping for a miracle. None came. Her heart ached with grief and helplessness—she had tried so hard, but the world had been too cruel. In the end, Mina’s love was the only comfort her remaining pups had in a world that had forgotten them. She kept them close, shielding them as best she could from the cold, the hunger, the indifference that surrounded them…and the lifeless body of their sibling.

In that bleak, corrupt shelter, her love was the only warmth that remained.

Days in the shelter became pure misery for Mina. One afternoon, as she curled around her remaining pups, a staff member approached her with a scowl. He barked at her to move, banging the metal bars with a mop handle. Mina flinched, pressing her trembling body tighter against her puppies. The man shoved his boot against the gate, growing impatient. When Mina didn’t move fast enough, he jabbed at her with the handle, forcing her away from her pups so he could clean the filthy floor. Her babies whimpered and cried out, frightened by the noise and their mother’s pain.

Will you help create a future where no mother has to watch her puppies suffer behind concrete walls?

After that, Mina’s heart broke a little more each time she was ever inched away from her pups, each time she was shouted at or hit. She learned to hide in the farthest corner, to make herself small, to be invisible. But her puppies watched everything, their wide eyes full of confusion and fear. Comforting them became a challenge for Mina. Things only kept getting worse, and the fear of losing another pup seemed like a real possibility.

How can she protect them? The harsh truth is…she can’t. The only hope is that someone adopts her and her litter. It’s unfair…really unfair.

ROLDA has been fighting to reform or shut down public animal shelters in Romania for two decades. Sadly, it’s still an ongoing problem without much change. Because of the vast amount of these shelters in the country, and the thousands of dogs kept there, we rely on the kindness of people to alert us about cases like Mina’s.

We’ve had many mothers and their pups stay with us at ROLDA over the years. Not all had happy endings, but we never witnessed first-hand the cruelty Mina and her pups suffered. As we listened to her story, our cage-free shelter came to mind, and how things would have been different if ROLDA had rescued them.

What if Mina found herself in a very different kind of shelter—a cage-free haven run by people who truly cared? No cold concrete walls, no harsh noises or angry voices, only open spaces filled with grass, sunlight, and playful companions.

And instead of being locked away, Mina and her pups shared a cozy room with soft beds and blankets. Volunteers greeted them every morning with warm smiles and soothing words, letting Mina nurse and care for her puppies in peace. When her pups were old enough, they tumbled out onto the grassy yard, playing with other dogs under watchful, loving eyes. Meals were regular and plentiful, water bowls always fresh, and every day brought new kindness. Mina no longer had to flinch at loud sounds or shield her babies from cruel people. She just watched her pups learn to trust, to play, and to love, surrounded by people who believed every dog deserved respect and dignity.

What if, at Little Haven, Mina finally healed? Her tail wagged again, her eyes brightened, and her pups grew strong and confident. As families came looking to adopt, they saw happy, well-cared-for dogs, not frightened creatures hiding at the back of a cage.

And what if, one by one, Mina’s puppies found loving homes? And when her turn came, Mina was ready—her heart full of hope and gratitude for the second chance she and her family had found in a place where freedom and compassion made all the difference.

When another mother dog needs someone to stand beside her, will she be able to count on you?

We hope that Little Haven can turn this into a reality for many more dogs like Mina. Because, sadly, there are thousands out there still suffering the same fate she and her pups endured.

Today, you can give frightened dogs something they cannot give themselves, a second chance.

Your compassion can help replace fear with freedom, cruelty with kindness and despair with hope. Will you be part of that transformation?