Joker, a stray Romanian dog, had stumbled across the building of his dreams. Taking up solo residence in the courtyard of an old multi-story apartment block, Joker was quickly doted upon by several elderly ladies.

All at age seventy-five or above, these sweet women collectively and informally took Joker into their care, looking after the stray as best as they could. Scraps of food filled Joker’s days until one day something horrible happened. Joker was hit by a car in the street outside.

Immediately, his guardian angels jumped into action and reached out to us for help. We rushed Joker to our emergency veterinary clinic, where the most seriously ill and injured animals are helped. Joker was in terrible shape. He had several fractures on his paw, a dislocated joint and a ligament rupture. The accident had put him in immense pain, but even worse, we did not know if he would ever be able to walk on his injured paw again.

The only option was surgery and long-term treatment. Now, after his first surgery, Joker is on his path to recovery. Every day, Joker’s wound is cleaned, treated with a special ointment, and followed by his prescribed medication.

So far, Joker seems to be recovering well. During his most recent checkup, an X-ray revealed that the bone is healing well without any complications. In another ten days, we will return to the clinic once again. If all goes well, the structure that is currently supporting his injured leg will be removed.

We have high hopes that with lots of care, love and determination, Joker might one day be able to use his paw comfortably again.

And when that day comes, we will find him the forever home he so deeply deserves. A place where he will no longer have to rely on scraps or sleep on cold pavement, but instead be surrounded by warmth, safety, and unconditional love. Joker may have once been a stray, but his future holds the promise of family, comfort, and the peaceful life every dog dreams of.

Styopa’s eye could not be saved

Meet Styopa, whose name means “crown” — and he’s proven himself worthy of it.

When a car struck Styopa, the impact was devastating. Frightened, injured, and losing his eye, he tumbled into a nearby hole where most would have given up hope. But despite not being able to jump or climb out, Styopa didn’t give up. For an entire week, this brave soul held on.

What kept him alive wasn’t just his fighting spirit — it was the kindness of one local woman who discovered him. Day after day, she visited to bring him food and water, even though she couldn’t physically lift him to safety. Her compassion became his lifeline.

When our local rescue partner Inessa learned about Styopa, she knew every moment counted. The rescue team immediately mobilized, carefully lifting him from that hole and rushing him to the veterinary clinic. By then, his injured eye could not be saved, but his spirit remained unbroken.

Dr. Stepu worked into the night, performing emergency surgery to remove the damaged eye and prevent infection. As I write this, Styopa has a drainage tube where his eye once was, but something remarkable has happened — he’s already feeling better. He’s eating, responding to gentle touches, and showing us that survival is just the beginning of his story.

Styopa recovering and happy in the warm, calm, loving veterinary surgery

Experiencing Styopa’s journey from a roadside hole to a warm clinic bed reminds us again why this work matters. Because of supporters like you, we could act swiftly. Because of your generosity, Dr. Stepu had the resources to operate immediately. Because of your compassion, Styopa — this “crowned” survivor — gets to write the next chapter of his life.

Barsik’s head was painfully locked to one side

Picture a cat unable to look straight ahead — whose world had become permanently tilted to one side. This was how animal rescuer Lyudmila first encountered the stray cat Barsik on the streets of Ukraine, and the sight broke her heart.

Barsik’s head was locked in an unnatural position, twisted sideways as if frozen in perpetual confusion. Along with a painful abscess and an infected wound on his tail, this little fighter was trapped in his own body.

But Lyudmila saw beyond the twisted posture to the soul beneath. She gently scooped up Barsik and gave him the name that means “little leopard” — because she recognized the fierce spirit hiding inside this broken form.

At the veterinary clinic, Barsik’s mystery unfolded a little. An inflamed bone near Barsik’s ear had been causing excruciating pain, forcing him to hold his head in that heartbreaking sideways position just to find relief. For who knows how long, he’d been living in a world viewed only from an angle, unable to experience the simple dignity of holding his head high.
Surgery was Barsik’s only hope for freedom. As he went under anesthesia, it wasn’t just his inflamed bone being treated — it was his chance to see the world straight again.

Barsik’s surgery was able to swiftly release him from a life of discomfort and pain

Today, thanks to Lyudmila’s compassion and your support of the ROLDA Rescue Team, Barsik is healing. Now this little leopard can lift his head with pride, turn it freely in any direction he chooses, and look directly into the eyes of those who saved him.

Sometimes healing means straightening what pain has twisted. That’s exactly what love did for Barsik. And it has also unlocked his warm, comforting purr, confirming he is once again content in himself.

In the shadows of an old Romanian churchyard, a tiny cat barely out of kittenhood was fighting for her life—and the lives of her unborn babies. At just one year old, Xena was far too young to be facing motherhood, but the harsh reality of street life doesn’t wait for cats to be ready.

An elderly woman who had made it her quiet mission to watch over the neighborhood strays found Xena in distress, struggling through a birth that was going terribly wrong. Without hesitation, she reached out to The Great Catsby, a ROLDA partner charity she’d worked with before. Thanks to emergency surgery, Xena and her two precious kittens survived what could have been a tragedy.
But survival on the streets is never just one battle—it’s an endless war.

When Hope Turns to Heartbreak

Months passed, and slowly, cruelly, Xena began to fade. The woman who had saved her watched helplessly as this young mother grew thinner and thinner, her condition deteriorating before her eyes. Worried about veterinary costs but knowing she couldn’t wait any longer, she contacted us again.
What we found broke our hearts.

At just three years old, Xena weighs only 2.75 kilograms—barely more than a large bag of sugar. Her tiny body is ravaged by parasites, her skin inflamed with painful dermatitis. We suspect mycoplasma, a bacterial infection often spread by the very fleas that torment street cats daily.

But perhaps most heartbreaking of all is her mouth. Xena suffers from caudal stomatitis, a agonizing condition that makes eating—something most of us take for granted—a source of constant pain. She’ll need nearly all her teeth removed. Her once-beautiful fur hangs in matted clumps because grooming herself hurts too much to bear.

And still, we fear there’s more. Her blood work suggests she may have FIP—Feline Infectious Peritonitis—a diagnosis that would explain her rapid decline. We’re waiting for test results, hoping against hope that we’re wrong.

This is Life on the Streets

Xena’s story isn’t unique—it’s heartbreakingly typical. Across Romania, thousands of cats face this same desperate struggle every single day. Too young pregnancies, untreated illnesses, parasites, starvation, and diseases that would be manageable with proper care become death sentences on the streets. But here’s what gives us hope: Xena’s story doesn’t have to be repeated endlessly.

Breaking the Cycle

Every cat we sterilize is a future prevented from this suffering. Every spay surgery means dozens of kittens won’t be born into a world where survival is measured in days, not years. Every intervention today prevents countless Xenas from facing these same battles tomorrow.

ROLDA works on two crucial fronts: rescuing cats like Xena who are already fighting for their lives, and preventing future generations from ever having to fight at all. Both are equally vital, and both require your help.

Right now, we have the opportunity to make a real difference—not just for individual cats, but for the entire stray population. The choice is ours: continue watching this cycle of suffering repeat, or take action to break it.

Will You Help Us Rewrite These Stories?

Xena is receiving the medical care she desperately needs, but she represents just one cat among thousands. Your monthly support helps us reach more cats like her while funding the sterilization programs that will ensure fewer cats face her struggles.

Become a monthly supporter today and help us create a future where no cat has to fight this hard just to survive.

Because every cat deserves better than a life spent simply trying not to die.

A first-hand account by Dana Costin, Founder of ROLDA

At ROLDA, we like to say that our volunteers are the heart of the charity. The passion, dedication and determination of our volunteers make such a difference that they help shape our future.

Small charities can be highly dependent on volunteers, especially when they cannot afford to pay salaries and hire staff for day-to-day activities. So, it is thanks to volunteers that the World is often transformed in amazing ways by small grassroots causes in the direction that we hope it will one day become.

Throughout my life, I have focused on ROLDA. But when emotionally compelling opportunities started appearing for me to volunteer with like-minded causes in Ukraine, I couldn’t resist. Looking back over the last three years, I might have changed a few things, but at the time, urgency was a priority, and so I made my choices based on my principles, judgment and followed my heart.

The first time I met Ruslan, he picked me up in an old, basic vehicle that had seen better days. What struck me most wasn’t the car—it was his incredible driving skills and his fearless passion for speed. What some might call dangerously fast driving, I quickly realized, was actually a survival skill that had kept him alive through three years of war. Ruslan lives in Kharkiv, a region that has been a hotspot of military action since the invasion began. While some Ukrainian residents in safer areas live relatively peacefully, Ruslan has chosen to remain in an area where death and destruction rain down constantly. Some territories in his region have been lost and regained; others remain under occupation. The permanent shelling and ground attacks have transformed entire cities and villages into mountains of ruins.

As most of the population fled abroad or to quieter areas in Ukraine, Ruslan and his team remained to save animals from depopulated zones or regions evacuated by the authorities. At some point, he also helped people who, until the very last moment, refused to abandon their homes and move only when invading ground troops were almost at their doorstep.

A few days ago, I met up with Ruslan again.  I wanted to volunteer again to help with the ongoing task of extracting animals from the war zone. And if I were returning close to battle zones under fire, where situations rapidly change, and exposure to bombs and bullets is a very real threat, I wouldn’t choose many people above Ruslan.

Each time I travel to Ukraine, I must prepare myself mentally. I want to be an asset, not a liability. While I hope to document the lifesaving work that ROLDA supporters make possible, I must prioritize the mission: find animals that need help, secure them, and make a safe, swift exit. Then repeat.

Explaining my trips to colleagues, supporters, friends, and family is always a delicate matter. They have my best interests at heart, and I understand their concerns. Each journey is emotional, upsetting, and undeniably a little dangerous. But I feel compelled to go—these animals have no one else.

For my recent trip, I drove a total of 2400 km from my town in Romania to where I met Ruslan in Kharkiv, with a little detour along the way. My detours were to deliver dry and canned food for dogs and cats in two different cities in the Northeastern Part of Ukraine, both near the frontline. Things quickly became very serious once I met Ruslan, and our mission took us as close as 5.5 km from the live shooting zone, where Russians were bombing a forest where they thought the Ukrainian army hid.

Not long ago, Kupiansk used to look like any other city in the Kharkiv region. Kupiansk was under Russian occupation for some time, but was later retaken by Ukrainian forces. As a result, most of the buildings are now in ruins, and the people who remain there lead exceptionally tough lives. I witnessed something again that I had learned on previous trips to Ukraine: the people who choose to live here now are fiercely tough and proud. It is a genuine honour to help those who dedicate and risk their lives to help the animals abandoned here. When they risk so much, I consider my volunteering the very least I can do to encourage and support them.

Before we arrived, bombs were shaking the ground from 8 am until 12 pm. And soon after we arrived, the warning alarms started, and we could hear the noise of bombs not very far into the forest, which we could then see beginning to burn. Watching Ruslan’s reactions was enough to gauge how close the danger was. He also used personal connections in the military that he had developed to help protect himself and his team and maximise the success of his higher-risk missions. It seems to me that he has become such a skilled specialist that he enjoys the adrenaline thrill from the risk and the reward of successful rescues. I believe he wouldn’t even now swap this self-carved role for a classic, well-paid, six-figure office career.

While visiting, I observed Ruslan giving instructions to new volunteers on how to handle animals. Now, I am not fluent in Russian or Ukrainian. So, I didn’t know exactly what he was discussing with his team, but his gestures reminded me of my own beginnings and how I trained the animal carers at the large ROLDA shelter to correctly enter and exit an enclosure without letting untrained, scared dogs escape when opening the door.

Ruslan’s organization had to move the shelter location because of the battlezone, and they have built new animal enclosures in their new location. I could see that the new shelter is a beautiful place for volunteers to spend time and be helpful for the cause they care about. However, strict rules are in place to ensure it runs smoothly, with correct safety instructions to keep staff and animals safe from dangers and also control diseases.

“Staying away from dangers” is somewhat idealistic in the present context in Ukraine right now; the day after I left Kharkiv, a massive attack with bombs, rockets and drones happened at night and very close to the shelter I had just left. Thankfully, no animals died. But the staff who were there told me it looked like a heavy rain was suddenly coming from the sky, shooting in all directions.

The t-shirt you might see me wearing in a picture or two was a gift from Irina, one of the first people ROLDA was helping when the war in Ukraine started. On the t-shirt back, you see the word for ‘Volunteer’ in Ukrainian: волонтер

After buying food for animals and visiting her rescue clinic, I went to meet some of the animals that Irina and her small team had rescued. Some are being brought in injured by the military, while the general public finds others.

I believe it is essential for our supporters to see the animals they help recover, of which the vast majority are doing well, and all are being well cared for.

When we got closer to the battlezone, Ruslan stopped the car and gave me a bulletproof vest to put on, but curiously, no helmet. Immediately, I noticed he wasn’t wearing a helmet or a vest. I told him he should at least take back the bulletproof vest he had given to me, since he was a lot more valuable and necessary than I am today. When he refused, I asked him, laughing, why I need a vest if our heads are not protected, especially since drones shoot from above. He replied very casually, “The head is tough”.

Wearing my t-shirt from Irina, I have a sensation, a kind of gut feeling, that the power of fighting for what you love somehow gives you a protective shield that helps you overcome obstacles; it makes you tough.

As I return from Ukraine, I feel a strong sense of fulfilment, purpose and determination. The people I met there, the incredible front-line animal heroes like Ruslan and Irina, are, in conjunction with ROLDA supporters, doing exceptionally important work. Lots of people like pets, but when war comes, they become low-priority, forgotten victims.

The pets of Ukraine have been largely forgotten, and many suffer unimaginably as a result. But I have once again experienced first-hand the life-saving difference that distant, caring animal lovers from around the world can make by donating to the ROLDA Rescue Team.

And I had the privilege to read in those little scared eyes of each animal he holds that there is an immense gratitude that pushes that man further every day, with no protection equipment, with “tough head” and a big heart for the cause he risks his life for over and over.

On a quiet road in Ukraine, a dog lay trembling in the dirt. Her leg was bent at an unnatural angle. She had likely been hit by a car. No collar, no identification, and no one nearby to help. Her name is Hanna, and her story is heartbreakingly common across Eastern Europe right now.

When we found Hanna, her femur was fractured. But thanks to emergency surgery and care funded by compassionate donors, she is now in a safe foster home. Hanna’s recovery is a small victory in comparison to the ongoing crisis of strays.

The sheer number of stray dogs and cats is unimaginable in Ukraine and next door in Romania. Economic hardship, limited access to affordable veterinary services and Russia’s war on Ukraine all contribute to the cycle of neglect and abandonment.

Many dogs are now born on the streets to mothers who have never known a home themselves. Other dogs were abandoned by owners who could no longer care for them or were forced to flee because of the war. At no fault of their own, highly domesticated dogs and cats across Ukraine and Romania have been left helpless to defend themselves.

With no one to look after them, these animals face unimaginable hardships. Intense injury and illness without veterinary care mean hundreds of animals lose their lives unnecessarily. Starvation and dehydration, especially during winter, add even more stress to their survival. Despite these silent killers, the stray population continues to grow due to unchecked breeding and a deficit of spay and neuter programs.

This is why stray neutering charities and active animal shelters are so essential right now. With the horrific conditions of the Ukrainian and Romanian stray populations, immediate action needs to be taken to help these animals. ROLDA and others like us are able to provide medical treatment and rehabilitation for animals in every situation. From abandoned house cats to dogs trapped in war zones, we know that every animal deserves a second chance at life. We help these animals off the streets to shelter, foster care and eventually adoption, where they can recover, physically and mentally, from all they have fought against.

Hanna’s journey from the streets of Ukraine to the safety of a foster home is just one small story in a much larger movement—a movement of hope, compassion, and action. The fight for animal welfare in Eastern Europe is far from over, but with every rescued dog, every successful adoption, every life saved, we move closer to a future where no animal is left behind.

Stray cats have the unique ability to make almost anywhere their home. They fight fiercely for their independence and maintain that typical standoffish cat behavior; but the harsh reality is that many would not survive without help. Every day, these resilient animals face overwhelming challenges – finding food to fill their rumbling stomachs, warding off illness without medical care, and searching for shelter from harsh elements. Their lives are a constant battle for survival.

Odin’s life was no different. At less than two years old, this poor little fur-baby had only ever known the harsh reality of life as a stray. For years, he had fought to survive, but an unexpected altercation with a group of stray dogs suddenly made his life flash before his eyes.

Odin was left barely alive. Horrific wounds covered his lower back; some gashes were so deep his bones were visible. Odin was at serious risk of developing a deadly infection if he stayed outside without medical care. Luckily, someone spotted him and called the rescue shelter in a panic, asking if we could help this critically injured cat.

We were shocked by the background story we heard. We knew we had to do everything possible to alleviate Odin’s suffering and hopefully save his life. We immediately sought veterinary attention for him, but the poor cat had been torn to shreds, and some of his injuries were too severe to simply be stitched closed. Large open wounds remained, making it essential to prevent infection through ongoing intensive medical care.

Since early April, Odin has been receiving dedicated medical care. Daily wound cleaning and specialized local treatments are preventing further complications.

As the days pass, we have the honour of watching Odin slowly regain both physical and emotional strength. We hope that in just a few more weeks, Odin will be close to feeling fully recovered, with the remaining scars simply hinting at the story of his extraordinary bravery.

For now, Odin needs to continue regaining his strength at our clinic. Soon after his recovery, we hope to find him what he truly deserves – a safe and loving home. Odin, and all others like him deserve the love and stability that only a forever family can provide.

We are occasionally asked what a no-kill shelter is. This story is a very recent example of a no-kill policy in action, to help explain how it works and why it is crucial.

One of our sister rescue shelters, the Great Catsby, has been caring for a beautiful little white female cat called Cris since late last year. Cris was rescued along with two of her sisters from a yard in Tulcea. They had become homeless when their owner passed away, leaving them with no one to care for them.

Cris and her sisters when first rescued

Cris and her sisters were given the usual checks and treatments, and it was not long, probably because of their young age and striking white coats, before two were adopted. Cris waited patiently for her loving new home, but soon into the New Year, her foster carer reached out in dismay. Cris had turned yellow (developed jaundice), was extremely lethargic, and had lost her appetite. She was in a serious condition.

Cris was rushed to a vet in Tulcea, but they were unable to collect blood for testing, and so, assuming it was a liver issue, they started her immediately on liver medication.

One week later, Cris’s condition had worsened. She was in a terrible condition by now, and so was rushed to Top Care Vet in Bucharest for specialist care. They found her blood itself to be visibly yellow. Tests revealed, however, that liver failure was not the issue. Severe anemia was caused by hemolysis.

She was critically underweight, too, less than 2 kg at 7– 8 months old.

Marik is a blind, stray dog in Ukraine. As such, his chances of surviving long were tiny. Life can be tough for anyone who is blind. Let alone a stray dog.

Marik would not have lasted long, given the increased competition for scarce food and water as a stray and the added risk of being in an active war zone.

Yet soldiers posted in the city of Zaporizhzhia in Ukraine found Marik, recognised his condition, and fed and cared for him. Marik is a loving, fun young dog, and the soldiers shared Marik’s care amongst themselves.

These soldiers are actively fighting a war and are dedicated to saving their country from invading Russians. Always on high alert and living in fear for their own lives. Yet these soldiers still found the love and compassion to care for a blind, stray dog.

After some time, the soldiers were redeployed to another location. However, they could not leave Marik alone as they left. They took him to Irina, who runs the animal rescue shelter in Zaporizhzhia. He is safe there now; he lives there because his condition makes it too hard to adopt him out.

Soldiers made a video about Marik asking Irina to care for him

Once the soldiers had formed a bond with Irina, they visited regularly with stray pets they had rescued from the front line. Dogs and cats who would almost certainly die if left to roam in the centre of conflict.

And this, in a nutshell, is a shining example of who Ukraine soldiers are. They are not career soldiers like the invading Russians. They could not be more different. Ukrainian soldiers are defending the country, the people and the animals that they love.

Recently, the soldier who took Marik to Irina’s shelter more than two years ago returned to the area. And so he made time to visit Marik and see how he is. The people of Ukraine are desperate for their lives to return to normal. Desperate for the war to end. Desperate to be able to love their dogs and cats once again.