Story from a small animal rescue in Targu Frumos that ROLDA supports

The call came about a mother dog and her puppies. “Take them, we don’t want them”.

The rescuer’s answer was honest: “I can’t help. I’m completely full. I have no space.”

But honesty doesn’t always end the conversation. The calls kept coming, every single day. The pressure mounted. Finally, she agreed to visit, hoping to at least explain the situation face-to-face and offer what little help she could.

When she arrived, she proposed a compromise. She would vaccinate the puppies now and take them after the second vaccine, when she might have space. It was the best she could offer, given her small shelter’s capacity. But the response was immediate and aggressive. Threats were made. A crowd began to gather in the street. She left, alone and shaken.

Still, she kept her promise. She returned with vaccines and food, hoping that would buy time for everyone. Two days later, the calls resumed with new urgency and darker threats. If she didn’t come immediately to take the dogs, they would be killed.

The Weight of Limited Space

For small rescue operations, space isn’t just a logistical challenge. It’s the difference between life and death. When you’re already beyond capacity, taking in more animals isn’t a simple act of compassion. It means figuring out where to put a protective mother dog with puppies, animals who need their own safe space away from other dogs who might see them as a threat.

The rescuer spent three days searching for solutions, turning over every possibility in her mind. Where could they go? How could she make it work? Every scenario seemed impossible.

But the threats continued. Finally, she made her decision. Impossible or not, she would bring them home.

When Courage Means Calling for Help

When she arrived to collect the dogs, the situation escalated again. More threats, more drama, declarations that they wouldn’t give her the dogs now because she hadn’t come immediately when first called. The contradictions didn’t matter. The danger did.

She called the police.

It’s a detail that matters, because it illustrates something people don’t always understand about animal rescue work. Sometimes saving animals means putting yourself at risk. Sometimes it means standing firm in the face of threats. Sometimes it means knowing when you need backup to do what’s right.

With police assistance, she took the dogs home.

Small Victories in Impossible Circumstances

What happened next was its own small miracle. The rescuer already had another female dog at her shelter who had recently had puppies. When the new mother and her puppies arrived, something unexpected happened. The resident mother accepted all the puppies as her own. The two mothers got along well, settling into a peaceful coexistence that made the impossible overcrowding just slightly more manageable.

It wasn’t a perfect solution. The shelter was still beyond capacity. Space was still desperately tight. But the dogs were safe, fed, and no longer under threat of being killed to make a point.

The Reality Behind the Rescue

This is what animal rescue looks like in the small towns and villages across Romania. It’s not always heartwarming stories of grateful families surrendering beloved pets they can no longer care for. Sometimes it’s navigating threats and pressure. Sometimes it’s being alone and scared, but doing it anyway. Sometimes it’s calling the police to protect yourself while you protect animals.

Small rescue operations like the one in Târgu Frumos face these situations with alarming frequency. They’re asked to do the impossible with limited resources, and when they can’t, they face consequences that range from guilt and pressure to outright threats.

ROLDA supports these small rescues precisely because of moments like this. Because when a rescuer is backed into a corner, trying to do the right thing with no space and no resources, they shouldn’t have to face it completely alone. The food, medical supplies, and support we can provide don’t solve every problem, but they make the impossible slightly less impossible.

The mother dogs and their puppies are safe now. They’re eating well, the puppies are growing, and the two mothers are sharing the responsibility of caring for all their babies. It’s a happy ending that almost didn’t happen. If you are a ROLDA supporter, you helped make this happen.

Story is from The Great Catsby – A ROLDA-funded local cat rescue partner

The woman who reached out to us didn’t know what else to do. For weeks, she had been watching them. A small brown cat and her two tiny kittens were surviving in the grubby, desolate gap between apartment buildings, where no one claimed responsibility for their existence.

Each day, she brought what food she could, watching as winter crept closer with its promise of frost and snow. Each night, she worried whether they would still be there in the morning.

When she finally contacted us, her message was simple but weighted with urgency: “I don’t know what to do with them. The cold season will surely mean the end for all of them.”

She was right, of course. The streets show no mercy to small cats when winter arrives. But winter would have been only one of many dangers. Traffic, disease, predators, starvation – the threats are endless for animals unlucky enough to be born or abandoned in the narrow spaces between buildings, where they exist as nobody’s problem.

A Fragile Agreement

We faced our own impossible mathematics. Our shelter was already beyond capacity. There wasn’t space for even a needle, as we say, let alone three more cats. But turning away wasn’t an option either. So, we proposed an agreement: we would provide all the medical care this little family needed, but they would need to remain in foster care with the woman who had contacted us.

It was a fragile arrangement, dependent on trust and commitment from both sides. Fortunately, it held.

The mother cat, who got named Brownie, arrived with her two kittens, a boy and a girl who would soon be called Mic and Gina. At first glance, they seemed like any other street cats: thin, wary, and carrying that particular tension that comes from constant vigilance. But of course, perfectly healthy cats straight from the street are rare. Very rare.

Peeling Back the Layers

The first veterinary consultation revealed what we had expected: respiratory virus symptoms in all three, accompanied by the usual parasites that plague street cats. They needed deworming, FIV/FeLV testing, triple viral testing; the standard protocol that helps us understand what we’re really dealing with.

Up to this point, nothing was particularly unusual. They all received their initial treatments. But Mum Brownie’s overall condition was concerning enough to the veterinarians that they recommended she stay hospitalised. It wasn’t just one thing – it was the cumulative weight of everything she had endured. Her body told the story of her life on the streets and motherhood in ways that broke our hearts.

There was another challenge, too: Brownie was terrified. This wasn’t a cat who allowed herself to be handled, or even touched. Years of survival had taught her that humans meant danger, and she wasn’t ready to unlearn that lesson. We understood, though. We know that what these cats need most isn’t just food and medicine. It’s the chance to finally feel the safety of a home, hear a gentle voice, and see a look that shows something other than contempt or threat.

The Discovery

The truly frightening moment came during Brownie’s spay surgery. Under sedation, she could finally be properly examined, and that’s when the veterinarian discovered something that made everyone’s breath catch – a growth under her tongue.

The possibilities raced through our minds, most of them dark. There was a high chance this could be a tumor, potentially malignant cancer. For a street cat who had already survived so much, the cruelty of this discovery felt overwhelming.

Tissue samples were taken immediately and sent to the laboratory for histopathological analysis. Then came the waiting. Two weeks that felt like months, where every possible outcome played through our minds. Brownie, of course, knew nothing of our anxiety. She simply continued being herself: frightened, defensive, but fighting to survive in the only way she knew how.

The Weight of Relief

When the results finally arrived, we felt a wave of relief so profound it left us hi-fiving and grateful all day. The growth was not neoplastic. Not cancer. Brownie had been lucky once again.

But luck is relative, and the news wasn’t entirely good. The laboratory suggested it was an autoimmune reaction that had led to the formation of an oral pyogenic granuloma, also called a hemangiomatous granuloma. It was a mouthful of medical terminology that essentially meant Brownie’s own immune system had turned against her, creating this problematic growth.

The recommended treatment was surgical removal, but when the veterinarians assessed the location, they delivered more difficult news. The growth was positioned in such a way that removing it with clean margins would be nearly impossible without risking damage to the tongue’s supporting structure. In their words, attempting surgery could literally cause her tongue to tear.

No one wanted to take that risk.

Instead, following the doctors’ advice, we chose a different path: medium to long-term corticosteroid treatment. It wasn’t our first choice. Corticosteroids have their own complications, but in this case, they offered the best chance to reduce the lesion’s size and keep it under control. The veterinarians also mentioned the possibility of laser therapy, which might help. It was something we would evaluate once Brownie was more stable and settled.

The Long Road of Small Victories

With her immediate medical crisis addressed, Brownie was finally discharged and reunited with her kittens in foster care. Watching them together was like witnessing a small miracle. Despite everything she had been through – the streets, the illness, the hospitalisation, the fear – Brownie remained devoted to her Mic and Gina. Her maternal instinct had survived when so many other things had been worn away.

The kittens themselves were facing their own battles. They needed to complete their vaccination course, but first they had to overcome a persistent combination of herpesvirus, stubborn parasites, and Giardia. It was another reminder of just how much street cats carry – layers upon layers of illness and infection, each needing its own treatment, its own timeline.

Mic, despite his name meaning “Small” in Romanian, was already showing signs that he wouldn’t stay small for long. His foster mother joked that he would grow into a “big Small,” and watching his appetite and energy, we believed it. Gina was more reserved, but she, too, was gaining strength daily.

And Brownie? Slowly, cautiously, she was beginning to change.

She still wouldn’t let herself be touched. That bridge was still too far to cross. But she had started coming out of her hiding spots when her foster mother was in the room. She showed herself, watched from a distance, and most encouragingly, she had developed what her foster mother called a “glorious appetite.” This wasn’t just good for Brownie’s recovery; it was the key to getting her medication into her, hidden in the food she now eagerly consumed.

These were small victories, perhaps, but in the context of a cat who had spent her entire life frightened and defensive, each one represented a monumental shift. The fact that she felt safe enough to emerge, to eat openly, to exist in the presence of a human without cowering; these were transformations worth celebrating.

What Street Life Leaves Behind

Brownie’s story illustrates something we see repeatedly in our work: the sheer scale of issues that stray animals must navigate just to survive. Across Romania, thousands upon thousands of cats and dogs live this same precarious existence, invisible to most people who pass them daily. It’s never just one thing. It’s always a cascade of interconnected problems, each one making the others worse.

A respiratory virus weakens the immune system, making cats more susceptible to parasites. Parasites drain nutrients that should be used to fight infections. Constant stress from living on the streets triggers autoimmune responses like Brownie’s. The lack of proper nutrition means wounds don’t heal, illnesses linger, and bodies wear out far too soon. And underlying it all is the psychological trauma—the fear, the constant vigilance, the learned mistrust of humans who might kick or throw things or chase them away.

When we take in a street cat, we’re not just treating one problem. We’re unravelling years of accumulated damage, addressing layers of need that go far beyond the obvious. It requires patience, resources, expertise, and time; so much time. There are no quick fixes for animals like Brownie. The veterinary consultations, the laboratory tests, the medications, the follow-up care, and the foster home where she can finally rest. All of these pieces must come together to give her a real chance at recovery.

This is only possible because of the compassion of people who understand that every life matters, even the small brown cat living between apartment buildings. The supporters who believe, as we do, that no animal should have to face the accumulated weight of street life alone. Their generosity transforms what would be an impossible task into something achievable, one cat at a time.

A Life Worth Living

Now, settled in foster care with her kittens safe beside her, Brownie has something she’s never had before: time. Time to heal. Time to learn that not all humans mean harm. Time to discover that the world can offer more than hunger, cold, and fear.

Her kittens, Mic and Gina, will have an even better gift—they’ll grow up never knowing the full harshness their mother endured. They’ll learn early that humans can be kind, that food comes regularly, and that warmth is constant. When they’re ready, we hope to find them families as wonderful as they are. And perhaps, with more time and patience, we’ll be able to set a similar goal for Brownie.

For now, we’re taking every small victory as it comes. Brownie emerges from her hiding spot more and more often to watch her foster mother. The way she runs to her food bowl, no longer cautious about showing hunger. The fact that she and her babies are safe, receiving the medical care they need, and knowing something other than survival mode.

Their lives are completely changed now. This is what life should be. Not just endurance, but something truly worth living. A mother cat who can raise her kittens without constant fear. Kittens who can play and grow without fighting for every meal. Small moments of peace that, to them, must feel like miracles.

In the photos from their foster home, you can see the transformation beginning. Brownie’s eyes, while still wary, have lost some of their desperate edge. The kittens tumble over each other with the careless joy of children who feel safe. And in those images, in those small daily victories, we see why this work matters, why people like you choose to care about animals they’ve never met, living in places they may never visit.

Because every cat like Brownie carries the weight of the streets with them. Every mother fighting to keep her babies alive deserves the chance to finally rest. And every small life saved reminds us that compassion, patience, and refusing to give up can truly change everything.

Brownie’s journey is far from over, but she’s no longer walking it alone. She has her foster mother’s quiet presence, her kittens’ warmth beside her, and the support of people who believe her life has value. That combination of individual dedication and collective compassion makes stories like Brownie’s possible. It’s what allows us to say yes when someone reaches out about a frightened cat and her babies facing winter. It’s what enables us to provide weeks of hospitalisation, expensive diagnostic tests, ongoing medication, and the patience required to help a traumatised animal learn to trust again.

And that, perhaps, is how people coming together to help makes all the difference.

Do you have any leftover currency from your holidays? We would love it if you donated it to ROLDA USA.
We have partnered with Global Coin Solutions, who turn the currency you no longer need into $$$ to help us rescue and rehome dogs from Romania & war-torn Ukraine.
Drawers or Jam jars filled with foreign coins gathering dust? Please dig them out and donate them to help ROLDA USA continue to help so many dogs that are injured, abused & starving find kindness, warmth and food.

How It Works

Have leftover foreign coins or bills? Turn them into lifesaving support for animals in need!
It’s easy:
● Gather any foreign currency you have tucked away in drawers, suitcases, or old travel bags.
● Mail it directly to our processing partner.
● Or, become a community host by placing a collection bin at your school, business, church, or club, and invite others to donate their unused travel currency too!

Your participation not only supports ROLDA’s rescue work, but also helps keep foreign currency out of landfills. A small action with a big impact.

How To Donate Your Foreign Currency

Via Mail:
Attn: ROLDA-USA C/O GCS
4450 Witmer Industrial Estates, Unit #4
Niagara Falls, NY 14305

(Don’t worry — sending it by mail is safe. The currency has no value until it is professionally repatriated.)

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.

When the young dog arrived at a ROLDA Rescue Team Ukraine shelter, she wasn’t bleeding. There were no obvious wounds, no visible signs of trauma that would make someone stop and say, “This animal needs urgent help.”

But our experienced veterinary team knew better.

She was lethargic, her eyes dull with exhaustion. Her body was wasting away despite attempts to feed her. Severe diarrhea and vomiting had left her dangerously dehydrated. What appeared to be general weakness was actually something far more serious: enteritis, a potentially deadly inflammation of the intestines.

For dogs already weakened by life on the streets—malnourished, unvaccinated, fighting just to survive—enteritis doesn’t need long to become a death sentence.

The Disease That Hides in Plain Sight

Enteritis attacks the lining of the small intestine, destroying the body’s ability to absorb nutrients and fluids. What follows is a devastating spiral: exhaustion, rapid weight loss, dehydration, and in severe cases—especially among puppies—death.

The causes vary. Viruses, bacteria, parasites, contaminated food or water—any of these can trigger the inflammation. In overcrowded conditions where sanitation is difficult to maintain, a single infected dog can transmit it to others, creating a chain reaction that can devastate an entire shelter.

When War Makes Everything Harder

In Ukraine, the challenges have intensified. Medical supplies are scarce. Veterinary resources are stretched impossibly thin. Volunteer teams work around the clock but are overwhelmed by the sheer number of animals arriving—frightened, injured, malnourished, and often carrying diseases that went untreated on the streets.

In these circumstances, enteritis can go unnoticed, mistaken for simple malnutrition or general weakness until it’s far too late. By the time symptoms become impossible to ignore, the dog may already be in critical condition.

The war has created the perfect conditions for enteritis to spread: high numbers of stray dogs, limited access to veterinary care, overcrowded temporary shelters, and the constant struggle to maintain proper sanitation when resources are scarce.

Breaking the Chain

Here’s what gives us hope: enteritis is treatable when caught early.

With proper care—vaccinations, deworming, parasite control, clean environments, and quick intervention at the first signs of illness—we can stop this invisible killer before it takes hold. In our shelters, consistent preventive care has saved countless lives that otherwise would have been lost to this devastating disease.

But prevention requires resources. Vaccines. Clean water. Proper food. Veterinary attention. Space to isolate sick animals before they infect others.

Every Dog Deserves a Fighting Chance

That young dog who arrived weak and fading? With early detection and treatment, she survived. She’s one of the lucky ones—but only because the resources were available when she needed them most.

Right now, more dogs are arriving every day, facing the same battle. Your support ensures we can provide the preventive care and early treatment that makes the difference between life and death.

Support our veterinary care fund to help us continue protecting vulnerable dogs from enteritis and other preventable diseases. Because the dogs who survive war, abandonment, and starvation shouldn’t lose their lives to a disease we know how to treat.

The shack was barely standing—four broken walls and a collapsing roof on the outskirts of Tulcea. Inside, curled into the darkest corner, was Mira.

A tourist passing through spotted movement in the ruins and knew immediately something was wrong. They contacted a local man, who didn’t hesitate to reach out to our partners at The Great Catsby. When the rescue team arrived and finally coaxed the terrified cat into the light, what they saw stopped them in their tracks.

Mira was missing half of her hind leg. A horrifying wound had consumed most of her nose. Her body was so frail, so small, that rescuers assumed they were looking at a kitten. Only later would the vet confirm the heartbreaking truth: Mira was around three years old. Starvation and suffering had stolen her size, her strength, and nearly her life.

She was rushed straight to the clinic. Blood tests. Deworming. Emergency neutering. A tissue sample from her nose was sent to the lab—the vet fears it may be cancer. Now we wait for results, holding onto hope while preparing for whatever comes next.

When Trust Returns
Despite everything she has endured—the abandonment, the pain, the terror of surviving alone—Mira is showing quiet signs of strength. She has begun to eat again. She accepts gentle touch from the team caring for her.
Every small gesture of trust feels like a miracle.

The Reality Beyond One Cat
Mira’s story could have ended in that broken shack, her suffering invisible to the world. But every day across Romania, countless cats and dogs face this same cruel reality: abandoned, injured, left to survive or die alone.

ROLDA and our like-minded animal rescue partners refuse to accept that this is simply how things must be. With every rescue, every surgery, every animal given safety and care, we are rewriting stories that once seemed destined to end in silence.

Mira now has what she was denied for so long—a fighting chance. A chance to heal, to trust again, to discover that life can offer more than pain and fear.

Will you help us give this chance to the next Mira?
Your support ensures that when we receive that call about an animal in desperate need, we can answer with action instead of apologies.

My name is Delia. I manage fundraising and awareness campaigns for ROLDA. Today, I want to take a moment to share the story of my sweet Dezzi…

Dezzi (originally Daisy) is 8 years old. I adopted her in 2021 from a woman who was keeping 18 animals in a small apartment before leaving for Italy.

When I first saw Daisy, she wasn’t supposed to be mine. The woman who had found her in a rural village was desperately trying to rehome eighteen animals before leaving the country. She had posted an announcement on Facebook — photos of hungry, unsterilized dogs kept in miserable conditions. Among them was a small, gentle soul named Daisy, who had spent most of her life chained in a backyard, forced to have babies after babies.

When I went to meet them, I was told I should adopt a different dog, “a good one, a breed dog,” she said. But the moment I sat down on the ground, Daisy walked straight toward me, climbed into my lap and stayed there. That was the moment I knew she had chosen me.

I renamed her Dezzi, and we’ve been inseparable ever since.

How ROLDA helped me and Dezzi:

Life was finally kind to Dezzi. She loved our long walks in the park, sitting quietly with me while I drank my coffee or simply feeling the grass under her paws. But in June 2023, everything changed. Dezzi started having sudden pain and weakness. We went through weeks of uncertainty — first, she was treated for bladder issues, then for a leg problem. Eventually, we found the real cause: a spinal hernia compressing her spinal cord.

The diagnosis came with a sentence: “She will never walk again. You should consider euthanasia.”

I refused to believe that was her only option. That’s how we reached Brains and Bones, a veterinary clinic specializing in neuro and orthopedic surgery. There, Dezzi received the proper treatment and miraculously, she recovered without surgery.

The doctors advised me to delay surgery for as long as possible, as the risks of paralysis were high.

For almost two years, she was stable. She had short walks again, wagged her tail and found joy in small things. But in June 2025, her condition worsened suddenly — this time, the treatment didn’t work. The CT showed a new, more severe hernia, requiring a complex dual-side surgical intervention with stabilizers. She was in unbearable pain and could no longer move her hind legs.

On June 9, Dezzi underwent a long and complicated surgery. The total costs were over 10,000 lei including CT scans, pre-op analyses and post-surgery medication.

I was heartbroken and financially overwhelmed.

That’s when ROLDA and Dana stepped in. They covered the full surgery costs, the medication and the recovery process. Without their help, Dezzi wouldn’t be here today. I will never forget that act of kindness; it didn’t just save her life, it gave her back the ability to live without pain.

Today, Dezzi is once again the same joyful dog I adopted four years ago. She runs around the living room, eats with appetite and enjoys her walks. The only change is that now I carry her up and down the stairs and she patiently waits for her new ramp to the couch (because that is her favorite place).

How I help ROLDA:

My work with ROLDA comes from a deep belief that every animal deserves the same chance Dezzi had, the chance to be seen, helped and loved. Through my role, I create and manage fundraising and awareness campaigns that help hundreds of dogs and cats find safety, medical care and a future filled with kindness.

I focus on building partnerships, organizing events and connecting people and companies who want to make a real difference for animals in need. Each project, whether it’s a donation campaign, a volunteer initiative or a story shared online carries the same mission: to make sure that every dog or cat ROLDA rescues receives the same compassion, treatment and second chance that saved Dezzi’s life.

For me, it’s not just about giving back, it’s about multiplying that miracle. Turning one story of survival into hundreds more.

Firstname, if Dezzi’s story has touched you, I hope you find it in your heart to make a donation to help us support the many senior dogs in our care.

Helping a senior dog is such a profoundly beautiful act…it not only offers them the love and companionship they desperately need in their golden years but also enriches our lives giving these deserving doggos a second chance to feel cherished and valued.

One of the most recent cases we have been asked to help with is Mica, a little cat whose life has sadly taken a sudden and brutal turn.

The woman who contacted us had often seen Mica wandering near her apartment block. The woman noticed Mica’s belly beginning to swell and grow steadily larger for several months. The woman was somewhat surprised. She believed Mica had already been spayed during one of last year’s campaigns. So she thought the spaying had not worked, or it might be something such as internal parasites. She could not afford a vet visit and tried a few herbal remedies, but nothing helped.

When she reached out to us, Mica’s belly had become so enlarged that even moving was difficult for her. We knew she needed urgent veterinary help.

We rushed her straight to the vet clinic with a phone call en route to discuss the situation and arrange a priority consultation. Even the veterinary team was shocked by the size of her stomach when we arrived. Instant blood tests came back without significant problems, but the ultrasound showed her abdomen was full of fluid. A sample confirmed it was not normal fluid, but mixed with blood and tissue fragments. With no clear answers, the vets decided to operate and see what was going on.

What they discovered was heartbreaking. Mica had never been spayed, and her entire reproductive system was severely inflamed and infected, causing the enormous fluid buildup. The vets removed everything, drained her abdomen and kept her on fluids and medication. She looked exhausted and frail after surgery, but she finally had a chance to recover.

Then came another devastating discovery. When the uterus and ovaries were examined, they found a large cauliflower-shaped tumour. Cancer. The tumour has been sent to the lab, and we are waiting for results.

For now, Mica is stable. She is under close monitoring, receiving treatment, and slowly beginning to recover. It will take time before she feels strong again, but she is showing her fighting spirit.

Mica’s case is a harsh reminder of how important it is to notice when an animal is in trouble. Her story could have ended very differently. The discovery of cancer has made her road ahead uncertain, but at least she now has a chance. She is no longer alone on the streets but is receiving treatment and comfort. With time and care, we hope she has many more days filled with safety and kindness ahead of her.

From discussing abandoned dog rescues to sharing lessons through football, Dana Costin guides the conversation with the podcast host, highlighting empathy, dedication, and the power of small actions to make a difference.

1. What is your first memory of an animal?
My first memory is of a half-breed dog named Suru. He was a big dog, or at least that was how he seemed to me, and I was around 4 or 6 at the time. I thought of him as my dog, although he belonged to my aunt and my grandmother, who lived in the countryside. His fur was grey and white. He was very gentle and had the warmest eyes, ones I will never forget.
My first memory is of sitting with him on the front door steps and sharing a plain crescent roll—one piece for me, one for him. Unfortunately, he died from poisoning on the village road, like many dogs used to die back then in the 90s, and some still do in the rural parts of the country.

2. Which was the most beautiful and most impactful moment in football?
Liverpool – Olympiakos, final score 3 – 1, in December 2004. It was the first time I saw Steven Gerrard from Liverpool playing. I instantly appreciated him, and despite his retirement, he is still the best football player I have ever seen on the field. He had a style similar to mine (amateur level), with long, gorgeous passes and compelling long-distance shots. I, too, used to love to shoot from a distance—so much so that I used to practice long-distance shots for hours, alone, with no help, in any kind of weather.
If I’m not mistaken, in that match, for Liverpool to advance in the group, they had to beat Olympiakos by two goals. The 3 to 1 goal was a superb kick Gerrard did from approximately 25 meters from the goalpost. I liked it so much that I have been a Liverpool supporter ever since. That season of the Champions League also included that epic final match against Milan, in which the Italians led 3 to 0 at halftime.

3. Your biggest football-related disappointment?
There are two of those. Both are related to the Romanian National Football team. With the first one, I was a child, and it was during the World Championship in America, in 1994. I was eight at the time, and after the legendary victory of Romania against Argentina, I fell asleep. And I fell asleep so deeply that my mother did not manage to wake me up to show me out the window the thousands of people pouring down the streets, going down to the house of Daniel Prodan’s parents, who lived two streets down from us. I was highly disappointed that I did not get to see them.
I consoled myself at the thought of the coming match with Sweden. I cannot and will never forget our goalkeeper, Florin Prunea’s blunder, which cost us a monumental qualification in the semifinals of that world championship. After the Argentina match, my mother could not wake me up, then after the one with Sweden, she could not stop me from crying… I never saw a giant crowd of people like the one I missed after the Argentina match.
My second big disappointment was during the next World Championship, the one in France, when we were knocked out in the Round of 16 by Croatia, with a 1-0 score, after a successful penalty shot from Davor Suker, a player I liked, apart from that particular match. I cried after that match also 😊
I used to experience every one of the National team’s matches with great intensity, probably due to the naivety of my age. At the Euro 2000, when we defeated England 3-2, before the penalty shot, I watched with the prayer book in my hands, actively praying for victory. After Ganea’s goal, I ran out on the balcony and, in my burst of excitement, I slammed against the balcony railing. My mom thought I had fallen off 😊. I’m laughing now, but she did not laugh then, not at all 😊

4. What do you think about the connection between young kids, junior players, and animals? What are your conclusions from what you heard from the guests?
There are two nuances here: young people’s general connection with animals and football players’ connection with animals. As far as young people go, in general, I discovered through podcasts positive aspects like young people who love and respect animals, as well as deeply concerning things about young people who disregard animals, torture, and even kill them in ruthless ways.
I have only heard good and interesting things regarding football players and their bond with animals, especially with dogs. Namely, these kids are more responsible, work harder, are more empathetic, and are more prone to sacrificing and making an effort for the team. I got this feedback from a football coach working with 50 children. It’s not scientific research, but I believe that animals can positively impact the attitude and lives of young people, regardless of the types of extra-curricular activities they do.

5. Your vision on the ideal team (active professional players): 11 players, no reserves
I will devise a 4-3-3 system: Allison Becker, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Virgil van Dijk, Radu Dragusin, Théo Hernandez, Jude Bellingham, Pedri, Luka Modric, Salah, Lewandowski, Yamal.

6. How do you think/hope that your podcasts are changing our world?
I think and hope that they do at the same time. I think they help the world we live in and the animals by promoting education. At least in Romania, education on the animal world, from needs to specifics, from acceptance to respect, is lacking.
People still don’t understand that Romania is a country of abandoned dogs. They don’t even want to understand. This is because the subject is of no interest to them whatsoever. They think it does not affect them in any way, but they are wrong because everything is connected when it comes to life and the well-being of a nation. Romania would be a country with better-educated and just better people if the problem of stray cats and dogs were fixed.
I hope that my podcast is changing the world because I want the messages I promote in these podcasts to reach as many people as possible, slowly. If out of one hundred people, only one understands, has an epiphany, and decides to do something about this, it is already a massive gain.
This is mainly because that person will no doubt influence those around them; if they have children, they will educate them to respect and love animals. The message will reach across generations because their children will also teach them to love animals. So, I believe podcasts have great power, including the power to change the world.

7. Name one cause that would determine you to change the world around you (other than ROLDA).
I think about this cause very often. It is an enormous and significant cause for us, and one that people are completely ignoring. It is called Terra, our planet, our only home. And I don’t say this because I want to come off as a wise benefactor, but because I have been passionate about astronomy since I was a child. I have understood ever since the universal perspective, the position and the place our planet holds in the Universe. As a planet, we are tiny and vulnerable compared to the violent and endless Cosmos. Yes, I know, the Universe is beautiful, but also very chaotic and aggressive. And what do we do in our own home? We willingly destroy it, and we are slowly wiping ourselves out as a species. We don’t believe in the danger of deforestation, pollution, global warming, or the role and importance of animals in the ecosystem. I know it is a science fiction scenario, but we might have to look for a new home sooner to continue living as a species.
We don’t think about this because we are stuck on national beliefs only intended to exploit and make money—beliefs that often encourage ignorance, manipulation, corruption, and wars. We will never evolve as a species unless we develop planetary consciousness. Let’s all put the planet first and forget about borders. This would also mean a planet without famine and wars; unfortunately, we are far from that. We might need 1000 more years to get to that point.
Maybe we won’t see the day our actions destroy the planet, and neither will our children, their children, or their grandchildren. But we must think about this problem and try to fix something.

8. How would you teach a dog anything about football?
I wouldn’t want to teach a dog anything about football if this meant forcing anything about his nature and instincts. I don’t think a dog would have to know too much about football, unless we are talking about basic play. I don’t even want to think about ball tricks or other aberrations.
Of course, dogs need basic training, and I would leave it at that. However, I would teach him to play with the ball outdoors and rejoice with me when our favorite team scores a goal indoors. I would teach him that football means joy.
Also, a moderate reaction to the joy of a goal. If you shout like a Neanderthal, your furry friend is bound to get a different idea about you and football.

9. How would you educate the world of football to support animals?
I would try to explain to them more than just the animals’ plea. I don’t know whether people realize it, but football can be a real ‘weapon’ for peace. This sport is so popular worldwide that it could bring forward any of the world’s major problems, and people would better understand and educate themselves even on matters they now choose to ignore.
For example, in Romania, football players help raise awareness about abandoned dogs in campaigns right before matches. But these cases are isolated. There would have to be a national campaign in this sense.
How would I educate the people in football about the cause of animals? There are many methods, but only one comes to mind more clearly. Namely, I would convince more world football celebrities to speak in press conferences or after the matches on the cause. It is not easy because, even here, personal interests, branding deals, financial issues, and more get in the way.
But I only think about what it would be like if Messi, once he is done playing football, had his own podcast about dogs (I know he loves dogs) in which he would tell people to stop abandoning and to start sterilizing dogs. I don’t think his words would be ignored.

10. What message would you send to a football idol (someone no longer living) to do differently and change the story he has already written?
A complicated question, but Duncan Edwards comes to my mind. Have you ever heard of Duncan Edwards? He used to be one of the players of Manchester United who died in the plane crash in Munich in 1958. He was 21.
This player fascinates me because I have heard several football experts say that he would have become, without a doubt, the greatest footballer of all time! It seems he was extraordinary in every position on the field, except as a goalkeeper.
My message to him would be not to get on that plane. I would have loved to see him and see whether he had become the greatest footballer.

11. Maradona: Legend or cheat?
The answer to this question is not complicated, but it is complex. Maradona was, without a doubt, a legend of world football.
The hand of God? Yes, you can clearly see in the footage that it was handball, and that goal won Argentina’s World Cup in 1986. Understandably, 90% of the planet can blame him, but if you try to empathize, you can see the patriotism, the ‘fanaticism’, and the ‘despair’ to do anything and everything for his country to win the World Cup. Suarez almost did the same thing at the 2010 World Cup when he stopped a ball on the goal line with his hand, knowing he was not a goalkeeper and would get a red card—everything for his country.
It’s easy to judge, but, without going into details, life has taught me that severe addictions people have for specific products are mainly caused by disease and trauma from childhood and more. Who am I to judge the effects of another person’s traumas?
Maradona himself says in a documentary that he would have been a greater footballer had he not struggled with addiction. Maybe it’s better for the beauty of football that Maradona wasn’t bigger. Why? Because then people would only say about Messi that he merely managed to match Maradona. But now, as far as I am concerned, Messi is greater even than Maradona.

In conclusion, Maradona is a football legend who loved the sport with all his being and who fought with all his might against the demons that did not want him to play anymore.