Countless pictures of dogs in pain. Dogs abused, horrifically injured, or starving to death in our “public shelters”. It is not unusual for them to attack and eat each other out of desperation. After 14 days in this government-sponsored hell, you may wonder what happens next. Mass executions. Dogs are routinely shot, poisoned or bludgeoned to death. Unless we intervene, none of the dogs that enter a public “shelter” ever leave alive.

We chose this dog to help us with our campaign. Why?
This dog is special to us. We have been reminded that try as we do, we cannot save them all. Our finances and other resources are finite. At the same time, our commitment to ending animal cruelty grows stronger. We must do better, and will do better.

But we cannot do it alone. Together we are stronger. Together we give hope to those souls that have no hope left in them. In Romania, Europe, North America, and Australia, we bond together to build a better world. A more compassionate and caring future. We owe it to our children to leave them a world even more wonderful than the one we will one day depart. But while we are here, we have the potential to achieve great things.

When visitors to our country exit the Bucharest Airport, they are faced with the strangest of contrasts. Luxurious limousines ferry fabulously dressed women and their powerful partners to the most modern of apartments and houses.

Across the street from the five-star hotels and condos, the ruins of former industrial sites still stand. Beggars wander everywhere. Some scavenge an existence walking on two legs. Millions more struggle by on four. This picture is not on display in Bucharest. Every corner of Romania suffers from the same strange, sad, divide.

Inevitably, conflicts occur between starving, desperate dogs and local people. Children have been attacked and killed. The people demand action be taken. In 2013, the government declared war on the animals abandoned and abused on Romanian streets. Yet still, their numbers grow.

ROLDA understands the fear and supports immediate action. But we have human, permanent solutions, and innovative ideas to address the problem of street dogs. Mass killings, indiscriminate culls, and the imprisonment of homeless dogs in filthy public “shelters” have been useless.

No country has ever eliminated the problem of companion animal overpopulation with bullets, poison, and starvation. Neither will Romania.

ROLDA seeks to educate local communities and the authorities about the humane alternatives that exist. Stop animal abandonment by keeping pets with families that love them. Adapt current registration laws to support low-income people with the sterilization, vaccination, and microchipping of their pets.
Let us stop the cycle of overpopulation. The birth of millions of unwanted puppies every year. We can’t change the way Romanians feel about stray dogs overnight. But we can make a plan. And ROLDA has a plan.

We propose:
Millions of abandoned dogs are on our streets. They are caught and placed in local pounds, where they “disappear” (are exterminated, eating each other, and disease)Help us close down the pounds, and renovate them to meet EU standards. And the current laws.

Problem: These pounds are a source of infection, disease, and misery for the dogs and the people who work or enter them.
ROLDA’s solution:
A) Join ROLDA’s campaign to close down the “shelters”.
B) Encourage housing dogs and adopting them from private shelters, where the animals are well cared for and sociable.

Problem: Packs of wild strays around ruins of former industrial sites, putting passers-by in danger.
ROLDA’s solution: As of 1st January 2015, ROLDA sterilized and returned hundreds of feral dogs from these areas, thereby limiting the number of puppies born, and aggressive behaviors.

Problem: Abandonment is the main source of stress. People can’t afford to sterilize, vaccinate or feed their pets and the puppies they produce.
ROLDA’s solution: ROLDA helps poor people to sterilize, and microchip their pets, and offers emergency food and medical aid. When people can afford to follow the laws, they will. All animals will be recorded in a national database.

Problem: Dogs are illegally transported, often as part of a horrific “dark” puppy trade industry. Unfortunately, a number of NGOs are organizing illegal transport, despite the existent EU legislation e.g. the requirements of Regulation (EU) No 576/2013 on non-commercial movement, or the requirements of Directive 2013/31/EU on commercial movement
ROLDA’s solution:
A) Report all illegal transports;
B) Respect and enforce EU legislation;
C) Transport by car only in authorized vehicles with properly authorized companies. If transporting0 01plane – use airlines only with pet-friendly policies to keep the animals safe and hydrated in transit.

Problem: Poverty and unemployment affect EU people and their pets. In the south, east and northeast of Romania, the situation is desperate.
ROLDA’s solution: ROLDA works with/hires village people and provides training and a safe work environment.

Problem: Romanians criticize some international adopters because they read in the media that animals transported from Eastern Europe are used in laboratories or sexually abused in other countries.
ROLDA’s solution: ROLDA carefully screens all adoption requests. European volunteers help us guarantee a home check and post-adoption visit. We request references from the adopter’s vet and do follow-up checks.

Problem: People are worried about corruption and scams in Romania. This can be a problem, with Romanians, and foreigners operating here.
ROLDA’s solution: Corruption exists in Romania, but can be avoided.
A) If a charity is foreign, doesn’t mean it is the best place to donate. Any charity you give to must be checked out
B) The charity must provide a registration number on your request
C) Using this number (CUI in Romania, usually 8 digits long) you can see any financial records publicly available on the Ministry of Finances website mfinante.ro.
D) Visit the charity’s shelter, if possible unannounced.
E) Be aware that Romanian charities sometimes slander each other. Do your own investigation, and come to your own conclusions. Don’t be manipulated!

ROLDA doesn’t have all the answers. We cannot save every Romanian stray. But we can do better for the abandoned animals on our streets. We have ideas and approaches to finding permanent solutions to our problems.
We cannot do it without you. We depend on ROLDA’s supporters; we know you will be there for our dogs. So much has been accomplished, yet so much remains to be done.

ROLDA Solutions

● Hire village people for shelter ‘work; train and educate them to respect animals – the source of income for poor communities;
● Pay local artisans to create handmade goods to be sold for our charity (instead of buying promotional expensive items) – the source of income for poor communities;
● Sterilize, and microchip poor community’ pets – Identify animals to prevent abandons, reduce the number of unwanted puppies born, and help the community which couldn’t afford these medical procedures;
● Provide emergency food aid – help the community look after their pets;
● Rescue dogs and farm animals in need;
● Build legal, modern shelters adapted to groups of dogs’ personalities;
● Rehome dogs in Romania or across Europe in verified families;
● Build legal shelters where dogs are healthy, sociable and easy to be rehomed;
● Educate the local community to look after their pets responsibly, and to respect animals; (In the future, the therapy with dogs program will make the community aware of the benefits that dogs bring in people’s lives.)
● International volunteers are welcome to visit our shelters and speak in their own communities about what we do, how and why.

Buffy is one of the 918 saved by ROLDA in 2015.

Buffy is a small lucky doggy. After losing his eye, the surgery went well and his condition stabilized. Our staff is currently preparing Buffy to fly soon to Switzerland, where she will be adopted by a well-known family of watchmakers.

What an amazing future waits for Buffy to discover! Buffy is one of the thousands of dogs that ROLDA helped since we begin our rescue mission in Romania. Next year we’ll celebrate 10 years since we are incorporated as a charity in the USA but also in Romania, a country where, for the record, rescue activity started long before 2006.

The year 2007 was a turning point for ROLDA and its projects but also for me, Dana. It was the moment when I had the proof that a dream, no matter how ambitious or how “impossible” sounds, can become reality and the most important ingredient for this to happen is to believe in yourself, to choose the dream you wish to believe into, to invest your energy and time into that dream and to be persuasive. No big dreams are going to be fulfilled overnight!

In 2003, ROLDA built a small shelter in the village of Smardan, located in the southeast of Romania. Our activity was in direct proportion to our income. But my dreams were bigger (they always are). I hardly have time to stop and be happy with one achievement because my mind already projects plans for the future. In a way, this is my secret recipe for feeling that I am alive.

I am a perfectionist. I consider things done with half measure a waste of time. I prefer quality versus quantity but also like to think globally, to think big because I have high expectations from myself. The newsletters I write must be the best; the shelters that ROLDA owns should keep the highest possible standards and be competitive by European standards.

In 2007, the local steel company’s director phoned me and asked for a meeting. The steel plant (one of the largest steel plants in the World) wanted to work with a charity to solve humanely the strays’ problem. I presented my thoughts, on the ROLDA plan but I also had the power to impose a strict no-kill policy which was followed every day, from the moment our collaboration started.

Considering the numerous slaughters that take place across Romania, considering the amount that steel plants invested (and continue to invest) in this collaboration – private corporation funds invested for a no-killing mission, considering the mutual respect and trust that comes from both sides (from ROLDA and from AMG) I think ROLDA has a lot of reasons to be proud!

Every beginning is complicated and uncertain. Of course, some things could have been done differently from the start. At that time, I knew less about how to work with people, and how to develop a large shelter’s management policy. I learn everything that I know now by following my instincts, by thinking like in chess play- two moves ahead, sometimes by also…improvising.

Working with and trusting people are by far the biggest challenges I have to deal with. But how someone can follow the charity’ related (big) dreams not working with people?! Charity is all related to people from organizational details to sponsors and supporters.

Years ago, I had an unpleasant personal and professional experience with a former partner that stole ROLDA’s contacts list and money from our “common” account. Finding the wrong people to work with is a problem that happened (and continues to happen) to many charities. It happens on occasion to us, too. The trick is to learn your lesson, keep close to the people you can really count on and move on. Life is too short to stop dreaming, to stop taking action for what you care about!

My parents sustained this dream, they always encouraged and motivated me. They invested all their savings into ROLDA and today, our records show that this amount is over 50,000 EUR Of course, not the entire amount at once, but during the most difficult moments, when a parent’s presence is the most needed!

It started like a child’s dream, thanks to my parent’s support, which initially made everything possible, continuing with the steel plant corporate support, and grew to the extent where we find ourselves today. But jumping from small or bigger steps, one thing I learn to always keep in mind: the ROLDA supporters are the ones that make everything possible.

I started ROLDA in my 20’s and now in my 30’s, I am still here, creating, hoping, and dreaming. Where else I could be? I am always in search of ways to improve ROLDA and one thing that I plan to continue improving is how to make this charity be truly outstanding and unique.

Located in an extremely poor area of Romania, ROLDA was meant to exist not only to save the animals, which is a pretty noble mission itself but also to change animal’s and people’s lives, to change the community’ mentality.

How you can create, run and promote a charity among thousands of already powerful charities? Creating a charity is the easiest step. To run it, you need funding. People perceive you as a charity but in reality, you have to be a charity and a business at the same time.

And assuming you can handle cash flow…Promote it…to put your charity in light among other very competitive and well-known charities with the same goals that are the real challenge! Did I mention how much I like challenges? And above all, winning…who doesn’t like winning?!

I find the force that keeps me going in various things. One thing, as you would expect, is the moment we are able to completely heal a very injured animal. Or the moment when a frightened, scared dog trusts again people and becomes someone’s pet. I often ask – will an adopted dog will remember me if we’ll ever meet again in this life?

One thing that gives me the power to continue and motivates me to be better is the enemies’ hate. Since our collaboration with the steel plant started, we have had an increased number of vicious and crazy enemies. Their hate is part of the fuel that makes me stronger. Do not forget! YOU are the power that made these accomplishments happen! And we at ROLDA are grateful to you for that!

Every new life saved, every new puppy that grew up healthy and sociable, every dog rehabilitated and adopted out, every new project accomplished, new building completed. We shared moments of terror, when there was no future for millions of street dogs was uncertain or dark. We shared moments of joy when we defeated the distance and the time (and all the other obstacles) and felt, together, our hearts beating the same. Feeling the “humane” side of us is really unique!

One approach that makes ROLDA really unique is the branches that our charity has all over the World. We currently are incorporated officially in the USA, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, Australia, Germany, the UK and of course Romania. This year, we decided to stop expanding, to give time to the current branches to grow in strength.

Finding people to run these branches is a therapy for my past experiences with human beings, some as I previously said completely wrong but some, good experiences from which I learn and transformed myself into who I am today.

I noticed a trend among some animal charity directors to show their weaknesses (in very carefully selected words) to win people’s sympathy. I will not use such a dramatic, marketing strategy. I will not tell you a story about how naive I was, how fragile from an emotional point of view I was…because I am strong, and determined, as a leader should be! I feel responsible for the paid job of 15 people and for the life of hundreds of rescue dogs. Telling you how fragile I am at the same time would be ridiculous and a lie.

I do not want to win your pity, your sympathy, and eventually your support by lying to you and/or telling you what you would like to hear or what studies show that you might be touched about. I always said what I was thinking, regardless of the consequences, or the number of new enemies I would turn against me.

I have reasons to believe that ROLDA supporters are educated, smart and sensitive and share our goals and general vision. Even if ROLDA looks like one woman shows charity, there are many women and men behind every ROLDA accomplishment, both physically working or using their minds to create, improve, upgrade, and evolve.

ROLDA supporters are not a special category but a part of this charity’s accomplishments and projects for the future. Each and every step that represents ROLDA’s past was done because you contributed; you placed a brick in our strong foundation. And if myself and my team are fortunate, you will be here for ROLDA’s future!

Thank you for another great year spent together helping Romanian animals!
With hopes,
Dana Costin
Founder ROLDA

photo: Meet Faraon, one of the oldest dogs from our shelter.

When I was given a chance to transform a dog’s life… I took it. Life changed for me – and over 7,000 abandoned dogs. For just 25 cents, you can join me and make even more of a difference…

Dear Friend, dear Animal’Lover,

We are currently helping over 600 dogs to start living again. Their journey to recovery begins with giving them a nutritious meal – almost always they are first in a very long time. The meal costs around 25 cents. That’s because our animal shelter is in my hometown of Galati, an industrial port on the River Danube in Romania – and any donated dollars go a very, very long way.

I never thought I’d write to animal-loving people, like you, asking for help. That’s because I never thought I’d be running a unique animal charity that depends on the kindness of wonderful human beings in other countries. A chance encounter with a single stray started me down this route: 17 years ago, in a park in Galati, I spotted a dog acting strangely. When I reached him I was horrified to see his fur was matted with blood and he was writhing in agony.

Walking on just wasn’t an option for me; I had to do something. Trying not to panic, I managed to flag down a car and get him to a vet who did what he could but didn’t hold out much hope. He thought the dog had been used for fighting and was abandoned to take his chances on the streets after losing. The poor creature was very seriously ill.

I wasn’t going to give up and neither was my new friend. I took him home with me and gently nursed him back to be as well as he could be. I called him Printz. We had four fantastic years together. Then one day in 2002, Printz died suddenly. The legacy of his terrible past had caught up with him.

I felt awful… I felt helpless. But whenever Printz had looked into my eyes, I could see the difference I had made to his life. After I lost him, I just knew I had to try at least to give a second chance to as many other dogs going through such terrible times as I could.

Wouldn’t it be wonderful, I thought if there was a shelter that could provide a true refuge to dogs – and perhaps other animals – when they had nowhere to think of as home? Somewhere they could get a meal, sleep safely, and enjoy some human kindness.

There are cities in your own country that have more animal shelters than exist in Romania. And a lot of the Romanian ‘shelters’ are in reality squalid doggy prison camps run for profit, where dogs are so hungry they have been known to try to eat each other.

And the scale of the problem was daunting. In Romania currently, there are an estimated 2.5 million stray dogs and around 20,000 in Galati alone.

Every year an estimated 6,000 puppies are born on the streets of our country. How was I going to realize my dream? I called in favors from animal-loving friends and contacts all over the world to help start raising funds. And so ROLDA, the Romanian League in Defense of Animals, was born. It became a registered charity in Romania in February 2006, following the USA, Norway, Switzerland, Sweden, Germany, the UK and Australia.

With the generosity of true animal lovers around the world, we have expanded to a refuge that is currently home to some 650 dogs.

Of every dollar we raise, a minimum of 92 cents is spent directly on the welfare of the dogs in our care. We provide much-needed employment for some local people who live with the dogs and we also provide very basic accommodation for volunteers and vets from around the world who give up their holidays to help care for our strays. To date, we have changed the lives of more than 7,000 dogs. But there is still so much to do.

Eventually, we hope to:
● Rescue every dog referred to us
● Give veterinary aid whenever needed
● Ensure unwanted dogs are not born in the wild
● Re-home every dog in a loving environment

The generosity of animal lovers around the world makes a real impression on the authorities and businesses in Romania. If we can prove that our Worldwide friends can support the welfare of hundreds more dogs, we may well be given the land to build more shelters.

None of this would be happening if I hadn’t rescued one dog, that German Shepherd cross I named Prinz.

Make a gift to help us continue our work and give life to our dreams for animals’ welfare in Romania

There are still thousands of others out there living rough – damaged, beaten or just ignored – but every bit as deserving of human kindness. We have to do everything in our power to change the lives of dogs like Faraon too.

Thank you for taking the trouble to read this far – and for whatever gift you can spare. You can be certain that your kind support will have a huge impact on my country.
With respect and hope,
Dana

P.S. Not one of the dogs we have helped or saved has ever said, “Thank you.” But I can speak from experience that when you look into their eyes, you will know that they are forever grateful for your compassion.

This Year, Give the Greatest Gift of All!

Meet Faraon, one of the oldest dogs living in our sanctuaries in Romania. After a life of harassment, abuse, starvation and disease, Faraon came to live with the rest of our dogs and our staff.

Thanks to you, Faraon was welcomed into a community of well-trained, compassionate people and hundreds of sociable, healthy, amazing dogs who get professional care, and excellent food and are waiting to be discovered and adopted by a loving person.

Where are YOU in this? Well…everywhere.

You, dear ROLDA supporter, helped us build two sanctuaries, helped us to repair our facilities, and helped us sterilize dogs to break the cycle of puppies being born to suffer. And you helped us improve overall. You protested when dogs were killed, you signed our petitions, you drove or flew thousands of miles to visit us, and you sponsored a dog that you couldn’t adopt …but when you could, you adopted a perfect companion from us. You understand when I make a human mistake, you forgive my grammar errors and you do understand that I am doing the best that I can. You care, you feel, you trust, you question, you protest, you adopt, sponsor, put passion and give voice to my dreams.

Dogs like Faraon can hope for a future and it’s ALL because of you.

2015 was a very intense year for ROLDA but it was worth it. The best part is that were able to save 918 animals from being slaughtered or abused…the second best is the additional people we have supporting ROLDA.  I had the chance to welcome to our international team a few valuable, generous and extremely devoted new members: Heather in Canada, Mary in the USA, Sarah and Liz in Australia, Gemma and Alan in the UK, Lisa and Annika in Sweden, who united with the “old troops” Paul, Shannon, Sabine, Anja, Romina, Lisa, Hege, Sandra, Lolita, Muriel and Michele. And I also welcomed a number of new supporters and new donors across the World.

Without the right people, we have no hopes and no dreams ….and very possibly, no future. Give Hope for ROLDA on this 10th-year anniversary! ROLDA is an incorporated charity in Romania, the USA, Australia, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, Germany and the UK. I am honored that, for 10 years, you are part of my dreams, and my hopes, and grateful that you help me give these rescued animals a future.

Sign our petition imploring the Romanian government to improve the degrading conditions of its public dog pounds where dogs suffer cruel and inhumane treatment before they are euthanized.

Public dog pounds DO NOT exist to protect and care for homeless dogs rescued from the streets or abusive households. That is an illusion. They exist to systematically exterminate homeless dogs in order to control their growing population.

Pet overpopulation is a global problem that many are convinced can only be solved through euthanasia. Many governments have chosen to practice pet euthanasia, while others have been pressured into this option by their own citizens. ROLDA is fighting to establish sterilization as the solution. Meanwhile, public dog pounds in Romania will continue to kill dogs after 14 days, but that does not give anyone the right to treat them like garbage before their death.

Our last petition was successful in forcing the government to renovate the local dog pound in Galati which holds over 1,000 dogs. As a result, these dogs and those that will end up here in the future will receive decent hospitality.

Thousands of ROLDA supporters and animal lovers signed their names as a show of love and compassion for these defenseless dogs, and we are forever grateful to you!

Now we’re asking you to sign our new petition which will save dogs from suffering in other dog pounds across Romania. Allowing these dogs to be dragged off the streets and placed in horrific pounds is cruel!

But not taking action is just as cruel!

By signing our petition you are giving dogs the opportunity to experience some dignity and respect before they are euthanized. Our last petition is proof that when we come together to voice our disapproval and express our anger over the inhumane treatment of condemned street dogs, the government listens.

Galati’s local pound was renovated, but hundreds of pounds across Romania are still abusing dogs. If we do not speak up, the government will remain indifferent and inactive. We hold the power to stop and prevent the cruel treatment of condemned dogs in Romania.

I have visited many public dog pounds and witnessed their inhumane conditions, and I’ve also witnessed up close the cruel capture of street dogs. These experiences have taught me that public dog pounds and the people involved in their operations do not care for dogs. If we don’t confront the government and force them to take responsibility, they will continue to ignore the cruelty and pocket the money intended to protect homeless dogs.

We need to expose that they have the resources to renovate these public pounds and we expect them to fix the problem. And that we will not go away until they do.

With respect and hope,
Dana Costin
ROLDA President

PS. Your signature is valuable and necessary for our success, but alone it does not have the power to force change. Encourage your friends and family to sign their names for this great cause. Together we can force change!

Because without faith…

During my encounter with the dogcatcher, I witnessed up close the hatred these people have for stray dogs. In their eyes, these dogs are a plague in our society. Their mission is to kill them all before they become an unsolvable problem.

There is no respect for the life of a street dog. This is evident in the brutal way they are treated on the streets and in public pounds. It’s emotionally distressing every time I visit these pounds because there are hundreds of helpless dogs I want to set free but can’t. I leave feeling like a useless hypocrite, abandoning dogs that desperately need saving.

I founded ROLDA to prevent homeless dogs in Romania from ending up in filthy and overcrowded pounds that are more like prisons than shelters. And yet, there are thousands of these pounds across the country filled with the very dogs I promised to protect.

I fear I’m fighting a losing battle… but I haven’t given up hope. After the incident with the dogcatcher, I went to the local pound to voice my anger and frustration. While I was there I noticed a dead dog in one of the kennels. I demanded the guards to remove that dog at once.

As they were bringing the dog out, they noticed it was still alive but barely breathing. His eyes were closed and he wasn’t moving. I took the dog from them and gently held it in my arms. We walked out of that pound together as tears ran down my face.

When we reached ROLDA, I was afraid the dog had died because I could hardly detect breathing, but it was just very faint. The medical staff attended to him immediately and told me everything was going to be fine. Seeing the condition of the dog, I found those words hard to believe. They brought me no comfort at all, and I spent hours feeling anxious and sick awaiting news on his status. Terrible thoughts were going through my head. Sometimes hateful thoughts.

I was in the bathroom crying when one of the nurses came in and told me the dog was going to be okay. I was happy, but I couldn’t stop crying.

“No animal deserves this”, I said. “I left so many behind. I left so many behind. They need my help and I just left.”
I was inconsolable. The nurse just hugged me and held me until I calmed down.

“You saved a life today”, she said. “If you hadn’t gone to that pound, he would be dead right now. If you hadn’t been paying attention, he would be dead. If you didn’t care, he would be dead. You saved a life today and you should be proud.”

I was. Once I started focusing on the positive, I realized that I felt extremely proud. I saved a life.

Today, JADA is happy and healthy. When she first arrived here she was severely underweight and dehydrated. Her left paw was infected and full of worms. The medical staff was amazed by her recovery and will to live. So was I. When I held JADA in my arms, I could feel her life floating away. I could feel her taking her last breath. I could feel her giving up hope.

I never realized it at the time because I was too upset and scared, but I had faith. I had faith in the medical staff and the ROLDA team. I had faith in our work and our mission. I still have faith.

Despite the ongoing struggle to close down these horrific pounds, I have faith that one day we will be victorious, and preventable tragedies will be prevented. I have faith you will help us. I have faith that together we will save many more dogs like JADA.

This Year, Give the Greatest Gift of All! Give Hope!

Her eye had been damaged beyond repair. Her family had no money for a vet. There was no medicine, no way for her to escape the searing pain. But she did not complain, nor did she cry out when touched. Buffy came to us terrified, bloody, and alone.

Abandoned. Even if we could save this tiny life, her family had no room for a “freak” in their home. Better no dog, than a one-eyed dog, they said. And they left. Because of the generosity of people like you, Buffy got a second chance. Some people, and some shelters, might question our decision. Why spend money; why “waste” scarce resources on an injured dog that no one wants?

Why? Because at ROLDA we refuse to turn our backs on a friend in need. We stand up for our friends on four legs, as we do for those who walk on two. We pick them up from the dumps and the alleys where they have been discarded like trash. Dogs and puppies are tossed aside by individuals incapable of compassion. Humans have lost their humanity.

In 2015, we have saved 918 dogs (and even a donkey) from terrible suffering. Saved them from an inevitable slow and lonely death on the streets. Buffy is just one tiny, injured, soul out of many. Yet she has touched our hearts in a special way.

If you meet her, you will be moved by Buffy’s ability to forgive, and her eagerness to love again. Her desire to belong. We’ll find her a forever home. A family is deserving of her unwavering devotion.

I shudder to think of what would have happened to this sweet girl if ROLDA had not been here to help.It sickens and saddens me to think of her in a stinking, filthy, Public “Shelter” (while you visit this link you can meet the realities in Romania and sign our petition to end illegal pounds in Romania). Death chambers where dogs are deserted, and forced to feed on each other in a desperate struggle for survival. Which is never won. Tiny, bloodied Buffy would not have lasted long.

It’s a nightmare I have too often. Imagining, that we might be unable to keep our dogs safe. The dreaded doubts that we will not have the resources to continue the critical community and animal rescue programs we have in place. The possibility that all the accomplishments of years of blood, sweat, and tears will have been for nothing.

And so much progress has been made. We have built two shelters, sterilized thousands of animals, and provided food and medical care to thousands more. ROLDA has educational campaigns, and we provide support to seniors who cannot afford proper care for their companion animals. While much has been done, there is so very much more we must do…

We need to work towards a permanent solution to the issues of animal abuse and abandonment. We need to change the minds of the men in women in our community, to teach our children that dogs are not disposable; every soul, animal or human, feels pain, fear, and joy. That our own spirits and our community spirit suffer when we turn a blind eye to the cruel crimes against animals that continue.

While you read these lines, please take a moment to reflect. To remember how fortunate we people truly are. To recognize the power that you have to give a voice to those who cannot speakAnd to act.

Buffy is one of the thousands of dogs at risk. Please donate today. Give hope, where so little exists today. You might wish that Buffy met all the international volunteers who visited us in October, from Sweden, Norway and Switzerland. They all loved the tiny, brave little girl.

Buffy before

Buffy after

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How a dog catcher’s indifference towards the abuse of stray dogs shattered my faith.

One morning, as I was walking to the shelter, I saw a tiny stray being dragged by the collar with a catch pole.
I started to run towards the van, yelling at the catcher to stop, but he just ignored me. The dog was struggling and fighting to break free, but the catcher threw him into the back of his van like a sack of potatoes. I could hear the whimpers and cries as I ran.

The catcher saw me and just got into his van and started driving away. I desperately picked up a rock and threw it at the van hoping he will stop and confront me. He did.

“What you’re doing is inhumane,” I said

“They’re just dirty dogs,” he said. “We’re going to put them out of their misery. You think they want to live?“

The catcher was a tall, brusque man who could overpower any dog — especially a weak and skinny street dog. It was an unfair fight. He accosted me in a raging fury because of the rock, and I admit I was frightened. Then I heard the dogs crying in the van, and my fear turned into anger. The catcher was shocked.

“What you’re doing is inhumane,” I said. He insulted me and said I had no right to stop him.

“They’re just dirty dogs,” he said. “We’re going to put them out of their misery. How is that inhumane? You think they want to live?”

He threatened me and walked away. But I jumped in front of him, opened his door, and removed the keys. He tried to snatch the keys from me, but I yelled. There was nobody around — only a farmhouse a few meters away. He backed away.

I called Marian and told him to bring our van right away. The catcher threatened to open the door and let the dogs loose, but I stood in front of the door and refused to move. When Marian arrived, we opened the door and there were six dogs shaking violently with fear. They were lying with their heads and ears down, and looking at us with terrified eyes that said “Please, don’t hurt us.”

The tiny stray I had seen had an injured neck from the catch pole. He was whimpering in pain and bleeding around his neck. I picked him up gently and showed the injured neck to the catcher.

“Is this how you treat a defenseless animal that probably hasn’t eaten or drank water in days?” I said, with tears flowing down my cheeks. The catcher just shrugged his shoulders. We hurried the dogs to our REX Clinic where our veterinarian attended to the injured dog immediately. He had to be given anesthesia because he was in too much pain. Fortunately, he made a full recovery.

I had read many horror stories about dog catchers and public pounds, and I’ve led protests and petitions against their brutal tactics, but I had never confronted one in the act. Even though we saved six dogs, it was a frightening and heartbreaking experience that shattered my faith in my ability to change the way people treat stray dogs. I guess all I can do is continue saving them from the streets and public pounds.

Sadly, dogs are better off on the streets than in a public pound in Romania — probably any pound.

That day we saved six dogs from spending days in an overcrowded and filthy pound where they are starved, neglected, and abused. It puzzles me how anyone could take pleasure in hurting a defenseless animal — especially one awaiting execution. These dogs are homeless animals that struggle each day to find food and shelter. They live a lonely existence filled with pain and suffering. They are tragic. Why hurt such an animal?

Why aren’t they shown more compassion? Why don’t people want to help them?
I may never get answers, and I may never prevent another dog catcher from hurting another stray dog. But I can keep rescuing them, feeding them, giving them shelter and medicine, and I can find them a good home with a loving family. I can continue to fight to have these horrific pounds closed and renovated. And that’s exactly what I intend to do.

Help! My name is Today

When I look around me these days I feel a great sense of pride. It was over a decade ago that we built our first shelter and rescued the first 60 dogs from a lonely and harsh life. Today we have 2 shelters that 600 dogs currently call home. Every day I try to spend time with each one, but the truth is that most days I cannot. However, the precious moments I experience with these beautiful animals remind me that whenever I am not with them, I am fighting for them.

I am relieved and happy that these dogs are safe under our care, but I believe they deserve much more. Our shelter shouldn’t become their forever but just a temporary home for them. There is a loving family for every one of these dogs—and I’m trying to find them. When I am able to turn one of these forgotten strays into a family member, it is the greatest feeling in the world!

The moment one of our dogs is adopted, 2 lives are saved!

It means that there is a vacancy in our shelters for another abandoned dog. It’s exciting because we get to go out and rescue another poor, defenseless stray who will get the chance to become part of a family.
You can be that family! If you’ve been considering adding a pet to your life, adopt one of our dogs. These dogs are hungry for love and compassion. They have been alone for too long.

You’re not only giving them an opportunity, but you’re also giving us an opportunity to save more lives.
Near our shelters, there are roughly 20,000 homeless dogs wandering the streets sick and starving. It breaks my heart that I can’t save them when they are so close.

I need your help. They need your help.

If you’re not ready to bring one of our dogs home, you can still help save another life. No matter where you are or how much you give! Every dog is extremely grateful for any support they receive. Remember that they were struggling to stay alive before we rescued them.

How do you save lives by sponsoring a dog or donating to ROLDA?
Your generosity will help us to keep growing and expanding so that we can have room for hundreds of more homeless dogs. We went from 1 shelter to 2. We went from 60 dogs to 600. We did this together — and only together can we continue to raise these numbers.

My name is Dana and I founded ROLDA in 2006. Now, ROLDA is an international charity, incorporated in the USA as well as other 8 countries: Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, Australia, the UK, Germany and Romania. All our international affiliates’ directors are volunteers, meaning that every penny of your donation goes to animals’ direct needs.

Everything we’ve accomplished is because of generous people like you. Every dog we save is made possible by you! I and all the ROLDA dogs are forever grateful for your help. We only ask that you not forget about us.