A beautiful and forgiving soul, abused by the people she trusted
Even though Doina was someone’s pet, she was never given a name. It was us who named her Doina when her family brought her to us after their other dog (who is more than twice her size) bit off her left eye.
The family informed us that they could not afford to pay for Doina’s surgery and no longer wanted her. We told them that we would gladly take her in and get her into surgery immediately, but they refused to release her to us until we reimbursed them for Doina’s vaccinations (because apparently, it was a waste of money to vaccinate a dog they no longer want to keep).
We were able to gather the money to pay them, and we rushed Doina to our veterinarian, Dr. Andrei. Sadly, Doina had already lost her eye, but Dr. Andrei and his team took great care of her. They cleaned, cauterized, and sutured her wound. She is still a little shaken up, but she has a good appetite and seems to be healing well.
An infection was eating away at her skin… But not her soul.
Chick was found not far from our shelter. She was extremely dehydrated and full of parasites. Flies were feeding on her bloody, cracked skin caused by repeated biting and scratching. She had chewed through most of her fur, leaving her damaged skin exposed to horrible infections which, sadly, had already begun to consume her from the outside in. The truth is, she looked like a monster, a zombie. Passersby avoided looking at her, probably from disgust or pity. Some did acknowledge her by offering pieces of bread, which she refused to eat…surely from feeling sick.
Chick obviously needed immediate medical treatment to restore her appetite. And that’s when our ROLDA Rescue Team stepped in to help this poor soul. It was like she was heading toward our shelter to beg for help because she could no longer withstand the pain. Chick fought to reach us…she fought for aid…and her commendable strength paid off, because, the moment she found us her life began to change. That’s right…we didn’t find Chick. She found us!
After a couple of medicated baths, Chick began to show positive progress. Her appetite returned. She ate everything we gave her, from doggy biscuits to roasted chicken. In fact, she ate two fully roasted chickens in 10 minutes. It was a pleasure watching her enjoy her meals.
However, Chick’s road to full recovery is a long one. Her skin needs lots of treatment, including injections, antibiotics, and many more medical baths. ROLDA exists to help dogs like Chick to restore them back to health so that they may be eligible to become someone’s best friend.
ROLDA exists because of your amazing and constant support! Donate to ensure that Chick continues to receive her treatment, as well as to help more dogs like her that are still roaming the streets of Romania.
Help us help them!
As you read these lines, please be as generous as you can for thousands of homeless dogs who are suffering.
Please check our Before/After page to see more special cases of dogs who have been rescued from death and are now safe and happy because you care and believe in our work.
Adopt one of our dogs
Dogs who need a forever home. They’ve all been living on the streets, exposed to unimaginable dangers. Today, they are safe with us in our ROLDA sanctuaries, waiting for their forever home. Do you have one to give?
ROLDA saves Chick’s skin… Help more Chicks in need…
“All of us have experienced that uncomfortable itch on our body that we want to scratch but can’t because it is out of our reach. Now imagine that your entire body itches and you can scratch every inch. You scratch and scratch but there is no relief. You’ve scratched until your skin gets bloody and cannot stop because the pain has become insufferable, getting worse every day. Your mangled skin is now oozing pus because it has become infected, making you lose your appetite. You’re a step away from septicemia, a horrible body infection, bringing you an inch closer to death. That’s how Chick felt as her skin condition progressed while roaming the streets of Romania. Thankfully, we found her just in time, but sadly, there are still hundreds more street dogs suffering skin problems (or other medical problems) that eventually die before we are able to help them.”
– Dana Costin, ROLDA Founder
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The best gift you can give to your special friend is respect.
Surprise your friends with eco-friendly certificates that express your values and commitment to voiceless animals in need.
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Hera’s hell: dog found in tar – fighting for her life.
Hera was found on the streets. Her entire body was covered in tar that had matted her fur and even oozed deep to her skin. We can’t imagine the pain she had suffered…well, to be honest, we don’t want to imagine.
From the texture of her fur and skin, we believe Hera had been in this condition for weeks. It’s a miracle that she managed to survive. We had to wash her with oil to remove the tar, dirt, and dead skin before we could begin to treat her with medicated baths and antibiotics. She is in poor health, but our hope is that she will pull through.
Thanks to our veterinarian, Andrei, and our amazing Rescue Team, Hera is making good progress. Her recovery will take some time, but we have faith that she will overcome her tragic past and will be a loving, faithful, and grateful companion to a lucky family one day!
Help us help them!
As you read these lines, please be as generous as you can for thousands of homeless dogs who are suffering.
Please check our Before/After page to see more special cases of dogs who have been rescued from death and are now safe and happy because you care and believe in our work.
Adopt one of our dogs
Dogs who need a forever home. They’ve all been living on the streets, exposed to unimaginable dangers. Today, they are safe with us in our ROLDA sanctuaries, waiting for their forever home. Do you have one to give?
Hera teaches us that her beauty is not only skin deep…
“Hera felt Hell consume her entire body. The flaming hot tar seeped through her fur until it began to burn her flesh. She was extremely scared and in insufferable agony. I can’t describe how much she had to endure. I don’t even want to imagine. But Hera is a tough girl, and the worst is already behind her, and for all of us here at ROLDA. Of course, she needs time to heal both her external and emotional wounds, and our ROLDA team is here to make sure that Hera gets the best medical care and that she will never suffer again. Thank you all for helping us save dogs like Hera.”
– Dana Costin, ROLDA Founder
Choose a certificate that saves lives
The best gift you can give to your special friend is respect.
Surprise your friends with eco-friendly certificates that express your values and commitment to voiceless animals in need.
Join Teaming group for just 1 EUR/month
Shop to save lives. Order a virtual gift!
Buck’s story
BUCK was rescued from the street after being hit by speeding a car. We were contacted by an individual who had witnessed the horrible collision. Moments later, our Rescue Team arrived at the scene to transport Buck to our clinic. Buck was lying on his side, urinating and shaking uncontrollably as he was being helped. Due to lack of equipment in Galati’s veterinarian clinics, Buck had to be driven to another town to have x-rays taken. We were thrilled to learn that Buck’s injuries were not life-threatening and that he would be able to walk again.
For days Buck lay on his side while we treated his wounds and administered injections. After the pain subsided, Buck began therapy. Our staff moved his hind legs manually and helped him perform special exercises every day to help his recovery. Not long after we published Buck’s story on social media, he was wanted for adoption by a lady in Germany named Sabine.
Unfortunately, Buck’s Snap Test revealed that he had heartworm disease and had to be treated before he could be adopted.
Buck was treated for heartworm from the proceeds of our international heartworm fundraiser; however, we were all terrified that we had diagnosed the fatal disease too late. It was a great relief to learn that Buck was no longer infected with heartworm disease, and was adopted immediately by Sabine from Germany on October 12, 2017.
ROLDA saves BUCK after being hit by a car. Now happily adopted. Help us save more.
“I fell for Buck the moment I saw his pictures. I just knew in my heart that he had to be part of my life. Adopting Buck (my cuddly bear) is one of the best decisions I’ve made. He is such a gentle and calm soul, and we’re getting along so well, and he is loving being part of my pack! He’s such a clever guy. I wish and hope to have a lot of amazing years together with Buck.” – Sabine
Help us help them!
As you read these lines, please be as generous as you can for thousands of homeless dogs who are suffering.
Please check our Before/After page to see more special cases of dogs who have been rescued from death and are now safe and happy because you care and believe in our work.
Adopt one of our dogs
Dogs who need a forever home. They’ve all been living on the streets, exposed to unimaginable dangers. Today, they are safe with us in our ROLDA sanctuaries, waiting for their forever home. Do you have one to give?
Choose a certificate that saves lives
The best gift you can give to your special friend is respect.
Surprise your friends with eco-friendly certificates that express your values and commitment to voiceless animals in need.
.
Join Teaming group for just 1 EUR/month
Shop to save lives. Order a virtual gift!
From waiting to die to willing to live: A stray’s story of revival.
BAR was discovered behind a bush whimpering softly and breathing erratically as if he no longer had the strength or the will to communicate his agony to the world…as if he literally chose this spot to spend his dying days…alone, as if not to disturb the world around him.
Perhaps it was a relief for Bar to be leaving this world. A world that welcomed him, like every stray, with cruelty, loneliness, and injustice. A world that forced him to starve… endure sickness…to suffer unjustified ignorance and torture…basically, a world that treated him unfairly without any reason whatsoever.
Yes, for Bar it was a great relief to be departing such a world. He could no longer walk to find garbage to eat on the streets. He could no longer crawl to look for a drinking water source. He could no longer even search for a reason to keep trying. So, lay behind a bush…waiting for the pain to end.
Help us help them!
As you read these lines, please be as generous as you can for thousands of homeless dogs who are suffering.
Please check our Before/After page to see more special cases of dogs who have been rescued from death and are now safe and happy because you care and believe in our work.
Adopt one of our dogs
Dogs who need a forever home. They’ve all been living on the streets, exposed to unimaginable dangers. Today, they are safe with us in our ROLDA sanctuaries, waiting for their forever home. Do you have one to give?
ROLDA restores life to strays. Bar’s story shows how
“ROLDA has a very strict no-kill policy and a responsible evaluation procedure that examines each rescue dog individually, thoroughly, and humanely to formulate the best rehabilitation program vital to their recovery. At one point, Bar’s leg and overall health were so poor that we thought he could not be saved. But we regained our hope quickly…we regained our belief inBar’s chances…and we will remain by his side through his entire healing process.”
– Dana Costin, ROLDA Founder
Choose a certificate that saves lives
The best gift you can give to your special friend is respect.
Surprise your friends with eco-friendly certificates that express your values and commitment to voiceless animals in need.
Join Teaming group for just 1 EUR/month
Shop to save lives. Order a virtual gift!
The life lesson we can learn from her can change the way we give
My name is Laika, and I am a Romanian girl. I am prettier and younger than I look. But too many litters of little ones have aged me. Last year, there were four puppies, and now there are 6 more but only 2 still alive.
I love my children, but I cannot provide for them. There are no human homes for them here, and my own family was too poor to have me sterilized. There is a desperate need to spay and neuter me and the millions of other homeless dogs. To stop the cycle of unwanted puppies, more pregnancies and more abandoned dogs dumped on the streets to die.
My puppies and I are a few of the very lucky dogs to make it off these mean streets alive. ROLDA is providing us with shelter, food, and water. I know we are safe here, and that the kind people here work so hard. Each one of them, like each person out there, can make a difference.
You may think you are only one person. How could you possibly make a difference with seemingly insurmountable problems? But you can. And you do.
Michele from Switzerland donated 75 EUR to help us sterilize Blonda and provide medical care for her three babies. You might think it’s just a dog and only a donation, but for Blonda and her babies, this meant that Michele saved their lives and stopped the cycle of babies being born.
Donating to help have me sterilized means I will not produce any more unwanted puppies to suffer on the streets. For only 20 EUR you are helping to stop the cycle of overpopulation. It is a small step. But every journey begins by putting one foot forward.
Gift for Laika’s castration
Your generosity gives us dogs hope, and a chance at a better life. Every Euro, and every dollar helps.
I used to wonder if anyone cared if there was any hope at all. Now that I am at ROLDA, I know me and my family is safe. I know that things can change, and things do change. Make that change, change for the better.
Cookie spent years in the ROLDA shelter and nobody wanted to adopt him. He got used to sheltering routine and survived, exactly like he did on the streets before we rescue him. Cookie is a senior dog and with a shelter full of cute pups, not many people give a chance to a senior. But Avril did.
She got the precious Cookie delivered in September and when she contacted us with feedback, she brought tears to our team’s eyes. It is said that love is blind. In Avril s eyes, Cookie is looking exactly like Baloo from Jungle Book.
She told us that: “Cookie is adorable. We got him in September and as the days passed settling in, delightful characteristics unfolded. His excited pant on greeting you, his nose erect then breaking out into a funny bellowing howl. Wriggling on his back contentedly alleviating his itch and his big paws shaking about, he resembled Baloo the hilarious gentle bear in the cartoon Jungle Book!” But what touches us the most is this phrase: “We wish he had entered our lives many years earlier.”
Yes, Cookie should meet Avril much sooner because, in a shelter, we only protect these dogs against being hit by cars, and injured, but we can’t offer them the best. With Avril, Cookie enjoys living, even if it’s just for the last years of his life. We thank you Avril and family for this happy end story and this amazing opportunity to discover the treasure inside a senior ROLDAdog!
In photos, you can see Cookie enjoying walks at the beach and long walks near someone that love him. Cookie gets lots of hugs and surprises because Avril wants to catch up on all the years they missed. And in one of the photos, you will see Cookie near his first-ever Christmas tree. He might not understand what that tree is about, but we know that Christmas miracles exist when are made possible by amazing people.
But our mission does not end here! In the ROLDA shelters, we have around 300 senior dogs that deserve a chance at life and good care in old age. We need your help, they need our care!
Ioana – and the reason why we sometimes think that animals have more soul than many people
If this dog could speak, she would say: “It’s been over 6 months since I couldn’t properly eat because I can’t close my mouth.” I can speak but I would prefer not to, especially when I have to tell you her story. However, if this dog survived for 6 months like that, I must find the energy to speak up for her. Even if it’s so painful!
When meeting the ROLDA rescue team, a tail started to wag. The tail belongs to a medium size dog that looks like a German shepherd. Her head and entire body are full of healed wounds. Yes, wounds look healed and emotionally, she is even better than she looks because she wags her tail to strangers.
Strangers who beat her, almost killing her, some months ago. Since that moment, she couldn’t close her mouth, but her head full of wounds got better, and her body stopped being in pain … months after, her mouth still couldn’t close ..and therefore she vomits everything she is trying to eat.
This dog lives in a very poor village, she is fed by the mercy of a lady that sees her every day when going to look after a 98 years old woman. The dog follows this woman back and forth to her house because this is what she knows doing – taking care of the people she loves. She ignores the danger of being hit by cars, which barely avoids her. She is following the person who gives her the rest of the meals, even if she can’t even properly eat the meals.
She is desperate for human attention even if people were beating her to death. But this doggy has good instincts because this woman turned out to be her guardian angel because a few days ago, she called to ask for help.
A woman named Ioana called me around 6 pm. She apologizes for calling so late. (It wasn’t late because some call me at 22:00 or later. Dog’s emergencies don’t run based on a “working with public” program.) The lady was calm, coherent, and spoke from her heart. She told me that she is taking care of a senior woman, located 45 km away from Galati, in a little village called Baleni.
Close to the lady, she is taking care of, it’s a very old house, more ruined and there, she found a dog hidden. She tried to remove the dog from the house and had a stick in her hand. Seeing the stick, the dog went on the belly, lying down, leaving head down, ready to be kicked. She said: How I can hit that dog, I was so impressed by how the dog left to head down… knowing that it will be hurt. I would never hurt a dog.
In the house it was dark but when the dog finally exits to light, Ioana could see the dog’s proper skin was full of wounds, and the head was also wounded; the dog was severely beaten before.
The dog is a female. She suffered a lot, Ioana said. Every day she goes to the ruin to feed the dog. The dog is always there. Probably she belongs to people who used to stay there. Even if the signs of past injuries are gone, months after, the dog continues to feel sick. Every time she eats, she vomits. I guess she has something stuck in the way to her stomach. Obviously, the dog needs urgent medical aid because she is vomiting for months!!! After every meal.
In the village, the vet only gave this poor animal some pills, which have no effect because the dog won’t take the pills and even when she does take them, she instantly vomits them.
The dog is only bones and Ioana feels sad. That’s why she called me. From Ioana’s voice, I felt this dog’s pain. Without knowing, Ioana is this dog angel on Earth – it’s the woman kind enough to never use a stick against a dog, to carry food for this dog, to protect her when she is following Ioana on the road (Ioana is afraid the dog not to injured by cars). There are many ways in which this story is special. I simply can’t decide what part moved me so deeply.
Shortly after we rescued Angel, she was diagnosed with Dirofilaria immitis—heartworm disease. Sadly, Angel passed away. Heartworm is both complicated and expensive to treat, which is why most infected dogs don’t survive.
Preventing heartworm disease is much less expensive and much more effective, but the harsh reality for stray dogs is that they are extremely vulnerable to being infected with this fatal disease because they do not receive heartworm prevention medicine.
Dirofilaria immitis, or heartworm disease, is a serious and potentially fatal disease in domestic pets, wild animals, and humans. It’s caused by foot-long parasitic roundworms that live in the heart, lungs and associated blood vessels which cause severe lung disease, heart failure and damage to other organs.
The disease is so widespread because it’s easily transmitted by mosquitoes. One bite is all it takes.
Our ROLDA sanctuaries are surrounded by forest, agricultural land, and the Danube and Siret rivers, making it a favorable habitat for mosquitoes to thrive. The area is also home to hundreds of wild animals and stray dogs—all potential carriers of Dirofilaria.
Our dogs receive Heartgard for 6 months (spring to fall) to protect them against Dirofilaria, but that still leaves thousands of stray dogs around our sanctuary unprotected and at high risk of contracting the disease.
A donation of €41 can protect 1 dog for 6 months against this deadly disease.
Since 2016, our efforts to provide Heartgard to all 650 dogs in our sanctuary have been compromised due to the abrupt financial cuts caused by our former partner ArcelorMittal Galati. Their actions have put in danger the lives of these poor dogs and have left us struggling to maintain our shelters operational—not to mention the risk of shorting food and medical supplies, including heartworm medicine and treatment.
ROLDA continues to pursue legal action against Mittal to seek justice for our dogs. The legal battle is still ongoing in court. Until the issue is resolved, we kindly ask you to help us keep our dogs safe and free from fatal diseases such as heartworm.
Remember, €41 can protect 1 dog for 6 months.
Every time we rescue a new dog, we try to figure out where he/she comes from so we can try to understand him/her better. When Delu brought Ellie to the shelter, these are the facts as we knew them: A local animal lover called Delu went to pick up Ellie. Ellie and a mixed chow named Bunga were sharing a transport crate when they arrived. The person who called Delu said she found both Ellie and Bunga wandering the streets. She mentioned briefly that Ellie was limping.
It’s clear to us that Ellie belonged to someone. She was abandoned but we don’t know why. Some time ago, Ellie must have been hit by or with something, because she had an old, untreated femur fracture for which she got no treatment. It is heartbreaking, but this is the reality: many homeless animals live in pain, with a fracture or break, and the bone sets naturally – sometimes, in the wrong position, which generates the limping. Plus, probably, pain and more damage/health problems accumulated as time passed.
Ellie is a small, adorable girl who has learned, unfortunately, what it means to be a homeless dog.
After seeing how she limps, we decided it was something serious and rushed Ellie to the vet. There, after a medical exam and XRAY, the vet decided it was the old femur fracture that needs surgery to be corrected and set into the right position.
Being an old problem, there were no guarantees that her leg will recover. But after surgery and a very long recovery period, Ellie‘s pain will stop. In the worst-case scenario, she will lose the leg – but we are hopeful that the vet will do his utmost to save her leg, stop her pain and help her walk normally.
It is sad to think that in a moment, the life of a dog can change so dramatically: from the time when she had a home, until the moment she ended up on the streets, being hit, injured – staying in pain and ending up limping, since who knows when! Thanks to ROLDA friends and supporters, Ellie‘s nightmare will slowly be over.
Making a small gift – Help Ellie’s leg to heal by contributing to medical costs.
More supporters mean more help and during critical times, when your finances are limited, our needs (emergency veterinary costs, food costs, etc) are easier to cover when there are more contributors.
Nothing comes easy in life. Not for Ellie and not for us. Our mission is to work hard, to face difficulties but to make miracles happen for these dogs. And you, dear ROLDA supporter, are part of every step we take to transform each dog’s future.
