How Community Support Helps Rescue Organizations Save More Dogs Every Year

As a rescue organization that has managed to take thousands of dogs from dangerous living conditions, help heal and rehabilitate them, and find them homes with responsible owners, both in Romania and abroad, we can say the most important thing we have learned from our experience is this: we are only as strong as the community supporting us.

For years, we have worked incessantly to save dogs. But, then again, so do many other rescue organizations all over the country. What makes our effort so fruitful? The people backing us. And we can say this with full certainty.

Real Rescue Starts with the People Who Care

ROLDA was founded 20 years ago. But even before we had a moment in time to point to and say, “This is where it all began,” there was Dana Costin.

Before ROLDA was a shelter, it started as the care in her heart that led her to save and adopt her first dog. One person saved one dog and offered it a home for the rest of its life. Then came the second dog, and so on.

As the number of dogs increased, so did their needs, far beyond the mere food and shelter, which were already difficult for one person alone to cover. Some dogs needed surgery; others needed treatment for severe illnesses; and people needed to actively monitor them and provide around-the-clock care.

So, other people joined Dana in her effort to save the dogs.

Because once you start to see how many poor souls need your help, you cannot unsee it. You must rescue them! The argument that your resources are limited simply does not stand. Get more resources! Do more! At least, this has always been the way we did things at ROLDA. And it stands to this day.

Which brings us to the most important resource we run on at ROLDA: people who care.

Allowing People Who Have Found Their Calling to Live Off It

Like every good animal rescue organization, ROLDA has a permanent staff. These are people who are available at a moment’s notice and who are compensated for their involvement and expertise. Having a salaried permanent staff ensures that there are people we know we can count on and, in turn, these people can grow in their positions, becoming better and better at what they do.

This is one of the things that has set us apart. Caring is an essential part of doing this type of work. But having professional animal rescuers changes the way we do it and allows us to help a lot more animals.

Volunteers Multiply What Rescue Teams Can Do

Our volunteers consistently support the amazing work our permanent staff does. Their presence at the shelter assures us that our professional rescuers can delegate the smaller tasks and focus on what they have become so good at: saving animals from dangerous situations.

There are no small tasks when it comes to running a 700-dog shelter. What would happen if we all just ran around rescuing dogs and bringing them back to a place that was not clean, did not have running water, heating, or electricity, had no food, and had no medical assistance?

The rescue part is difficult and demands the skills of people who have been trained for it. Some of the administrative, maintenance, and care tasks can be taken on by anyone wishing to lend a hand. And we are happy to say that we are never without love and support at ROLDA.

We have had volunteers from Romania and from other countries join our efforts. And we have appreciated the contributions of each of them.
– They feed the dogs and change the water in the dogs’ bowls, something that needs to be done consistently throughout the day, every day.
– They play with our residents, give them belly rubs and cuddles, walk them, and spend time with them to heal the wounds our fellow human beings have left on their little hearts and to prepare them to receive this type of love again in their lives.
– They help with fundraising campaigns and with adoption promotional materials. They do so brilliantly after spending time with our rescues and seeing how deserving they are of real happiness.
– Our volunteers never shy away from maintenance and keeping the kennels clean for the dogs. Because a clean, happy, and healthy dog has the best chance of getting adopted.

Foster Families Offer the Extra Attention Some Dogs Need

It’s not to say that we couldn’t do that at the shelter, but now and then we come across a dog who needs some space to recover. Since our shelter was first built to accommodate a larger number of dogs, it does not have spaces that allow for the quiet recovery of dogs who have just undergone difficult medical interventions or are under heavy medication, need constant care, and cannot stay in a kennel alongside other dogs.

In these delicate times, there are people who have stepped up and answered the call to become foster carers. They act like temporary adopters for animals who need a little more space and attention, until they get well enough to be around other dogs. Then, those animals return to the shelter while other dogs in need get to take their place.

Even if it’s temporary, their involvement is priceless, and our residents get exactly what they need to pull through.

Regular Donors, Long-Distance Adopters, and Ambassadors

Apart from the people who carry the load physically, who are hands-on saving dogs and getting them adopted into loving families, there are the people who show up financially and raise awareness about our work.
Regular donors are part of our supporting community and the ones who make sure we have everything we need to keep things running, not just today and next month, but for a few months as well. And they don’t even need to make large donations, just be consistent in showing their compassion.

Long-distance adopters take on the financial responsibility for a dog they cannot physically take home. Some don’t have the space or permission to have a pet; others might not have the ability to care for an animal. But they still wish to help, and this solution is just as good. The dog remains in our care, but we have a guaranteed regular donation made specifically for it.

ROLDA ambassadors act like PR agents. They get the word out on our great work, and they help us reach other people with the same vision for rescuing dogs.

A dog does not choose to be born into a world where it is forced to struggle. But many people can choose to come together and help us make life better for this poor soul. And the next. And the next.