How donations transform the lives of shelter animals

Long ago, in a past we would prefer to forget, abandoned animals in Romania only had two options: endure a bleak life of abuse and starvation on the streets or face certain death in public shelters. Some may think we are being too harsh by highlighting just these two categories, but we are actually omitting many of the grim realities faced by stray animals in Romania after the communist era.

Fast-forward, and stray animals in Romania now benefit from numerous charity organizations advocating for their rights. Thank goodness! These are all private initiatives funded through donations and sponsorships, sustained by awareness campaigns and emotionally touching efforts.

Their use of the received funds is truly remarkable. We are confident that the beneficiaries feel the same: the dogs in their care lived, and they were able to enjoy their days.

Public shelters only worsened the problem

Despite bearing the name ‘shelter,’ these publicly funded spaces do not resemble a haven for animals. While NGOs primarily see stray dogs as a challenge, the government often makes only superficial efforts. A single visit to these places quickly reveals why they fail to produce positive outcomes.

These places are often unsanitary, showing little concern for the animals’ health. The kennels are old and rarely cleaned, and the dogs are packed together without proper consideration—mixing strong males with pups or elderly dogs, sick animals with healthy ones, and gentle animals with aggressive ones.

In this context, each animal “saved” from the street is simply a statistic for public shelter operators to secure more public funding. However, none of this money genuinely benefits the animals, explaining why public shelters have largely failed to improve the situation and have often made it worse.

Public shelter 2020

Public shelter 2020

Private refuges – the saving miracle for thousands of dogs

No true animal lover could stand by and watch dogs being ‘slaughtered’ in these areas, abused, starving on the streets, or constantly in danger of being hit by vehicles. This is how all animal charity organizations in Romania began.

Gradually, those who had spoken out enough gathered, opened their hearts and homes, used their own funds, and began rescuing as many dogs as they could. For organizations like ROLDA, once they saw that helping abandoned animals was more achievable when someone actively invested effort, their initiatives naturally expanded from the comfort of their homes to building actual shelters.

What was even more impressive—and we can only speak for ourselves because we know our situation best—was how rewarding it was to take action to address a problem the community had been struggling with, and finally find some workable solutions.

When constructing our shelters, we carefully considered all current modern needs. They were not only a significant improvement over typical public shelters but also comparable to well-funded Western animal refuges. This effort was not driven by pride or a desire to prove ourselves but was motivated by a genuine compassion for these animals, who deserve proper care at last.

Living off donations and sponsorships

Relying solely on donations and sponsorships from supporters to do our work makes us accountable to everyone who contributes. We see ourselves as one large team because, although we handle the hands-on tasks like rescuing street dogs, providing medical care, food, shelter, and caring for them until adoption or until they pass, we are one giant team united in purpose.

Since our ability to do any of the above depends on the financial support from everyone contributing, we view the effort of housing stray animals and combating abandonment as a shared responsibility in every sense. If donations were to cease, it would mean the work would come to a halt.

Accountability and financial wonders

We highlighted the remarkable results NGOs achieve in saving stray animals, often considered miraculous. One of their most incredible feats is managing donated funds with care, stretching them beyond limits, covering expenses, paying utilities and staff, and sometimes sharing resources with other struggling rescuers, such as ROLDA.

Why do publicly funded shelters receive money that seemingly never impacts their work? We’re not here to debate that, but you can use your imagination.

How do privately funded shelters manage to make the most of every dollar and get creative with their resources to care for hundreds or even thousands of animals? The most truthful answer is sheer determination.

Financial creativity and openness to any new stream of income and resources

Strictly speaking on behalf of ROLDA, we are open to any idea that makes it easier for people to support animals. This includes high-tech NFT options, micro-donations, will donations, bartering, or any method that helps us acquire the essential resources for our shelter residents.

If there is something we don’t know how to do or manage, it simply means we haven’t learned how to do or manage it yet.

These funds support various needs, including shelter operations like utilities and staff salaries, daily essentials for the staff, food, medical bills, and residents’ clinic stays if their medical needs exceed shelter capabilities. They also cover rehabilitation, ensuring proper recovery for healthy dogs, socialization, vaccinations, and preventive care to maintain long-term health. Additionally, the funds assist with adoption costs such as transportation, documentation, and other related expenses.

And we accomplish all of this through donations? In fact, it’s thanks to compassionate individuals who, even if they can’t personally rescue, feed, bathe, or play with the dogs, still make a financial contribution to ensure that someone else can care for the animals on their behalf.

We are truly honored to have the chance to be the glue that unites a community of do-gooders and to create real change together. Please support us in continuing this work and be part of the ongoing change in the years ahead.