I have been with ROLDA since 2014 and at first I had no experience with street dogs at all. I traveled to Romania where I met Dana and the organisation in Sweden started, ROLDA Sverige. I run my own business and its not always easy to find time to volunteer but when I do I always get that extra energy! I feel that great love the dogs always gives me when I visit Romania and the warmth from the people who work with ROLDA. I can not imagine how hard it has been for Dana to build such an amazing organization, it has not been easy I know that, she had difficulties but always keep on going, no matter what. The animals needs an organisation as ROLDA that will never leave no animal behind no matter what. I am proud to be a part of ROLDA!

I have been supporting ROLDA since 7 years. I heard about ROLDA when I read a post on Facebook requesting some help for the trip of the first dogs to Switzerland. I decided to help this honest association. Then, I adopted Arno. I became a member of Rolda.ch, then I joined the committee, and finally became the President of Rolda.ch. I am actually proud to be the president of this association.
I have adopted Ruby in 2016. And, one week ago, visiting the shelters in Smardan, I saw Piciu, who has been severely wounded. His front left leg had to be amputated. I needed only 5 minutes to decide that I could find someplace at home to welcome Piciu.

I have worked with Dana and Rolda since my family adopted 2 dogs from Rolda in 2011. Dana has always been professional and passionate about her work for Rolda and the dogs. Through good and bad times, we have worked together trying to improve the life of stray dogs in Galati. Danas strength and compassion for these dogs have impressed me, she never gives up!

We are impressed with what ROLDA has accomplished with a small amount of support. There are no other non-profits in Romania with ROLDA’s reach and dedication, which is why I support their mission. Dana is passionate, driven and effective in all she does with ROLDA. We will continue to support her efforts because we believe that helping homeless dogs in Romania also helps the community.

After passing the gates of the large shelter ROLDA, the first thing that you’ll be struck by is the silence, almost unreal of this place… and then by the thunderous barking addressed to us by the 700 doggies saved by Dana: greetings-barking often or sometimes, imperative crying-barking for attention! Then there are the emotions: Astonishment in front of the magnitude of the situation, rage against the injustice created by humans, sadness of being powerless witnesses of a miserable life to which the Romanian street dogs have been exposed, joy to finally see them rescued and safe, admiration for the endless commitment and dedication of Dana and her team,…the tears, difficult to keep them from falling… so here we are losing our thoughts deep in the pure looks of the dogs in front of us and dreaming for a better world. When, after the visit, the gates are closed, we know that a piece of ROLDA will remain forever etched in our memory.
Note: Lolita visited for the first time ROLDA shelters in November 2013 and shortly after, she became one of the founders which put the bases of ROLDA Swiss sister-charity. Lolita returns regularly in Romania.

My name is Anja, I live close to Hamburg. How did I come to join this project? First of all I met Sabine last year via Twitter. We got along great from minute 1…when I met Tofu (the sweetest rascal I’ve ever seen) I fell in love the second I saw him. Sabine and I talked a lot about Romanian stray dogs and I got to know a lot about how terrible the situation in Romania is for these animals. When Sabine told me she is going to be the head of the German operation I warmed up to the idea to help too. Muffin (Sabine’s second adopted dog) helped in making the decision to join this awesome project, because you have to know Muffin is just as cute and lovable as Tofu is. You can say I found one of my life tasks in the ROLDA organization.

In a village on the outskirts of Galati, beyond the steel mill, beyond the end of the paved roads, Dana Costin had constructed the first Romanian League in Defense of Animals dog shelter as a monument to optimism. At a time when almost every other “animal shelter” in Romania was a grim canine concentration camp, where depressed dogs deprived of the opportunity to live by their wits starved, fought, and sometimes even lost hope, the ROLDA shelter was a safe, happy place.