Stephan from Belgium: First Visit

(March 18-20, 2016)

625 large number, isn’t? Especially when it’s about souls, dog’s souls. Where can you find so many dogs at one spot, you’ll ask me?

Stephan, volunteer from Belgium

I’m  visiting ROLDA by Galati, a not for profit organization, sheltering hundreds stray dogs roaming in the streets of this coastal town or in suburban areas of Romania. My visit was planned few weeks ago when I decided to assist ROLDA with the international transfer of dogs to their new owners.

Flashback!
Picking up my hire car at the airport of Bucharest I had still a little 4 hours to drive to my hotel. Not really exciting for me who dislike long distances and have the bad habit to become quickly drowsy. But this time it won’t happen because after few kms I had to brake energetically  when I saw along the road my first Romanian stray dog watching the traffic.
It is freaking out for a guy like me to see so many dogs crossing nonchalantly the road between trucks and cars. Unfortunately for the less lucky of them you’ve from time to time road kills. Yep! Definitely I won’t fall in sleep behind my steering wheel tonight.
Slowing my speed and staying alert to everything which suddenly can come out from 2 parked cars
Yes the trip to my hotel was stressful but once there I enjoyed an amazing fish restaurant close from my place.
Right now after a good night sleep I have to drive to ROLDA. Who are they? What I will find there?
My GPS could bring me to the closest spot it could be and after a call I was picked up by Dana and guided to the shelter.

 Do you know that feeling when you meet for the first time someone from who you know nothing about it? If not just ask me, lol!
Otherwise you will understand you may have sometimes wrong habits by the first contact. Like what? Hugging for eg. as we have the habit in Western Europe when we appreciate someone or want to show support. Anyway… after a short chat I’ve been presented to the staff. So friendly they were with me. They actively helped me to film the dog in the shelters which allowed me to take great pictures.
After a couple of hours, I was really satisfied to see how ROLDA is caring for their protegees.
Conclusion:
Photo’s do not lie.

To shelter more than 600 dogs you need to have a good notion of organization and responsibility but more than that also a sense of respect for living souls.

Do not forget we are here in Romania, a spot on earth where dogs are often considered as trash by the inhabitants. Where kids are growing up with road kills on the streets.
Not by ROLDA because all the dogs there get respect and are treated as a worthy living beings.
It means vaccinations, castration or sterilization, decent cages and last but not least the dogs are getting what they did not find on the street… food, cares and affections.
Yes ,ROLDA is great hope for many of them to have once the chance to find a deserved peaceful life.
Support ROLDA today and you will have the feeling like me to have saved a life from the death. You do not have to travel to Romania to become a ROLDA friend but at your own or with your friends you can become an internet hero by finding an new home for these adorable dogs
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