Animal Life

This is an article about friendship.

As you may know, people tend to take friendship for granted and, like many things in life, appreciate it only when it is gone.

We get used to our friends, to the fact that they are always there for us and will answer the phone whenever we are in trouble. Most of the time we forget to tell them a simple “thank you”.

This is the kind of mistake Animal Life has also done.

A few years ago when concepts like spay / neuter campaigns and international adoptions were things we could only read on the websites of big organizations, someone decided to take the time and help a few people with big dreams and little money. Someone decided to be our friend.

Our spay/neuter campaigns, the ones we are so proud of, were sponsored by our friend: there were veterinarians operating, medicines and surgery equipment, lodging and travel expenses, things we never could have paid for ourselves.

We got donations, books on medicine and blankets, collars and treatments which helped us through the rough times.

The fact that we were able to participate to an international conference on animal welfare, meet new people and learn how to improve our work was all because this friend was willing to take us with her.

And then, as it usually happens with people, but never with animals, we forgot to thank our friend.

This is our “mea culpa”: thank you Nancy and thank you Romania Animal Rescue for being our oldest friend. We are sorry for taking you for granted!

Dear friends,

The articles on our website become fewer and fewer because we really are completely out of time! As you all know it is puppy and kitten season and this means that our phones are ringing off the hook and the mails are flowing continuously into our inbox.

All of them have the same subject: puppies and kittens in desperate need of help, after being abandoned in boxes and bags, neglected or left for dead in dumpsters a few days after being born.

The decision of not helping is very hard but, unfortunately, we have long passed the point where helping was still an option. After taking in tens of dogs, we have reached our limit of space, effort and resources. We are forced to turn down people because we do not have the actual ground / space where the animals could live. People’s responses vary from the very rude “I thought you are serious, you are paid to do this” and even way worse, to understanding and taking the matter into their hands.

So, here it goes:

No, we are not paid by anyone to help animals. We are a group of people with day jobs and families.

No, we do not have acres of land and a shelter like those on Animal Planet.

No, we do not have a magic recipe according to which all puppies get adopted, all are cared for and live happily ever after.

And finally, YES, every person in this city or country or world can do what we do: stop, take the puppy into your arms, take it home, take it to the vet, place an add, ask friends and do everything you can to find a family.

It is up to you to make a difference: spaying and neutering prevents the suffering of unwanted animals! For information regarding how you can help the animals in your surroundings, please contact us.

Many people called during these last weeks because they had found either puppies or kittens abandoned in the city. Because our space and resources are limited, the puppies in the photos, as many others, are with families who had found it in their hearts to take them from the street, care for them and prepare them for a new family. Unfortunatelly this situation is temporary as many of these families struggle with the same problems as we do: space and resources. Please take a look at these photos and give these puppies a chance!

Snowie is a young female, we assume she is about one year old. I first saw in a company’s back yard, where, of course, people were not keen on her. Although she is a very friendly dog, saying “Hi” to everyone, searching for some attention, people would ignore or avoid her. We believe Snowie has had a family, a family who left her somewhere on the streets when she got sick. That’s very sad and painful.

She stayed on the company’s property for more than a week, we hoped she will be accepted there and that we could have her treated on the spot. But one of the care takers found her sleeping on the floor one day, he was not content about it and thought he should punish her. So he beat her with a broom. Snowie didn’t respond in any way, she didn’t try to run away, didn’t cry, didn’t attack. She just looked him right in the eyes as if excusing herself for laying there, not understanding why this is something so bad.

We took Snowie away, got her treated and found her a family, a family worth of her love and attention, people she will make very happy. Snowie’s drama has finally come to an end.

Last weekend meant lots of work for Animal Life’s volunteers! Now let’s see:

Spay/neuter campaign (see photo gallery here)
It lasted for 2 days: Sunday, May 31st and Monday, June 1st and has been sponsored by Romania Animal Rescue, an organization helping many of the small Romanian associations for animals protection. With the supernatural effort of wonderful vets we got to spay/neuter 111 animals, both cats and dogs. We say supernatural help because they managed to work non-stop for more than 12 hours a day!

This campaign was meant for pet owners who cannot afford to spay their protegeés, people taking care of strays who don’t have the money to spay/neuter them. By not breeding unwanted animals in factories, apartment areas, people’s yards, we try preventing the high abandon rate.

Evaluation of dogs for the adoption program in Finland

Periodically we evaluate and prepare the dogs in our care for adoption in Finland. We’re testing the sociability of the dog, the behavior towards different types of people, loud noises, food, grooming, a.s.o. Based on the dog’s personality we can search for a certain type of family. For getting a shot in Finland, they have to be well socialized, spayed/neutered and healthy.

At the end of the day we got great results! Twelve new dogs were included in the adoption program for Finland!

World Woof Tour

World Woof Tour – www.worldwooftour.com – is meant to advertise for adoptions of pound dogs all over the world. Oscar, the star of this tour, has been saved from a pound and is currently visiting over 30 countries and 60 organizations. He fights for getting people adopt his friends all over the world. This takes a huge effort, but it’s meant to get the attention focused on all those pounds where abandoned dogs are waiting for a chance to show how great they can be.

After several months of sniffing several different pounds and countries, the WWT joined us for a day. They witnessed an “Animal Life” day and got to shoot a short film. You can join Oscar on his tour at www.worldwooftour.com and maybe you’ll get to see us on Animal Planet in a few months.

Animal Life is working on its fourth spay/neuter campaign, which will take place on Sunday, the 31st of May and Monday, June 1st.

We will work together with dedicated vets who have been helping organizations like ours for a long time. For these two days the estimated number of spayed/neutered animals is 100.

If you want to bring your pet or just help us out, please contact us!

This is the story of a 6 Romanian horses rescue

At the end of April 6th, abused and neglected horses from Slatina (Romania) arrived in Holland. Volunteers of the Dutch foundation DogsAdoptionsHolland found the horses near the dog killing pound in Slatina. Nathalie Klinge coordinated the rescue again and Lieke Geefshuysen found adoption families. Ton van der Hel, chairman of DogsAdoptionsHolland, financed the rescue operation.

The horses were abandoned by gypsies and brought to a field full of bones near the killing pound of Slatina. Municipal workers tied the horses on ropes without any food or water and left the horses there to die. Due to EU regulation horses and carriages are no longer allowed on main roads. Horses are now being dumped on a large scale. Foals are roaming in city centers and often hit by cars.

This rescue was extremely difficult. The men at the killing pound deliberately obstructed the rescue continuously. The DSV (Romanian Food and Consumer Product Safety Department) in Slatina was not very cooperative either. The horses were moved to an equine collection center in Buzau. 3 Of the horses were moved with a small Romanian approved truck. The truck broke down and the 3 other horses were moved with a pig truck.

The DSV in Buzau was also difficult to work with. Both DSV departments have no knowledge of the European law about transporting horses other than for slaughter. The DSV didn’t agree on the Dutch modern horse truck. This truck has a leveled floor which means that no matter what pothole the truck hits, the floor stays leveled. The horses are monitored full time with cameras, the temperature is regulated and there is an automatic water system. After 5 hours of debating, the DSV vet finally let the Dutch truck go.

After a long journey the truck arrived in Holland. It was very touching to see how the Dutch drivers handled the horses.

After arrival we gave the horses one night stable rest and the next morning the adoption families came to collect their horses.

The horses

Murg, now called Liber, after arrival.
Very skinny.

Romanov, in the Romanian horse truck.

Soare, horse on the left, found herself a
new boyfriend in Holland!

Romanov in Holland, unrecognisable after
being washed.

Soare and Liber.

Sylvester eating a sugar cube for the first
time.

Again a successful rescue. Of course we realise this is no solution to the horse problems in Romania, but with the help of the media we hope some politicians in Brussels and Strasbourg will wake up one day and will help to solve the problem at the root cause.

Kind regards,
Nathalie Klinge (Holland) volunteer for SOSDogs (www.sosdogs.ro)


This rescue has succeeded because of the wonderful cooperation of animal lovers in several countries. Special thanks to:


Holland:

Alphons van der Leeuw : driver horse truck
Family Berkhof : arrival station in Holland where the horses spent 1 night
Bianca Smit : volunteer DogsAdoptionsNederland
Eelco Goverse : sponsor small expenses
Frans : driver horse truck
Joyce : adopted 2 horses
Kennard Buisman : owner of BS-Horse service which transported the horses
Lieke Geefshuysen : found adoption families
Linda : adopted 2 horses
Mariska Schrieken : adopted 1 horse
Marja Keijzer : offered stables
Mina Bejinariu : translator
Sanne : adopted 1 horse
Ton en Annie van der Hel : sponsors
Wim : business partner of Kennard Buisman

Romania:

Aurelian Stephan : veterinarian
Gratiela Ristea : owner dog shelter Slatina
Pepe Stephan : veterinarian
Silvia Enescu : employee equine collection centre Buzau
Teodora Ristea : owner dog shelter Slatina

UK:

Robert and Alies Smith : helped with documents

We are lucky: Sibiu’s City Hall has granted us access into the Central Square of Sibiu for our adoption campaigns. This means that we are expecting you on the first Saturdays of every month, in the Central Square, to visit the puppies we are offering for adoption.

Our last campaign was on the 4th of April, when 5 puppies were adopted. Many other persons asked if they can join in, so we had about 20 puppies with us, many of them brought by nice people who decided to do themselves something for the street dogs.

We are waiting for you on the 4th of May, around 5 o’clock, in the Central Square of Sibiu, to meet our furry friends!

P.S. In case of bad weather we’ll inform you about the postponing.

Yes, our girls, all set with tags and passports and fancy blood tests, are embarking on their planes and cars these days to meet our friends from Germany - Streunerhilfe Nordgriechenland (Shorty and Tzuki) and Finland - Hemlösa Hundars Vänner (Sabina and Cookie).

They dont have pedigrees or famous pure bread parents, but they have lovely personalities and will become the pride and joy of their new owners. Each of them had her own sad story before coming to Animal Life, but for each of them the future looks bright! We will miss them but we’re looking forward to photos and stories from their new homes.

If you want to help us with our adoption programs please contact us!

If your are looking for the perfect gift but also for your next best friend, come and see our puppies and kittens on Saturday, starting 12 o clock, in the the Main Square of Sibiu. However, if the weather doesn’t help us and it rains at 11 o clock, we will have to postpone it for a friendlier day. We hope the weather will help us out and we will see you there!

Your human and furry friends in Animal Life.