Romania
Public pounds are full to bursting with dogs that have experienced severe injury, abuse and trauma. The conditions in the majority of these institutions are hellish – diseased, overcrowded and sickeningly dirty – and thousands of dogs have no brighter future to look forward to than one behind bars, trapped in a stinking cage, constantly fearful for their safety and never able to relax.
The alternative is a life on the streets. Hundreds of thousands of dogs roam the streets and countryside of Romania, facing gruelling weather and a stark lack of food. Survival is a daily challenge, one that only the lucky few manage to achieve. Hundred upon hundreds of puppies are born into this lifestyle on a daily basis, condemned to a life of struggle before they’ve even opened their eyes.
The situation is dire, and one that we’ve been passionate about combatting from the earliest conception on Wild at Heart Foundation. There is much that we have achieved, but still so much more we need to do. Any contributions you’re able to give towards our efforts in Romania would be so gratefully received, and will go a long way to help further our project work.
Anca
We first made aware of the issues Romanian dogs face when Nikki rescued a puppy who’s been abandoned alongside his siblings next to their mother’s dead body. The woman who found these poor souls, took them under her wing and raised awareness to find them homes, was Anca: our incredible independent rescuer on the ground.
Anca is a Romanian vet and devoted dog-lover who takes in a brood of stray dogs every month, and feeds many more who are living on the streets, too scarred by human interaction to be tempted into a house or garden. When we learned about this amazing one-woman mission to help the strays of Romania, we wanted to do whatever we could to help.
Anca facilitates the sterilisation of strays in her community, a project which we are proud to support. Wild at Heart Foundation’s funding also ensures that the dogs in her area can be fed, providing enough food to help hundreds of dogs pull through against all the odds.
We want so much more for these strays than mere survival. Working alongside Anca, we work hard to find homes for the unfortunate souls who have been condemned to a life on the streets through no fault of their own. Your donations allow us to support our rescue work in Romania, and ensure that even more dogs are given a chance at happiness.
Spay & Neuter Campaign
In addition to rehoming, Wild at Heart Foundation work to reduce the stray dog population by neutering dogs in the surrounding villages. Neutering campaigns in Romania remain the most effective means to combat the problem at the root: both reducing the number of unwanted puppies being born, and changing the views and perceptions of local communities in Romania through education initiatives.
Peggy
In December 2018, just as Christmas fever was beginning to set in, we were contacted about a sorry tale that we just knew we had to help with. A puppy had been discovered in a field, abandoned in a box with her ears and tail slashed to ribbons, and – most disturbing of all – her entire nose gouged out.
That this was the work of human hands was immediately obvious, though the reasons for committing such a horrendous act of mindless cruelty are, as always, near-impossible to fathom. What we did know was that this was a dog who would be overlooked by most, written off as “too damaged” and therefore not worthy of saving.
And yet in spite of everything that had happened to her, Peggy remained a sweet, loving and happy dog. We owed it to her to find her a forever home that could give her the love she so sorely deserved, and to provide expert treatment for the horrific injuries she’d suffered.
In January 2019, Peggy flew to the UK where she was treated at an expert facility, undergoing a bespoke procedure to insert a silicone ring into her snout to ensure that the wound where her nose once was wouldn’t permanently close over and prevent her from breathing properly.
With amputated ears and tail, and her tailor-made nose, Peggy certainly is a one-of-a-kind dog. Her story inspired an outpouring of support from our community, and it’s thanks to their generosity that we were able to raise the funds to save her life. Wild at Heart Foundation believe in dog – every single one of them – and we’re so honoured that we were able to give Peggy the happy ending she deserves.