How to Support Street Dogs in Eastern Europe
Millions of dogs need help worldwide. Volunteers in Eastern Europe face particular challenges, with thousands of street/shelter dogs who rely on dedicated locals that struggle to find funds for food, shelter and medicine.
Winters can be bitterly cold here, and often dogs rescued from awful circumstances have no kennels, simply due to lack of finances. Volunteers are often in debt due to loaned food and unpaid vet bills. And one broken van can tip a whole organisation into crisis.
Small pooled regular donations could quickly transform everything. If 1000 people each gave £5/$5 a month (the price of a coffee), each shelter would receive £60K/$60K a year, to cover all expenses.
Direct donations & monthly giving
This is the fastest way to help, as donations reach bank accounts immediately. For UK-registered charities, taxpayers can add more at no cost by registering with Gift Aid. You can also donate anonymously.
Animal Web Action (help in seconds, for free)
Animal Web Action is a website set up by a French man concerned over local stray kittens. It runs online campaigns (funded by sponsors) to raise funds that deliver food, hay, blankets and medicine to struggling shelters in Eastern Europe (and small campaigns in France). Most campaigns run a week or so, you literally just ‘click a cause’ to help.
You can click up to four times a day (more if you use roaming VPN or turn phone airplane mode on/off). You can imagine how all these campaigns could be funded easily, if millions of people used this site worldwide each day. All costs covered by sponsors.
You can also help ‘reach the goal’ by pooling donations (a typical target is around £7000, so campaigns may fail at present without extra help). You could also promote the site on your website or social media, this is a no-brainer that could help all Eastern European shelters at no cost.
easyfundraising (raise money while you shop)
easyfundraising is a site that lets you register your favourite UK charity (but you can also nominate someone with a UK bank account as a good cause to help Eastern European shelters). Then each time you shop from over 4000 participating stores (including Amazon, Argos, Booking.com and even train tickets), an app reminds you to use this site to buy from.
The company you buy from then gives a portion of the price to your chosen cause, again at no cost to you (loyalty points are not affected). Charities are paid every three months. Some small non-profits raise thousands of pounds through this website, again it doesn’t cost the givers anything.
Volunteer skills for Eastern European shelters
- If you are in the building trade, you could skills (or materials) to build kennels, or aid with repair of fences and roofs.
- Volunteer vets could offer to help with spay-neuter programs. This helps to prevent more street dogs, so time can be spent finding loving forever homes for those already in shelters.
- Use techy skills to help small shelters. Examples are building free websites with donation buttons, helping with social media and emergency campaigns (like Animal Web Action above).
- You could translate information from shelters into English so more people join the movement. Or take good photos (all shelter pets photographed in happy environments with bright backgrounds tend to receive more adoption offers, for some reason).
Dog shelters to help in Eastern Europe
This list is no exhaustive. But focuses on shelters that need a constant supply of funds, for volunteers to continue their amazing work, in difficult circumstances.
Paws in Our Hearts (Bosnia)
Paws in Our Hearts Bosnia (via Paypal or easyfundraising). Or bank account: Jacqueline Compson (account: 03307086, sort code: 11-03-94).
Also help Saving Strays Bosnia & more Bosnia shelters
Beta Zaječar Serbia
Beta Zaječar Serbia (donate via Paypal at jasmina.haigh@yahoo.com). Or bank account: Devizni račun (Foreign Currency Account – IBAN): RS35200246487010100389 (Swift Code: S8PORSBG). Local account no: 200-2464870101025-3 (Udruzenje Beta)
Other dog rescues in Serbia:
Saving Souls Cyprus
Saving Souls Cyprus can be helped by recycling cartridges or lottery or easyfundraising.
Other shelters in Cyprus:
- Tala Cats cares for over 500 rescued cats
- St Nicholas of the Cats is run by a monastery
- Animal Rescue Cyprus cares for many species
ROLDA Romania
ROLDA Romania offers help in a country with 2 million street dogs. Also:
- Sava’s Safe Haven
- Romania Animal Rescue
- MISI’s Animal Rescue
- A Better Life Dog Rescue
- Paws 2 Rescue (spay/neuter programs in 14 countries)
Other shelters in Eastern Europe
- Takis Shelter Greece & Greek Animal Rescue both help (report abuse, also report to the local police and tour operators)
- Every Dog Matters Bulgaria has a wish list (kennels, fencing, buckets and umbrellas with concrete bases). Sponsor a yard or donate via Paypal.
- Dalyan Dog Rescue Turkey helps local pets (Dalyan Animals helps street dogs and cats – donate via easyfundraising).
- Save a Spanish Spot (Spain) rescues local Dalmations on the street.
