WHERE YOUR MONEY GOES
Barking Mad Dog Rescue is hugely grateful for all the support and donations that allow us to continue our lifesaving work. Without this support, many dogs would have been left to whatever horrible and cruel ending Romania had in store for them.
We are wholly responsible for the dogs and all associated costs in our own dog shelters in Nisipari, Romania. At last count, in May 2023, that is approximately 350 dogs. Our food bill here alone is astronomical. We also send all the food to a sole rescuer in Calarasi around 1.5 tonnes monthly at a cost of more than £1000 a month, approx AND pay her vet bills. On top of that, we send one pallet of food monthly or thereabouts still, for the dogs in the hoarder's house in Constanta. We have very little communication with this woman, but at least we can feed the dogs.
This all adds up to a big pile of dog food! Sadly, post Brexit, we are unable to send our aid runs of donations and specialist dog food out to Romania from the UK.
Click here to learn more about our shelters.
Emergency Response
We respond to as many emergency rescues as we can. In spring and summer, it is litter after litter of abandoned pups that we see. We also take dogs who have been left at the side of the road after being hit by cars, beaten by people or affected by disease. We pick up abandoned pets, catch wounded street dogs, pregnant females and more. All these dogs need veterinary intervention. We test every dog for disease, deworm, deflea and vaccinate at the very least. Adults are sterilised.
We rescue dogs... day in... day out
These pics above are Henry. It seems to be easy for people to leave their dogs at the village cemetry. This is where Henry was dumped at the end of May. He was so malourished and uncared for that his skin was balding and cracked. The lady at the shop called us to tell us about him being left there alone, partially sighted and in pain. Henry settled in to the place not long vacated by his namesake, another old abandoned dog who left us to cross the bridge, two weeks before after four good years with us. Henry is healing. His skin is so improved. He gets twice weekly bath with special shampoo, good quality food and so much love.
Below is Eloise. This darling puppy was wandering locally with a snare embedded deep into her neck. It had cut so deep that her trachea was bare. She also was covered in wounds from vicious ticks. Eloise has been operated on, she is healing so well. . We hope that this lovely dog might find her way to someone's home before she becomes just another invisible shelter dog.
And dogs like Arion
Gea responded so fast when she was sent this urgent call for help. A small dog was lying in a corner of a stairwell with half his jaw hanging off. Someone had made him a bed but it was clear that he would not survive without urgent veterinary intervention. The girls drove straight to the surgeon in Bucharest. Here, Arion's jaw was carefully pinned back together. Sadly, his left eye could not be saved. Our trauma surgeon said this little dog had most likely been attacked by a big dog.
Arion has recovered so well though. He was understandably very grumpy and upset to start after surgery but he is coming round fast. Arion is living under Aura's care at our village house.
The Local Public Shelter
We also keep a close eye on the public shelter in Navodari, Constanta. Since the end of October 2016 no dog has been killed by the Romanian state here because of our intervention. Our shelter has expanded to accommodate all, but we know the dog catchers will keep catching more and more dogs as people continue to dump their unwanted, elderly or sick dogs, on top of not spaying their females. The conditions in the public shelter are not great, but since our collaboration, things have improved tenfold. The dogs are fed, the place is clean and they have clean water. This is more than many public shelters across Romania.
Update November 2018: An interlude where an incompetent vet was awarded the contract for the last few months has finally come to an end. Botched spays and castrations, with dogs bleeding out, dogs disappearing from the streets never to be seen in the PS and so much more horror, has now led to what we hope will be a new dawn for the dogs of Navodari. We are waiting now to have talks with the Mayor about a truly humane way forward. This of course will involve spaying and neutering campaigns across the town.
Update February 2019: Things are at a hiatus whilst a new, compassionate and honest vet is being appointed. However, the dog catchers have been obliged by law, to take some dogs from the street, due to complaints by local citizens. Moreover, some dogs have been brought in by owners who no longer want them. The law says that we can't take dogs out who aren't neutered, but we can take those who need urgent veterinary attention. Out of 45 dogs waiting for liberation, 12 injured and sick dogs have come to us recently and been treated by our own vet's hands. Conditions are getting better all the time. Yes, it is not how we might compare to the UK, but we are seeing dogs who are excited to see the workers there, instead of cowering away from them. Things are changing!
Update July 2019: The Mayor has let us down and given in to pressure to clean up for the tourist season. 80 dogs are crammed in to the public shelter, including 33 puppies. Please see the news page for dogs we have managed to take out.
Update January 2020: No new dogs have been caught by the catchers since the public shelter vet resigned in autumn last year. Without a vet, the mayor legally can't catch dogs. Twelve dogs remain there but are under our care with beds, blankets and decent food. Our shelter is too full to take them and whilst the PS isn't great, there is much more space for them to use. All are vaccinated and deflead and wormed.
Update April 2020: We still have seven dogs waiting in the public shelter in Navodari. We don't have space for these souls with us yet but they're actually OK where they are. There is no dog catching happening for the foreseeable future. So, asides from new dogs coming in that people surrender, there's actually space here, shelter and the dogs are fed and cleaned daily. Our team visit regularly. They have vaccinated, dewormed and deflead the dogs.
****************************************************************************************************************
Good News!
Update January 2021: Things have been turned on their head over the course of the last year. In Autumn last year, local elections had us hopeful. Our preferred candidate for Mayor, Costel Aurelian Dumitrascu, a compassionate and forward thinking young politician, worked with our team leader Gea on effective, in situ neutering solutions for the stray dogs of the locality. As favourite to win, we were so disappointed when he came second to the incumbent Mayor. However, a few weeks later he was made Deputy Mayor and was able to take charge of the way things are being run.
The dogs are now well cared for. This is due, not least, to the fact that a volunteer team is now allowed to visit everyday and have taken over the dogs' welfare. This is a massive step. Dogs are not being routinely caught now but only when someone in town complains and summons the catchers. The pens are clean and the volunteers also make sure the dogs are wormed, deflead and vaccinated.
To our utter delight and relief, a Dutch rescue has taken responsibility for the dogs in the public shelter for the present time and so far, every dog caught has been reserved by them for eventual adoption in The Netherlands.
*******************************************************************************************************************
Update: Disappointment and Shock March 2023
To say things have been turned on their head is an understatment. When you trust someone who comes to the fore on a mandate for humane solutions, it is a bitter blow to then see that the city hall has gone into partnership with a company to round up dogs from the street and take them away, away from the local public shelter where the volunteers worked so hard.
We are heartbroken. Not one promise was kept.
Update: Good news May 23
The contract was not signed, despite having been voted in. We are not sure what will happen next.
