World Woof Tour in San Francisco

The World Woof Tour stops in San Francisco, visiting friends of Romania Animal Rescue: Muttville, San Francisco Animal Care and Control, Tony La Russa's Animal Rescue Foundation, and Contra Costa County Animal Care and Control

Two More for Holland

We have two more dogs that are getting adopted to families in Holland. That makes six in total:

1. The smallest one in weight and height is the little black girl, Gypsy. She is approximately 40 cm (16 in.) in height, 7-8 kg (17 lbs.) in weight, she is sterilized, and is 4-5 years old. She came to the shelter in 2005 because she was beaten as a punishment for chewing a garden hose. She is kind with people and dogs, but she is a little scared. She is healthy and vaccinated.
2. Cora is 45 cm (18 in.), 8-10 kg (20 lbs.), sterilized, 4-5 years of age. She came to the shelter in 2007. She is very kind and playful. She is healthy and vaccinated.
3. Lilly is 50 cm (20 in.), 10 kg (22 lbs.), sterilized, 7-8 years of age. She came to the shelter in 2003. She is healthy and vaccinated.
4. Vally is 55-60 cm (23 in.), 12-15 kg (30 lbs.), neutered, 7-8 years of age. He has lived in the shelter since October 2003. He is in the same cage as Lilly. He is healthy and vaccinated.
5. VIP and Tilly are the newest adopted dogs. Thank you for helping with their transportation costs!

Lonely Boy Survives

Lonely Boy survives, abandoned, on a mountain hill covered with woods and brush behind a tall chain link fence. The fence separates him from other so-called wild dogs that live on the fringe of a rural town in southwest Romania. He is about 10 weeks old. His baby teeth are still intact, and small. Likely he is orphaned by his mother’s death from a speeding car, or gunshot. She probably gave birth to him behind the fence, leaving him each day to hunt or scavenge food to try and nourish her body, to suckle him. Now, he’s alone, the fence separating him from the companionship of the others. Occasionally, Spotted Girl or Blackie look at him when they hear his whimpers, but the fence sits on a steep hill and their noses cannot touch. I feed him, and scratch his ears and pet his coat with finger tips through the fence. He seems as much starved for some kind of contact, as he is for food.

Lonely Boy, Spotted Girl, and Blackie make up a community of about 30 dogs whom I have had the pleasure to meet this past summer during a brief stay near Hateg. There are other dogs, in Hateg, and towns nearby. I fed those I could. They ate so ravenously I was ashamed I had not fed them sooner, or provided them more. A number of them were friendly enough that in the first day or two, I naively thought they might belong to someone at the lodge where we stayed. It took me a couple days to realize that Brown Dog with Red Collar was not someone’s pet, hanging around, but a dog thrown out from his former life, now left to fend for himself. Kangaroo--with large pointed ears atop her fine boned face--let me pet her, to feel rib bones sharply protruding.

The friendliness of some of these dogs humbled me. They live hard lives in which humans give reason for little trust. Yet, many of these dogs responded to small kindnesses with increasing confidence that kicks and beatings were not forthcoming. Tails began to wag, dogs began to approach, some with heads held a bit higher than before. I found myself thinking these dogs would make fine companions, were they to be met with love, and patience.

The local police chief offered assurance of feeding the dogs through the winter with money I send him, to allow me time to figure out how to proceed. It became clear that a spay and neuter effort was the first order of business. Providence led me to Romania Animal Rescue, which has agreed to extend its spay and neuter work in eastern Romania, to include these western parts, assuming funds become available to help Lonely Boy, Kangaroo, and the others.