Meet the UK team
Meet the great people who are working in the UK to make a difference for ROLDA and our animals.
They Never Saw It Coming
On August 31, a drone struck one of ROLDA's rescue vehicles in Kramatorsk. Two rescuers were injured. There was no backup coming, just silence, and a vehicle that never stood a chance. A protected vehicle could make all the difference next time. Donations are being matched 2x until 15th October.
ROLDA UK in the Houses of Parliament
On Tuesday 24th, Madeleine from the ROLDA UK Team set off for London. It was a special day in the Houses of Parliament as the All-party Parliamentary Dog Advisory Welfare Group met for the third “State of UK Rescue” event.
Your signature could save Arian's life
Keeping dogs in chains is a form of animal abuse. Chains can cause painful injuries as they cut into a dog’s skin, while constant restraint keeps them confined to unsanitary conditions and causes severe stress and trauma. Help put an end to this harmful practice.
#GiveHope to homeless animals that have nobody else
Your gift goes straight to save lives and provide homeless animals the help and healing needed to find permanent loving homes.
Who we are and why we exist
ROLDA is an internationally supported animal welfare charity working to improve the lives of Romania’s millions of homeless and abandoned animals.
Through rescue, rehabilitation, shelter, sterilisation, social programmes and education, we work to combat the root causes of pet abandonment whilst giving animals the safe, loving futures they deserve. Our shelters have a strict no-kill policy and ultimately our goal is to find loving homes for rescued dogs wherever possible.
ROLDA UK raises vital funds and awareness to support ROLDA Romania , while also campaigning for animal rights and providing emergency aid to animals and communities affected by disasters, including the war in Ukraine.
Core areas of ROLDA's work
Emergency rescue operations
Sterilisation programmes for cats and dogs
Running our three core shelters
Ending exploitative puppy mills
Support for seniors struggling to care for their pets
Foster and adoption programmes
Our Impact since ROLDA began: a better world for animals
Our Programmes: How we make a difference globally
In Romania
- Rescue, shelter, rehabilitate, rehome
- Free sterilizations for pets from poor communities
- Education including distributing colouring books in schools
- Helping seniors to look after their pets
- Help other small charities across Romania
Worldwide
ROLDA expanded its efforts to support the vulnerable animals affected by natural or human made disasters globally.
- Help animals in Ukraine since 2022
- Emergency support, in Palestine, Venezuela, Nepal and wherever disaster strikes
- Rescue abused animals in puppy mills
In the UK
- Rehoming in the UK
- Creating a network of foster homes
- Providing safety and emergency resources for pet owners
Ways you can support ROLDA UK
Leave a gift in your Will
Be there for animals for years to come by leaving a gift in your Will
Donate online and tick the Gift Aid box
With Gift Aid, your donation helps 25% more dogs — at no extra cost to you. Your support helps us rescue, treat, and care for more animals who desperately need help.
Fundraise for ROLDA
Join the ROLDA UK Community and Make a Difference for Animals in Need in Fun and Challenging ways
Gift Aid: Turn every £1 donation into £1.25
Under Gift Aid, the HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) will usually top up every £1 given to ROLDA UK with 25p. This means that our charity could receive £250 for every £1,000 you donate at no extra expense to you.
For donations to be eligible for Gift Aid, the donor needs to be a UK taxpayer and will have had to have paid an amount of income/capital gains tax equal to or higher than the amount claimed by all charities and CASCs from HM Revenue & Customs (taxes such as VAT and Council Tax do not qualify). This means, for ROLDA UK to claim £2.50 on a £10 donation, the sponsor must have paid at least £2.50 in tax. Gift Aid cannot be claimed on company donations.
Meet our founder and read about the history of ROLDA
“Firstly, thank you for care about ROLDA mission and thank you for wish to learn more about our Australian branch. Your interest and support enable us to save lives every day. Below is a brief overview of the journey I have been on and which has led to ROLDA. To be totally honest, it was my personal ambition to set up ROLDA on a 3rd continent, Australia (after Europe and North America). Back in 2015, not many Australians heard about an animal charity called ROLDA but I managed to convince one to register ROLDA as a charity in South Australia. This was the first step accomplished exactly on Romanian National Day, on 1st December. In order to fundraise in Australia, we needed to obtain licenses in each state. It was not an easy job. But later I found that the most difficult part was finding reliable people to work with. And I am not referring only to organize board meetings, report data to the authorities. I mean people with character, loyalty and dignity. Against all odds, ROLDA reborn in Australia on 03rd of June 2025 and I am grateful to all the supporters and colleagues who continues to stand by us and focus on helping animals in need. The road for ROLDA in Australia has been long and difficult. Yet whenever I am near the kennels and can see the difference we have made to the lives of hundreds of dogs, I realize it was all worth it. And that there is still plenty of work to do!”
With respect and hope, Dana!
Meet #roldadogs: The next adopted dog might be yours?
The next adopted dog might be yours?
Find out what #ROLDAdogs mean to people, by reading testimonials from happy adopters
Find out what #ROLDAdogs mean to people, by reading testimonials from happy adopters
“I would like to thank you and your staff for blessing us with such a wonderful dog, Cookie is adorable. We got him in September and as the days passed settling in, delightful characteristics unfolded. His excited pant on greeting you, his nose erect then breaking out into a funny bellowing howl. Wriggling on his back contentedly alleviating his itch and his big paws shaking about, he resembled Baloo the hilarious gentle bear in the cartoon Jungle Book! Our Baloo had landed and certainly won a big place in our hearts! A BIG THANK YOU!”
See the incredible transformations and stories of survival,
thanks to our amazing community of ROLDA supporters
Meet Franka
We rescued Franka at ten years old from a puppy mill, where she had spent her life being used for breeding. When she arrived, she was in poor condition and suffering from a painful hernia that required surgery. Like many dogs trapped in puppy mills, Franka had never known safety, affection, or life beyond confinement. Her early years left both physical and emotional scars. Today, Franka has left that life behind. She is healthy, secure, and thriving with her forever family, finally able to experience comfort, care, and love. Her journey is a powerful reminder of why adoption matters, and how rescue can completely change a life
Meet Cris
Cris was rescued after her elderly owner passed away, leaving her alone with her sisters in a village yard. While her sisters were quickly adopted, Cris remained in foster care when her health suddenly deteriorated. Emergency tests revealed that Cris was battling both FIP and a mycoplasma infection, a life-threatening combination that required immediate and intensive treatment. Her condition was critical, and for days her survival was uncertain. Today, Cris is thriving. She has completed treatment, gained weight, and her bloodwork is stable. She is now in foster care and continues to grow stronger each day. Cris’s story reflects ROLDA’s commitment to helping not only strays, but also vulnerable pets whose families cannot afford lifesaving care.
Meet Tripod
Tripod was found in Ukraine with a severe leg injury caused by shelling. He was in extreme pain and fighting for his life when our ROLDA Heroes, an independent rescue team we support, reached him. He was rushed to the nearest veterinary clinic, where he received urgent emergency care. Despite the trauma he had endured, Tripod showed an incredible will to survive. Thanks to fast action and community support, Tripod underwent lifesaving surgery and had his injured leg removed. He is now recovering safely in foster care, free from pain and surrounded by people who care for him. His recovery continues under close supervision as he adjusts to his new life.
About adoption rate
The slow adoption rate in Europe can be attributed to various factors, including the high costs of pet ownership, concern about unforeseen veterinary bills, and the rising cost of living. ROLDA understand the importance of the bond between people and their pets, and we strive to create solutions that keep them together.
We, the rescuers, share the same stress as pet owners because the rescued dogs’ stay in our facilities has skyrocketed because of slow adoptions. To reduce shelter overpopulation and the stress experienced by animals in confinement, ROLDA opted to:
Limit the intake of new animals, focusing on injured ones and emergencies
Find new options (countries, networks) where to rehome our dogs.
Build a network of foster homes in countries where we rehome.
Ask our supporters to become regular donors or sponsor/adopt at distance one of our dogs/cats.
Meet our founder
and read about the history of ROLDA
It all began with Printz, the German Shepherd Dana Costin found abandoned in her local park. He had been in a dog fight and was terribly wounded. Dana carried him back to her parent’s apartment where, with love and rehabilitation, he made a full recovery. Due to aggressive behavior from his many dog fights, Dana was unable to personally rescue another dog until he passed in 2002, but saving this soul sparked a desire to help more suffering strays and she worked tirelessly to persuade friends and family to lend her their homes and gardens to provide safe shelter for any stray that needed her.
Dana, only speaking Romanian and a stranger to the computer, began building the foundations of ROLDA, quickly identifying international countries as a life-saving source of support. ROLDA started as a small group, with a very modest website but enough to start fundraising. In 2005 Dana attended a Dog’s Trust shelter management course in London and ROLDA builds its first set of kennels while keeping the highly regarded UK model in mind. This model insulated dogs from the bitter Romania winter and gave them comfort where they previously had none.
Dana, only speaking Romanian and a stranger to the computer, began building the foundations of ROLDA, quickly identifying international countries as a life-saving source of support. ROLDA started as a small group, with a very modest website but enough to start fundraising. In 2005 Dana attended a Dog’s Trust shelter management course in London and ROLDA builds its first set of kennels while keeping the highly regarded UK model in mind. This model insulated dogs from the bitter Romania winter and gave them comfort where they previously had none.
Donate online and tick the Gift Aid box
With Gift Aid, your donation helps 25% more dogs — at no extra cost to you.
Your support helps us rescue, treat, and care for more animals who desperately need help.
Text ROLDA 5 to 70085 to donate £5
Or a different amount to donate as much as you wish! For one-off donations: Texts cost the chosen donation amount plus one standard network rate message.
Latest News
Last chance to join TEAM ROLDA on the epic London to Brighton Cycle ride - only a few places left!
Take on the London to Brighton Cycle Ride with our charity ROLDA UK on 13th September 2026, and enjoy a stunning route through the countryside! Places are £55 each, but we have two free spots available. Spaces are limited — contact us now to secure your spot and be part of an unforgettable ride.
ROLDA UK participation at meeting group APDAWG
On Tuesday, 24th, Madeleine from the ROLDA UK Team set off for London. It was a special day in the Houses of Parliament as the All-party Parliamentary Dog Advisory Welfare Group met for the third “State of UK Rescue” event and with a kind invitation from Marc Abrahams himself, I was due to speak and give my presentation.
Happy Tails: #ROLDAdogs adopted in UK
After waiting patiently and passing their relevant health checks to be able to travel to the UK, Chicco, Rosie, Daisy, Teddy set off on 12th Jan to their very patiently waiting new foster and adopter families!
How you can help ROLDA to rescue more animals by recycling?
Recycling items can be a fantastic way to be kind to the planet and the animals in our shelters but also to give a new life or purpose to a forgotten item and “rescue” it from going to trash.
Your signature will save Arian's life
The practice of keeping dogs in chains is classified as animal abuse. It causes physical harm as the chains dig into the dog’s flesh, it keeps them in insanitary conditions, and being constantly restricted traumatizes them.
A little bookmark. A big legacy for animals.
Our new ROLDA legacy bookmark serves as a small reminder of a powerful act of kindness: ensuring vulnerable animals are helped long into the future by including a gift in your will. You can request a bookmark to be mailed to you, check out our free wills guide, or discreetly discuss how a legacy gift might impact animals’ lives.
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Planning the future
About PawzUp Center
PawzUp is a bold project that vows to make a difference; a way to spark the light between animals and people. PawzUp is our way to bring people and animals together and allow them to help one another and enjoy each other’s company.
The new centre will consist of seven buildings, creating a vibrant and diverse environment for visitors. The construction will start with the dog shelter, and once the team completes it, they will begin constructing the adoption zone.
How you can help?
Make a micro-donation on Teaming
If you become a Teamer for a whole year and donate as little as the equivalent of 1 EUR/month, you’ve helped feed one starving animal once a month.
Send an SMS via Donr
Making a donation to ROLDA is as simple as sending an SMS: Text ROLDA and the amount to 70085 – easy and convenient to help animals you love.
Help us reach more animals in desperate need
How British supporters can continue to help us save animals
Would you like to become a ROLDA ambassador?
Yes, you can help us for free.
Yes, even if you live in the UK.
Yes, it is a great, smart way to help animals by promoting our cause for free in your community.
Help animals for free as Ambassador. Learn more here.
Adopt or Foster in the UK today.
Adopting an overseas rescue dog is an incredibly rewarding and life-changing experience. We pride ourselves on making the right match, supporting you on your adoption journey and helping you set your dog up for success. Meet our dogs below or reach out to hear more.
What ROLDA UK does for British supporters
- Opportunity to adopt a healthy, beautiful, sociable dog rescued from the streets or saved from a local public shelter. See conditions here & Read testimonials from other adopters. More, ROLDA UK offers behavior help for all people who adopt a #ROLDAdog
- Chance to be part of our team as a volunteer (if you’d like to put your best skills to use for animals in need and for a charity that use resources to save them) or as an ambassador (sharing news about ROLDA on social media or wearing items we send you for free).
- Choice to adopt at distance a dog rescued from the streets or a pet from a poor community who struggles to live decently and make good from distance by becoming a guardian angel for animals who have noone else.
- Access to information and advice about various animal topics (Simple rules to keep your pet safe from the hot pavements; Mini guide about responsible dog ownership How to create a disaster plan for your dog Tips for traveling with your pet; Pet fire safety; etc). You can find this here.
- We offer free downloadable materials in our ROLDA Online Shop (e.g. Pet Rescue Decals which let the emergency services know how many pets you have in your home, in case of a disaster).
#FriendsForever
Social campaign for seniors
Many seniors in Romania live on the edge of collapse, depressed, in poverty, often being forced to choose between buying medicines or paying utility bills.
Having a pet, for many, is the best thing that has happened to them. ROLDA’s FriendsForever campaign will continue in 2024 thanks to your generosity and care.
How you can join the ROLDA Community in the UK?
Joining the ROLDA Community in the UK is a simple and fulfilling experience! Whether you’re a dedicated animal lover or simply want to make a difference, our community welcomes everyone.
“I am passionate about supporting ROLDA’s mission. I coordinated a fundraising event in my community over the bank holiday weekend.
I’m excited to announce that we successfully raised £100.00 to support ROLDA’s cause! I set up a stall, where I not only raised funds but also spread awareness about the incredible work ROLDA does, with a colorful banner and informative leaflets. It was such a great experience and a wonderful atmosphere and support we received.
I’m happy to share my pictures from the day and I’m grateful for everyone who played a part in making this possible!” Sandra Milner
A little bookmark. A big legacy for animals.
Our new ROLDA legacy bookmark serves as a small reminder of a powerful act of kindness: ensuring vulnerable animals are helped long into the future by including a gift in your will.
You can request a bookmark to be mailed to you, check out our free wills guide, or discreetly discuss how a legacy gift might impact animals’ lives.
Request a legacy bookmark here