600 E. Do you think it’s a lot or it’s cheap? Did you ever think to put a price on liberty? Is there any price for liberty? This is the story of a mixed Labrador, a beautiful dog. He used to be someone’s dog for years until the tumor that grew on his right side became not only visible but, (sorry!) smelly.

If your dog would have a tumor, you would rush to the vet and feel sick and worried. Well, our hero’s story is different. The day his tumor become visible and disturbing, he was abandoned. And if you think it’s enough tragedy for a dog to lose in an instant the home he loved, to be disposed of like trash on the streets, without food and water, without the medical care to treat his health issues…

This tragedy doubled when he was abandoned in a crowd of people (without his beloved owner) rushing all over, speeding cars that he should avoid …trying to protect his painful right side, that constantly make curious people look disgusted; trying to run, despite the atrocious pain he felt at every move and at every step, to protect himself against packs of dogs ready to attack him. Going far away from dangers, he reached the industrial area of Galati, where he was greeted by new packs of dogs, ready to defend their territory. But the only thing he wanted was to hide and die in peace.

This is how he went inside an office area, where nicely dress people were disturbed by his look and the smell coming from his open wound/tumor. People were calling animal p1rotection to help the dog, but the company has an ongoing trial with ROLDA and therefore their egos are above this case. Again the dog help was denied. Working with an intermediary supporter, the ROLDA team managed to rescue Liberty – this is what we decided to call the senior Labrador.

Helped by our great veterinary, Dr. Andrei, Liberty’s tumor was removed. Right of his body, the remained scar is giant but on his left, the heart is bleeding after the owner refused him because he was sick and smelly. Liberty‘s veterinary bill is about 600 E. I am sure that it’s an amount not difficult to raise, helped by our loyal supporters.

Dogs like Liberty would prefer to die instead of living the day when they are thrown away like old shoes. Our lives represent a labyrinth of paths, which sometimes interact with each other. Like your life’s path, as ROLDA supporters, interacting with us, to read this story and discover what we do. Or like Liberty’s path, who lost his home, started a journey full of dangers and heroically manage to stay alive, meet the ROLDA team and be reborn.

Unfortunately, Liberty stories are not rare, that’s why it’s hard to tell them in a way that will move us and reveal our humanity but if I just managed to do it, if I managed to get a tear in the corner of your eye, or any emotion in your heart it’s a step ahead. It means that the price paid by Liberty was not in vain because together, we can save him and others like him, before being too late.

From far away, from where you are, you couldn’t know Liberty’s story and I am privileged that not only I can tell it but also was part of this amazing happy ending rescue. Liberty is for sure his own hero, but if his story will manage to save more dogs in the long run, Liberty and of course, you – ROLDA supporter will be, together, the Romanian homeless dogs’ heroes.  And trust me, they need more human heroes so badly!

This poor tiny dog—approximately 1-year-old—was found yesterday morning covered in tar. The dog was found and reported to ROLDA by a man from a nearby military unit who heard the desperate screams of the dog as the tar was burning his skin. The dog had been wrapped in plastic and thrown in a tar pit as an apparent punishment.

The local veterinarian and ROLDA volunteers from Sweden—who were in town assisting with our September sterilization campaign—attended to the dog immediately. They’ve successfully removed his fur, which was completely covered with tar, and cleaned his burnt skin and his wounds caused by the boiling liquid.

They’ve given him antibiotics, anti-inflammatory medication, and pain medication.

Although he’s been looked after with gentle care and kindness, he is in extreme shock and stress. He cannot stop shaking from the fear and the trauma he has suffered.

We’ve named this poor dog Tarot. He has an identity, he has a soul. He has feelings just like us. He can feel pain and fear. Tarot wasn’t screaming because he’s an animal…he was screaming because hot tar was burning his entire body! Whoever did this to Tarot is inhuman and a coward! No animal deserves this!

Everyone who has attended to Tarot is also in shock. There have been many tears and broken hearts as we desperately race to save him. ROLDA is extremely grateful to everyone who has been there for Tarot!!! Together we are fighting to save him!!!

His life is at risk.

Please show your support to Tarot and the medical staff who are working night and day to save him and click on the right Donate button! Remember, it’s because of you that ROLDA can be there for emergency cases like this. If ROLDA did not exist, Tarot would have died a slow, dreadful death.

Thanks to you, we continue #givehope to helpless animals when no one else will. Please, make a small gift to help Tarot today.

P.S. You can follow Tarot’s progress on ROLDA’s Facebook page. Stay tuned for updates.

Sometimes it’s difficult to put into words the struggles of the stray dogs I encounter, especially when it comes to stray puppies. The Rescue Team and I found this brother and sister, just weeks old, near a garbage dump. The pups were trembling with fear as we approached them, but they did not move.

At first, we thought that they were so terrified of us that they froze and didn’t know what to do, but as we got closer we noticed that they were trying to run away but their hind legs wouldn’t move.

We inspected them carefully, trying to cause them as little worry as possible, and we discovered that they were covered in ticks. We immediately feared the worst: Tick paralysis.

Our veterinarian confirmed that these pups were suffering from tick paralysis. Knowing that tick paralysis can be fatal, we all prayed that these pups will pull through.

I try so hard not to torment myself with mental images of their suffering, but somehow, I just feel inhuman if I don’t. I can see these two poor souls as the only survivors of their litter, and their mother dying from giving birth, as most stray mothers do.

Now, these two defenseless newborns must have cried for days for their mother and siblings. They must have cried for someone to feed them until the hunger finally forced them to abandon the remains of their family and search for their own food. What did they eat? Where did they find water? How long were they paralyzed?

Just imagine, they were starving for weeks and during all that time they were infested with a scary amount of ticks that were not only causing them discomfort, they were feeding on their starved bodies and depriving them of what little nutrients they had left.

Rather than grow strong and healthy, this brother and sister grew weak and sick until one day they couldn’t walk anymore. It’s a miracle that we found them together. It’s like they knew that they couldn’t become separated because they needed each other every second of every day. They felt they were getting sick and chose to remain inseparable…that if they were going to perish, they were going to do it together.

Click on the right Donate button to support our cause!

There is little chance for a newborn stray dog to live more than 30 days. Their defenses are so fragile and undeveloped that any infection is fatal to them.

This brother and sister are lucky to be alive today. Tick paralysis is a rare but serious condition caused by a neurotoxin produced in the salivary gland of female ticks released into the host’s bloodstream while they’re attached and feeding. The primary treatment is to promptly remove the tick, which our vet has done. Once the ticks are removed, most dogs begin to recover their muscle strength within hours and completely recover within 3 days.

These pups have had all their ticks removed and are regaining their muscle strength. However, because of their age, we are praying these pups haven’t suffered irreversible damage to their health. We are carefully monitoring for any signs of respiratory distress and remain on standby for a quick response.

Please find it in your heart to help them!

I received a call from a man in Vanatori village frantic about a dog in terrible pain. He said he saw the dog trying to jump a metallic fence, but got stuck and broke both legs. He also said that men tried to help her, but she was defensive, not allowing them to approach her. The men got scared and left.

The man told me that he feared for the dog because she was in agony and losing a lot of blood. He also mentioned that many unfriendly strays roamed around the area and feared they could attack her, however, he said there was a big dog protecting her and licking her wounds.

I called the vet to meet me and our Rescue Team at the dog’s location right away. The vet arrived quickly and found the dog’s legs covered in blood. She had lost a lot of blood and was indeed guarded by another dog. The injured dog had to be tranquilized.

One leg may need amputation and the other seems to be healing but the vet cannot give any guarantees.
The man who called me later told me that this dog gave birth to 6 puppies last summer and that 2 died in front of her after being struck by a car. He said she was “guarding them” for days, mourning their tragic death. We named her Maia.

5 Hours in Surgery

The Saviet veterinary team operated on the graver leg first. They removed articulation, transplanted small bone fragments, and attached a temporary prosthesis. They had to leave two holes in Maia’s leg to drain the liquid post-surgery and also because she didn’t have enough healthy skin tissue for the suture. Healthy skin tissue from her abdomen will be transplanted into her leg to finalize the procedure.

Maia will have surgery on her other leg in one week. Maia’s surgeries are very complex due to the severity of her injuries. The current cost of this first phase is €1000, including discounts from Siavet (who is not charging us for the 30-day hospitalization, x-rays, and other tests).

Maia still has a long road to recovery and the outcome of her operations remains unclear, but she is receiving excellent medical attention. We are extremely grateful to have a devoted and dedicated veterinary team who is doing everything possible to save Maia.

Maia has endured a lot of suffering since her accident, but it’s comforting to know that she is surrounded by people who believe in her and who want her to get better so that she may live a long, fulfilling life. Just days ago she was hanging on by a thread on that fence while blood oozed from her shattered legs, slowly draining the life out of her.

Now, Maia has the opportunity to find a forever home with a loving family who will provide her with the delicate care she needs. But first, she patiently prepares for her next surgery. After that, Maia can begin her recovery.

If you didn’t get a chance to support Maia, you can still make a donation to help cover the costs of her medical procedures and rehabilitation. She is a brave dog who is allowing us to help her because she wants to get better.

And you can help her get better.

Thank you, kindly
ROLDA Rescue team

Seth lay in one spot unable to stand; the vet determined if Seth can walk again. Our veterinarian has informed us that he needs until next Wednesday to properly diagnose Seth’s condition in order to determine what type of surgery, treatment, and rehabilitation he will need.

Initial x-rays were inconclusive because Seth had not evacuated all his feces, but the second x-rays showed that there are no visible anomalies in his spine—which is great news. However, the vet still needs to run more tests to determine what underlying complication has paralyzed Seth. Right now, Seth can only stand on his four legs for just 5 seconds. He is wagging his tail though! Hopefully, this is a good sign for Seth.

This poor, tiny dog—who we estimate to be around 6 years old—was found out in the freezing cold, unable to stand and curling up to keep warm. His body shivered violently from the cold and the snow he laid on for hours…probably a day or two.

We don’t know for sure how he ended up in this field, but it’s most likely he was abandoned (given that he looked healthy aside from his paralysis) or walked to this spot after realizing something was wrong with him until he finally couldn’t move. We feel so fortunate to have found Seth, especially in this weather. Had he been outside like this a few days ago when the temperatures reached a low of -24C, Seth would not have survived.

We get emotional just imagining Seth spending a few minutes all alone, unable to move, feeling so helpless and desperate, barking endlessly for someone to hear his cries and come save him. But he’s here with us now, and while we patiently wait for his diagnosis, we are confident that Seth has a wonderful future ahead of him.

Please make a donation today to show Seth your support. As he waits in the clinic, we want him to feel that he has many kind people cheering for him to get well soon.

Thank you for your kindness and compassion.

6 puppies were left outside in the bitter cold to die. It’s utterly shameful, disappointing, and inconsiderate when someone doesn’t have the decency to let us know they are leaving 6 unwanted puppies outside our gates. This is a cowardly act from someone who has no regard for innocent life. Now, one puppy is dead from hypothermia, dehydration, and starvation.

The surviving 5 siblings huddled together in the cold, wet box to keep from freezing to death like their brother who lay lifeless next to them.

Can you imagine being left in a tiny box with your siblings out in the freezing cold without food or water? All of you are crying because your body starts to go numb and you grow increasingly anxious and desperate to try and keep warm. And then… your brother drops dead next to you.

You can’t even mourn him because you are paralyzed by the cold and the fear that you could be next. All you can do is bark, whimper, and cry with the hope that someone will rescue you before the harsh cold of winter consumes you too.

When we finally heard their cries and ran to them, I looked into their sad eyes, and I could feel each one of them speaking to me, all saying the same thing:

We are heartbroken that one puppy didn’t get a chance to be saved, but we are grateful for the 5 surviving souls who are now safely under our care. This is a tragedy that could’ve easily been avoided. If the person or persons, who left these puppies outside our shelters in a tiny box with a few measly straws thought they were doing the right thing, they are sadly mistaken.

But, it doesn’t help to dwell on the past. All we can do now is to remind others that if they have puppies, dogs, or any other pets or animals they don’t want, they can contact us directly. Leaving them nearby is not being responsible. Our sanctuary covers a large area, and we are a small group of staff and volunteers.

If you can make a donation today, that would be so inspiring. But if you can’t, we understand. You’ve helped us so much already and we couldn’t be more grateful.