" 2009 THANK YOU" LETTER FROM ROLDA FOUNDER

Dear supporters and friends of ROLDA,

Year 2009 is almost ended. It became scary for economic reasons in Romania,like everywhere else,  but we were lucky and grateful to have YOU near us,  helping us survive.

 

 

photo: Dana (ROLDA founder) and Ada,a rescued doggie

 

 

 

In Romania, where corruption and poverty were already worse than anywhere else in the EU,  the number of unemployed persons increased.  We had national elections, when politicians usually make promises to everyone,  including animal lovers,  but the economic crisis meant that this year animal rights and animals protection were left outside the discussion.  Romanian animal legislation remained unchanged,  far from the EU standards that we should have adopted three years ago.

 

 

In addition to helping the suffering Galati street animals, ROLDA took over additional responsibilities and began helping groups from other regions of Romania, like Pascani, north of Moldavia, and Mures,  in Transylvania.  This was the first time in three years, since we started our ambitious project with Mittal, that ROLDA was able to act on behalf of animals beyond Galati.

 

 

Thanks to ROLDA involvement and our supporters’ immediate action, the conditions at the Pascani pound were exposed in several publications, including the major national newspaper Libertatea.  More than 150 starving dogs were allowed to breed at the Pascani pound.  Countless puppies were eaten by bigger dogs, if not shot for fun.  Dogs were killed in all sort of unimaginable ways under their few protectors eyes, who could do nothing except mark the unlucky dogs’ absence.

The Fiducia shelter is administrated by a 74-year-old woman who has two volunteer helpers.  One of the volunteers asked ROLDA for help to fight against the local authorities, who had left the Fiducia animals with absolutely no hope,  no food,  and no medical care.

 

 

ROLDA created an online petition in order to collect at least 5,000 signatures which will be mailed directly to the new President.  We hope he will take the measures needed to stop this stressful and embarrassing situation, which hurts Romania’s image as a whole.  Such situations give us the reputation of being a barbarian country, in which all tourists and animal lovers are horrified,   and begin to see Romania as a place where human and animal rights are ignored every day.

There is still time for you to sign the petition, if you didn’t do it already. The link is available on our website or social profiles like Facebook.

 

 

International support came to ROLDA this year not only from celebrities’ involvement, but also from animal lovers reading about Romanian dogs’ plight and offering their vacation time to work with the ROLDA staff.  Our special friends and volunteers, in the order that they visited,  included Dave Griffin from Wales,  Pia and HildeGunn from Norway,  Sarah from the U.K.,   and Jackie from Australia. We take this opportunity to remind you that volunteers are welcome all year-round.  Accommodation at the ROLDA guest house is free in return for services such as walking dogs and helping to clean the kennels,  dog beds,  and bowls.

 

ROLDA is extremely grateful to the publications that published articles about our work and posted our appeals, including Dogs Today, Cat World,  Dogs Monthly and our special collaborators Pet Home,  Le Chien Swisse,  and Viata Libera newspaper.

National Dog Day and National Mutt Day were organized for the first time in Romania thanks to our beautiful, talented partner Colleen Paige, who became Romanian dogs’ ambassador this summer and helped us at every step.

Shannon and her friend Paul organized this year’s biggest fundraising event for Romanian animals, the Vampire Ball in California.  They also plan to organize a number of events next year–– like Have a Heart for Romanian Animals at Valentine’s Day, and a Christmas 2010 fundraising celebrity gala.

Our U.K. partners RAA and ROAR helped all year to make our international adoption program a success, very professionally organized, with everything done in the best interest of our dogs sent for adoption.  I cannot leave this subject without mentioning Robert S. and two organizations from Romania, SOS Dogs and FPCC, with sincere thanks for supporting ROLDA once again.

 

 

 Because of the financial crisis, our construction projects have progressed slowly. We still have three building jobs to complete:

 # Building from the ground up a cat rescue center, costing 30,000 euros, in order to accommodate up to 100 cats at a time while they undergo sterilization and any other necessary medical treatment, plus post-surgical supervision,  before being offered for adoption. We still need to raise 10,000 euros to complete this project, which will be the first rescue facility in Galati built just for cats.

 # Building our charity veterinary clinic, adjacent to the 500-dog rescue center that Arcelor Mittal helped us build.  The veterinary clinic will include two surgery rooms, an isolation unit, a laboratory,  recovery kennels,  an office,  and a reception area.  The cost is $375,000 USD, excluding labor and equipment donated by Mittal.  Actors,  artists,  writers,  and other famous people from around the world who are interested in the cause of Romanian animals and have pledged to help us raise funds to build this clinic include Beatrice Welles,  Monica Cruz,  Shannon McCabe,  Paul Dale Roberts,  and Colleen Paige.

 # Renovating our Adoption Center,  where at least two of the three animal housing blocks urgently need about $60,000 worth of modifications and improvements.

 

Our sterilization program will remain a central part of our mission in 2010.

In 2009 we were very fortunate to welcome Sarah and Jackie,  two young vets from abroad,  who helped for a few weeks each our spay/neuter campaign within the Mittal plant area.  In 2010 we hope to bring from spring to fall numerous team of vets to help us sterilize 2,500 dogs by the end of the year.  We already can count on a Norwegian team for spring, and Jackie promised to come, hopefully followed by a mission from Vets Without Borders, later in the fall.

 

 

Special thanks goes to Mr. I. Bors and Arcelor Mittal for sponsoring ROLDA direct costs and for the very generous grant they have offered to help us sterilize homeless animals cared by Galati animal lovers and strays within the Mittal steel plant.

We welcome new volunteers,  including Ioana of Washington,  D.C.,  the first Romanian living abroad to help us care for the animals in her homeland;  Doina from the Fiducia shelter;  and Claudia,  our friend helping the Pascani dogs.

Eternal gratitude for Veronica Titchener (ROLDA U.K.) and Merritt C. (ROLDA USA) for sharing another year of worries,  concerns and priceless moments of happiness and successes, for six years consecutively in the same boat with ROLDA Romania no matter what.

Our newest supporter, N.T., generously matched the grant for 2009 year sterilizations and funded the rescue operation in Galati, Pascani and Mures for the winter months.  Thanks to our generous supporters, who continued to help our rescue mission, ROLDA was able to sterilize 1,300 homeless animals in 2009.

 

 

We want to include in the Hall of Fame for 2009 the following friends and special people/companies that contribute to our work and change future of Romanian animals in Galati and other regions of Romania:

Anna C,  Anna,  Annabell,  Anne, Andre, Anne-Marie,  Angie, Arthur, Barbara,  Blanchette,  Beatrice,  Belinda,  Caroline,  Chrissy, Cecilie, Colleen P., Colleen T., Dave, Daniel, Debbie,Deborah, Don, Elizabeth,  Frank, Elisabeth A. Graziella, Gillian, Harriett, Heather,  Heidi,  Helga, Georgi , Gill,  Ghislaine,  Karen,  Katia,  Karin,  Kirsten, Kim,  Katrina B., Kirsten I.W., Ioana, Janet, Janice, Joy,Jan, Joanna, Joanne Z., Julia, Judi, Junko, Laura, Letizia,  Lina,  Linda,  Lindsey,  Lars,  Lisa,  Lizbeth,  Lis,  Maria, Mabel, Melissa,  Merritt,  Michael,  Monica, Nancy S., Nathalie,  Nevine,  Patricia, Panagiotis,  Paul,  Petra,  Rebecca,  Robert, Robin, Roisin ,  Ron,  Roxann, Roxanne, Suzanne, Sarah,  Shannon, Sheila, Sherry, Suzie,  Susan F.,  Susan H., Suzann, Tina,  Terese, Teresie, Theodore, Thierry,  Thomas,  Valerie, Veronica, Viola, Victoria,  William.

Corporate and partners: ROLDA USA,  RAA UK,  ARCELOR MITTAL,  VIATA LIBERA NEWSPAPER, VETI-MED GALATI, 1 WORLD SCOTLAND, CUKYS,  IRISH RETRIEVER RESCUE, DERPAN, METRO CASH & CARRY.

I would like to extend a very special thanks to VETI-MED team and especially to Iulia and Cornel Gingarasu for dedication, generosity and professionalism shown in our collaboration started in 2006. And not in the last place sincere gratitude goes to Flori(caretaker at Adoption Center) and to Oprea, Ghita, Marcu, Dumitru and Marian the caretakers from the Dog Center; these wonderful people are the only paid-staff of ROLDA, real heroes working with and fro animals in good or bad weather, in good or bad conditions and they all deserve our attention and special thanks, too.

 

 

ROLDA relies entirely on donations and sponsorships, therefore no matter how small your contribution is, it will help us survive and change a part of Romanian animals future. You are welcome to contact us if you need additional information about our activity, financial balance, urgent needs or if you decide to offer a permanent home to a ROLDA rescued dog.

We have a long way to go for animals in Romania and nothing would have been done without your support, trust and care fro which I will be eternally grateful!

 

 

Thank you for staying another year close to ROLDA dogs and I wish a better NEW YEAR 2010 to bring you everything that money cannot buy in this World!

Dana C. and ROLDA team