The Romanian rescue organization calls for donations to stay afloat

A charity that takes care of abandoned dogs has asked for help to prevent 800 from being left homeless.

Romanian Rescue Appeal rescues stray dogs and finds their families in the UK.

There are more than 100,000 stray dogs in Bucharest alone.

Many of the dogs are weakened or die prematurely from lack of food, while others are caught by dog ​​catchers and thrown into overcrowded public shelters.

Romanian Rescue Appeal has rescued thousands of dogs and encourages the country’s authorities to implement neutering programs.

But now the “end of the road” has been reached.

Soaring costs have left the charity desperate for donations to keep operations running.

Inflation rates have risen to 8.5% in Romania – leading to a rise in the cost of dog food, shelter building materials and medicines.

The staggering cost of fuel means it’s a struggle for the dogs to ‘leave the lights on’.

Mauro Orru, managing director of Romanian Rescue Appeal, told Metro.co.uk: “We are doing everything in our power to keep the charity alive.

“We’re spending twice as much on maintenance as before, and the energy crisis has also hit us hard. Energy costs were an absolute hike.

“We can’t allow that [closure] happen. I will sell my house before it does. I’ll live on the streets and stand and beg for these dogs.

“It would be a betrayal of them not to do it. You deserve hope.”

In the early days of the pandemic, there was an upsurge in families wanting to adopt dogs.

But as the lockdown eased, so did the number of requests from the charity.

This means the charity is caring for more dogs than ever before.

Mauro explained: “The number of stray dogs in Romania keeps increasing as it is such a big problem that we have more and more dogs to take care of.

“Dog catchers treat the dogs like vermin, like rats. They catch her in a really aggressive war. It’s heartbreaking to see, just hideous.

“These dogs need a safe home, every dog ​​needs it.”

If the charity can avoid debt collectors, it hopes to use the remaining money to bolster its emergency shelters in Romania.

Creating a “flagship” center is also a goal for Mauro and the charity’s staff and volunteers.

The Romanian Rescue Appeal is also working to improve education in the country and encourage authorities to treat dogs differently.

Mauro explained: “There was a massive geopolitical push in the 1970s and 1980s as people moved from houses in villages to apartments in cities. They could no longer take care of their dogs and became strays.

“Because of the economic situation, it was difficult to find kennels or neutered animals, so the number of strays is growing exponentially.

“We’ve worked so hard for these dogs so far and we want to keep doing that, we have to.”

To donate to the Romanian Rescue Appeal fundraiser, click here.

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