Sasha narrates...
During our visits and construction camps in Serbia the needs, problems and plans are discussed during the evening meal. Sometimes we can get Sasha in storytelling mode during such evenings while enjoying nice Serbian dishes in a typical Serbian restaurant. Sasha is not a man of many words, but he could write books about his experiences. Usually they are not very pretty stories, but some of them are worth sharing. We asked him how he met Milena, who takes care of the puppies (see our "Newsletter September 2021" (click on the underlined title to read) or how Lija and Kudra came into his life, his furry friends who are always by his side. We already told you about the reunion with Kudra in our previous newsletter of December 2021 (click on the underlined title to read).
This newsletter reveals the story of Lija becoming his soulmate.
|
|
|
|
Lija, queen of excaping...
" I found Lija when she was a puppy, a family of 4โฆor were they 8? It was such a long time ago I couldnโt be entirely sure. I brought the puppies to Zoran in his little shack-palace near Merkator and Lija grew up with Zoran.
|
|
|
|
A female professor at the university was looking for a nice doggie and wanted to adopt Lija. She lived in a nice house near Niลกka Tvrdjava (the old fortress in Niลก), quite close to the shelter. The professor had a busy schedule and went abroad for seminars quite often. Lija spent a lot of time alone, alone in a nice big house, but without attention which made her very unhappy. Besides she was a feisty lady as she had already bitten the mailman and a cousin of the professor, but despite these incidents, she wanted to keep Lija.
|
|
|
|
A year later, Lija jumped the fence. The professor called me, as a lot of bad things or accidents could happen on the street. I went looking for her and found her quite quickly as she recognized me when I called out for her so I returned her to the professorโs house. Next time Lija escaped via a roof, again the professor asked my help and I returned her home. 5 times she escaped, but the 5th time I had enough of it. I went to the professorโs house to start from there and a few moments later she came running towards me. I took Lija in my arms and whispered โas of now you are mine, sweet Lijaโ. Ever since that day she joins me wherever I go, as does Kudra."
(note from the editors: as you could read in the story of Kudra, he died of old age in the ๐. Lija still goes wherever Sasha goes. As she is getting a bit older, she has gotten the company of a young dog, Gisele, a big dog in a small package ๐)
|
|
|
๐ BUILDING PROJECT ๐
FOR THE OLD AND SICK DOGS
๐ BUILDING CAMP JULI ๐
|
|
|
Many of Sashaโs dogs have been living in the shelter for more than 10 years.
These vulnerable, forgotten dogs are old and weak, suffer from artritis, heartfailure, and other painful illnesses which are common for old age. Some are disabled, but all need a special diet.
These senior dogs need a quiet space, protected from sun, rain and snow and far away from the large pack of young, boisterous dogs.
We want a special place for them, the invisible dogs, which were never chosen for adoption, who will never experience a soft pillow, never know a place to call home, whose life will end in the shelter.
For these needy, senior dogs as well as for the ill ones, we want to build a heated building. Connected to 2 isolated containers which will serve as treatment and recovery room (for neuterings, ill and injured dogs).
|
|
โค๏ธ THIS IS OUR DREAM โค๏ธ
" creating this special place will allow the senior dogs, despite their illnesses and disabilities, to enjoy life, carefully monitored and lovingly taken care of "
That is why we organize the construction camp in July. We need your help more than ever to buy containers and building materials.
It is very little we can offer to those who will never leave the shelter, so please help us to make their last years as comfortable as possible.
You can help by supporting the construction camp via Dog Happiness Be vzw:
Bank : IBAN: BE22 0018 1853 1647 (BIC : GEBABEBB)
PayPal : info@dog-happiness.be
Please mention "senior project"
๐๐พ๐ถ๐๐๐พ๐ถ๐๐๐พ๐ถ๐๐๐พ๐ถ๐๐๐พ๐ถ
IN THE NAME OF THE OLD AND SICK DOGS
THANK YOU SO MUCH
๐๐๐พ๐ถ๐๐๐พ๐ถ๐๐๐พ๐ถ๐๐๐พ๐ถ๐๐๐พ
|
|
โ Warm winter clothes โ
for the shelter workers
|
|
|
In our previous newsletter we made the intention to send warm clothes for the workers to tackle the cold Serbian winter. We managed to realize this with the unexpected help of Tom Geukens and Nadia Roziers. The told us: "We decided not to buy Christmas presents for each other but instead use that money for clothes for the workers. The money is well spend and we can contribute for those who have (a lot) less." Such a heartwarming initiative for both human and animals of Tom en Nadia ๐
They asked us for the workers' sizes and went shopping: a complete winter outfit for each worker. And there were also treats for the workers ๐
|
|
|
Getting everything to Serbia has been a challenge as Serbia is no part of the EU. But eventually we managed to get the hats, scarfs, gloves, fleeces and warm boots to the workers. Enabling them to care for the dogs in the harsh cold winter. Thanks again Tom and Nadia for your big heart for animals and humans ๐
Also a big thank you is due for everyone who donated clothes for the people in Serbia ๐. Part of it went with the volunteers in May, the rest will leave with our longtime sponsor Phone Repair Shop โ Huurbus.be (see sponsors below) when they go to Serbia in July with a van to help out with the building activities.
|
|
|
CONTAINER for STOCK
๐ญโPESTFREEโ๐ญ
|
|
|
|
When winter comes, we have extra sorrows in providing enough food for the dogs. Little, snowy roads make it difficult to provide food for the dogs.
It has become an annual recurrence, our call for a big winter supply of kibble. Unfortunately there was a big problem: the container where this kibble is stored had to be repaired as unwanted guests were having a real feast ๐ญ๐ญ๐ญ The container was repaired just in time ๐ช๐จ๐ง to keep the mice out...
|
|
|
As we received again a huge support from you all ๐ the container was filled with kibble and winter could begin. Again, we couldnโt do this without your support. Well done!
๐๐๐๐๐ thanks thanks thanks๐๐๐๐๐
|
|
|
|
1st of April 2022 โ no it wasnโt an Aprilโs Fool. The snow took us by surprise in Belgium, but not only here: a last, nasty little jab of winter before spring could start in Serbia โโโ
|
|
|
๐ BASIC MEDICAL CARE ๐
A CONSTANT CONCERN
|
|
|
|
Taking care of the basic medical care of the dogs remains one of our most important concerns. Fighting external (fleas, ticks, lice and mites,..) and internal parasites (bacteria, viruses and worms) is part of this. We started a big campaign in March to protect the dogs against worms. Did you know that heartworm can kill a dog? It is transferred by mosquitos and 1 โinnocentโ bite is enough to kill a dog. Hence the importance of these campaigns.
|
|
|
|
Deworming with a broad spectrum medicine helps protect the dogs against immune deficiency, anemia, diarrhea, general debilitation and deadly internal parasites. The eggs can survive up to 2 years in the ground, viruses and bacteria are transferred by other animals, therefore we called out for your help.
|
|
|
|
Usually these call outs for medical support are a little less popular, but not this time! The response was heartwarmingly big. It allowed us to buy enough medicine for 2 rounds of treatment. The first round for all dogs has been done and we have enough left for another round of treatment. We even had enough money to buy disinfectant to treat the floor and cages in the shelter. Dear people, thank you very, very much for your support, you might not see it, but it does make a huge difference for the welfare of the dogs ๐ค
|
|
|
๐ถ Permanent influx ๐ถ
Life doesnโt stop, not in the shelter either. No matter how hard we try to reduce the numbers of dogs in both shelters, for each adopted dog, at least 2, but often more dogs arrive in the shelter. A lot of new puppies, but also dogs hit by a car, ill dogs, very weakened street dogs or chain dogs. We get dispirited from time to time and tell Sasha to stop taking dogs in. However, when driving around, your heart is bleeding ๐ an awful lot of street dogs, you want to help them allโฆ. Yes, we do understand Sasha canโt refuse a dog in need, neither can we.
For example, black shepherd Dara: When Sasha went to buy food, the owner of the kibble factory asked him to take โthat dirty, black dogโ with him. She was chased away everywhere she went, stones thrown at her. She had been walking around for a few days, in panic, looking for food. Hence her wondering around the kibble factory  
|
|
|
The shelter is completely full, but Sasha couldnโt look away and took the dirty, black dog with him. She received a name, as each dog should have a name: Dara. She received care, food and a safe place in the shelter. Look at her now, a beautiful black shepherd, who will be prepared to travel and will hopefully find a nice home.
Unfortunately, some puppies have injuries or deformities. How sad to be born as an unwanted puppy in a country where dogs are considered rubbish and on top of that being disabled. Your chances of survival are very slim.
Nil ๐ช Take Mimi, a gorgeous sweet little puppy, tossed away in a cardboard box...
|
|
|
When Sasha opened the box, he didnโt only see a cute little puppy, but he also noticed something strange at the front paw ๐ He took her immediately to the vet. It turned out the disfigured front paw was the result of an old fracture that never received the necessary care. The injury was too old to treat so the paw was beyond saving. Amputation is the only option. Poor Mimi, the suffering she must have endured in her short life. How can you not take care of such an injured little puppy and throw it on the street, when the paw will be lost forever is beyond our understanding?
As Sasha says: people dump their problem with me, in the shelter. They consider it almost normal or even my duty to take all dogs in the shelter.
|
|
|
Mimi is growing up in the shelter, the decision has not yet been made regarding the amputation. She is a sweet, cuddly and playful adolescent. Her disability does not bother her, but in the long run, a medical intervention will be necessary. Mimi will be prepared to travel, maybe someone has a place in their home and heart for a disable dog?
|
|
|
|
Numerous stories like this of puppies and dogs, cast away as garbage, in a country where a dog is often considered to be mere litter. They are individuals, have their own personality, with a troubled past or disability,โฆ We hope to find a home for each and every one of them, via our adoption page but it remains a struggle...
And still, some dogs managed to find a warm home, young dogs, older dogs, dogs with a very troubled past or even disabled dogs. We call them our little miracles. And that is why we keep going, to give them a nice home and a more comfortable life for those left behind. Will you help us? Support the construction camp โค๏ธ
|
|
|
|
As a newsletter is reasonably short, it is difficult to tell you about everything we did, which efforts and accomplishments have been realized, therefore we highlighted the most important ones. As always a lot more is going on behind the scenes and in the shelter. โบ๏ธ The real heroes are the people in Serbia. It is incredible how they continue, especially as the war in Ukraine doesnโt make things easier.
They can only continue due to your never ending support: wine/coffeeclub member, monthly and occasional donations, the many creative people who sell their homemade stuff, those who organize special actions and events. Without your support, we wouldnโt be able to help them. Therefore:
๐ THANK YOU FOR YOUR WARM SUPPORT ๐
At last enjoy a nice movie of Milena who is trying to eat a sandwich, not easy in the shelter with so many hungry dogs ๐
Until the next newsletter!
Team Dog Happiness Be
|
|
|
|
In the shelter you never eat alone ๐
|
|
|
|
