AR-News: ROLDA June Newsletter 2004

[סמדר]

Message
----- Original Message ----- 
From: rolda at care2.com
Sent: Monday, June 28, 2004 10:00 PM
Subject: ROLDA June Newsletter 2004

1.UK volunteers for one week at ROLDA ProLife Shelter,Galatzi,Romania.
2.Local elections all over Romania(also in Galatzi)confirms that
maltreatment of strays will continue at least four more years.
3.New arrivals at ROLDA and miscelaneous .
4."Animal People" Newspaper-June 2004 edition.

1.UK volunteers for one week at ROLDA ProLife Shelter-Galatzi,Romania.

In June 2004,following our appeal for international volunteers,a group of UK
animal'lovers came to help us with our daily activities and be friends with
our strays in need!
Sharon and Maureen,both living in UK were devastated to see the horrible
conditions in which strays from Galatzi are kept in two different City Hall
pounds,in two different locations outside of my town.
Our UK volunteers were devastated and very dissapointed to see the
indifference that romanians shows to strays'problem.
They leaved Romania thinking of what they leave behind and promising they
will spread out the word,inviting more UK animal'lovers volunteers to see
Galati'strays tragedy and assuring us of their entire further support.
In "Dogs Monthly" ,May edition of the well-known UK magazine there was a
large article dedicated to ROLDA ProLife shelter and our strays...I pray
that many animal'lovers to read it and try to understand our problems and
daily needs.
I also make an appeal to all ROLDA'e-readers :If anyone wants to help our
cause,please contact me to provide you our posters and others informative
materiels about ROLDA,to spread them out;please organise a stall or garage
sale or any other fundraising event in your area,please write an add or a
small article in local newspaper for donated dogs'items,please contact a
local radio or TV and speak further about romanian strays'situation ,ask
them if they want to do a small report and please provide our details:
Full name:   Costin Dana(ROLDA)
Email:       rolda at care2.com
Phone/Fax:   0040236830117
Mobile:      0040721759742
Mailing adress:Feroviarilor Street 16,Bl.C2,ap.18
               6200 Galatzi,Romania.

PLEASE DONATE ONLINE AND SECURE IN OUR PAYPAL ACCOUNT USING THIS LINK:
https://www.paypal.com/xclick/business=rolda%40care2.com&item_name=Romania+Animal+Rescue%2CInc.&no_note=1&tax=0&currency_code=USD

Many thanks for care about our romanian strays!!!

2.Local elections all over Romania(also in Galatzi)confirms that
maltreatment of strays will continue at least four more years.
Basescu,the dog-killer Mayor of Bucharest was re-elected even from first
election round,prouving that being or not an animal'lover,it's not a
criteria to select a Mayor for romanians.
In Galatzi,after the second elections round,the former Mayor-Dumitru Nicolae
was re-elected.Immediatly after that,some official sources said that
catching of healthy,sterilised dogs from Galatzi'streets will
continue...where those dogs will be crowded anymore(they are already crowded
sometimes 20 dogs/2 square metters/ kennel),whom will assure DAILY food for
more than 700 dogs,whom will assure medical care...nobody ask these
questions prior to start an illogical campaign because nobody actually care
to see the misery and pain those dogs are suffering daily...each politician
is preoccupied,after votes'counting,to follow his own interests..Humanity
and understanding are not words common in a romanian politician language.

3.New arrivals at ROLDA and miscelaneous
Cora is a sweet  young lady dog,one year and a half.
ROLDA rescued Cora from one of City Hall pounds,she is back legs paralised
and she got a severe cold...After proper treatments,the only "problem" Cora
still have is her handicap.
Because I strongly believe that the intensive therapy and animal'power to
fight against illness can do miracles ,as in humans'case...I still hope that
Cora's handicap is temporarly.
I offer daily to Cora,as I succesfully did in Merlin'case,the motivation for
her to walk,because everything is psyhological...In the morning,i don't let
her immediatly out of the kennel because she will be determined to wait her
"walking" and she will do more efforts to walk...beside a good
nutrition,adequate to her condition.

Treats and squeezy dogtoys for Cora,in order to make her life as beautiful
as it should be ..are very needed and appreciated!Please help Cora to live a
happier life!

Four just borned puppies are making my "schedule" since three days...they
are "letting me know" when I have to sleep or when I should QUICKLY weak
up!!!!
They are very sweets angels,dumped into  box in front of the door,I don't
think they have more than one week old.
They need special attention and care...Puppymilk formula donated,sent to our
mailing adress will be a gift for them!!!!They will be always grateful for
helping them to be big and strong!

Miscelaneous:
I recently received by mail two invitations from Best Friends USA to attend
the training course at "Best Friends"'Sanctuary ,together with another ROLDA
member.
I'll be very probably in USA between 9-22 August 2004,because after training
course,we'll go to CHAMP Conference in Orlando,Florida.
Everyone who would like to meet us personally ,please contact me by
email/phone/fax to establish together further details!

Do you know that...
Today,TV News presented a hero-stray that saved a woman to be killed by a
bear-mommy,in a romanian forest!!!!Good for you,doggie...but what is the
humans'answer?

4."Animal People" Newspaper-June 2004 edition.

ROLDA ProLife shelter is THE BEST SHELTER FROM ENTIRE ROMANIA!!!!
>From ANIMAL PEOPLE,  June 2004:

"Dog wars along the Danube,in Transylvania,  & on the western front..."

The dog wars in the Romanian countryside differ little from the dog wars in
Bucharest. Some cities kill street dogs,  some entrepreneurs and
administrators seek profit in animal control,  and rescuers try to save dogs
by housing as many as they can,  while sterilization projects struggle to
get up to speed.
  Individual dogs are often roadkilled or poisoned,  but dogs as a species
are doing quite well.  The "cultural carrying capacity" of the Romanian
habitat,  i.e. the point at which dogs are seen as a public nuisance,  is
clearly much lower than the physical carrying capacity dictated by food
abundance.
   Rats,  rabbits,  and horse droppings are abundant enough that rural
Romania also sustains plentiful hawks,  eagles,  and foxes.
If and when the dog population declines,  foxes will invade the cities,
much as coyotes are reclaiming habitat from dogs and feral cats in the
U.S.--and that will be problematic,  since foxes, not dogs,  are the chief
carriers of rabies and mange in eastern Europe.
      Fox rabies can be eradicated,  as in western Europe,  through the use
of oral vaccine baits.  But no one,  as yet,  has managed to eradicate mange
in wildlife.
At the ROLDA shelter just outside Galatzi,  ANIMAL PEOPLE watched across a
panoramic windswept valley as a family of five foxes rehearsed their attack.
First came a sentinel,  probably the father.  He crossed a brushy ravine and
stood at the far side,  signaling his mate,  who crept to the near side,
then nodded toward her almost-grown cubs. Three came at intervals of about a
minute.  When the whole family had reached the ravine,  they followed it up
the hillside.  It bent to the right,  toward a gypsy camp,  where chickens
roamed unattended.
   Beyond the camp stood a cemetery,  affording cover after the foxes rushed
the flock,  seized their dinner,  and raced away,  while two gypsies with
three dogs half-heartedly backtracked them in the wrong direction.
  After visiting seven dog holding facilities in Bucharest in May 2004,
ANIMAL PEOPLE visited three more in Galatzi,  near the mouth of the Danube,
close to the Black Sea;  one each in Bucov and Campina,  at the edge of
Transylvania;  and two in Arad,  the last railway stop before Hungary.
       The ROLDA shelter,  though new and relatively small,  housing about
40 dogs when we visited,  is already among the best known in Romania due to
the prominence of cofounder Dana Costen as a voice for Romanian dogs on the
Internet.
   Fluent in English,  Costen has since 2001 provided frequent electronic
updates and informal commentary on animal-related news throughout the
nation.
    In October 2001 California hiker Nancy Janes was upset by the sight of
homeless dogs on a trip to Transylvania.  Searching the Worldwide Web for
Romanian humane societies,  she found Costen and ROLDA,  whose name is a
fusion of the first names of cofounder Rolando Cepraga and Costen.
    Nancy and her husband Rory Janes soon became patrons of Costen's
ambition to build and operate the best animal shelter in eastern Europe.
       Still only 26,  Costen is off to an impressive start, especially
considering that she is in law school and Cepraga is a fulltime mechanic.
The ROLDA shelter scored 79 on the ANIMAL PEOPLE scale of 100,  tied for
best in Romania.  Subsequent improvements may already have added points.
   The ROLDA shelter is not easily reached at present,  due to poor roads,
but the roads are certain to be improved.  Galatzi can only expand to the
west and southwest,  away from the Danube,  the Ukrainian border,  and the
Black Sea coastal swamps.
The newly built shelter,  with accommodations for visiting volunteers,  is
only the most recent addition to the ROLDA program. ROLDA also rescues
injured animals and abandoned litters in Galatzi, helps to feed about 375
dogs at the two municipal pounds,  and campaigns as much as possible on
other animal issues.
        Yet ROLDA is mostly just Costen and Cepraga,  with help from Nancy
and Rory Janes when they visit.
      As charismatic and outgoing as she seems to be on the Internet,
Costen is in person intensely introverted and suspicious of most other
people.   She acknowledged to ANIMAL PEOPLE that working with people,
including seeking funds,  is the part of her work that she finds most
stressful.

Dog death camps

  The original Galatzi pound was a Communist-era budka,  or dog-hide
tannery,  which supported itself by selling dog pelts.
Post-Communism,  the dog-skinning business collapsed,  but the facility
continued to kill dogs until the tenure of the present mayor.  It now houses
about 125 dogs in small metal cages,  with a tendency to overheat.
        The cobblestone courtyard and view of the Danube hint that if the
dilapidated buildings were demolished,  the site could become a scenic
outdoor restaurant--but something would have to be done about two wells full
of dogs' bones that stand in the middle.
  When the original pound overflowed,  Galatzi converted a nearby former fox
farm,  also overlooking the Danube,  into a canine concentration camp
housing nearly 300 dogs,  with space for hundreds more.
        It does not have to be as miserable as it is.  There is room for
outdoor runs,  if fences were put up and exits knocked through the cinder
block walls.  The buildings have renovation potential. The kennel staff
promised that such improvements would soon be made.
  Meanwhile,  both pounds are guarded by police,  and only grudgingly opened
to visitors.  The newer pound prohibits cameras, apparently from fear that
the conditions will be documented and shown to the public.
The dogs are fed an uncertain supply of leftover food from a local hospital.
Though not starved,  they fought viciously for kibble brought by ROLDA,
purchased with funds donated by DELTA Rescue.
    Supplementing the dogs' rations may have been a well-intentioned idea
gone awry.  After ROLDA began feeding the dogs, they received fewer hospital
leftovers.  Perhaps the hospital simply had fewer patients,  and therefore
bought less food--or perhaps someone decided to let ROLDA take over the
whole job of dog-feeding, and is now selling to pig farmers the leftovers
formerly given to the dogs....

(...)"

Please visit "Animal People" website : http://www.animalpeoplenews.org/and
sustain the valuable efforts its editors are doing daily in order to
maintain this newspaper as an independent and succesful source of
informations for all animal'lovers network!

Thank you for reading ROLDA free online newsletter!
Respectfully,
Dana
ROLDA Romania
www.rolda.home.ro
Phone/Fax:0040236830117
Mobile:0040721759742