On a cold, wet, windswept mountain in Croatia an elderly dog is dying of cancer. He should be spending his last days in warmth and comfort being spoiled. Instead he lives in an open compound behind wire fencing, forlornly wagging his tail, looking for love.
Gora, who is 16, has lived at the Zarcovica animal shelter near Dubrovnik for most of his life, cared for by a totally dedicated woman called Sandra Sambrailo. Gora was never lucky enough to find a forever home, but Sandra gives him all the love she can. She made certain Gora got veterinary care when he became sick.
Sadly, the vets are running out of treatment options for Gora and time is running out for this poor, sweet little fellow. The sad truth is that Gora’s end will probably come one cold, wet night this winter with the wind howling and the rain lashing down. At Zarcovica, temperatures drop as low as 12 degrees Fahrenheit (-11 degrees Celsius) and Sandra can only provide partial protection for him because without electricity or proper kennels she can’t keep him warm.
In winter, Sandra actually sleeps with Gora and other needy dogs, huddling with them throughout the night.
Network for Animals has been fighting for the dogs of Zarcovica for the past four years and we will do our best to make Gora’s last days happy ones and maybe, just maybe, with your help, Gora will make it through the winter to feel the spring sun on his face one more time.
The really worrying thing is that Gora is not an isolated case. 300 dogs would be dead without our help and Zarcovica!
This is what we are dealing with
Scandalously, Dubrovnik, Croatia’s richest city, has no municipal animal shelter. Zarcovica is the only hope local street dogs have. The problem is that Zarcovica is situated on the only land Sandra could find, a mountain top where it is illegal to build. She has no electricity or running water and the dogs live in makeshift enclosures that do not provide proper shelter in bad weather.
How can this be allowed to happen?
The law says Dubrovnik must have a shelter so why isn’t there one?
The answer is complicated. Dubrovnik’s mayor Mato Francovic is trying to build a municipal shelter, but he keeps getting blocked. Every time he found a suitable piece of land, local people refused to let him build there saying the dogs would be too noisy. Now, at last he’s found land and construction should begin soon, but the shelter won’t be ready this coming winter.
Poor cancer-ridden Gora and the other dogs face the harsh winter exposed to fierce rain and sub-zero temperatures in open enclosures!
But they won’t be entirely alone because we will be helping to do all we can to make the dogs’ lives as comfortable as possible. We can’t move 300 dogs to somewhere warm, but with your help we can support Sandra and the shelter. Please, if you possibly can, donate right now to help Gora have a peaceful end and his friends hang on until the new shelter is ready.
For the animals,
Brian and Gloria Davies (and Max and Flora!)
Founders
Network for Animals
P.S. Gora is a sweet and friendly dog, but so are all the dogs at Zarcovica. Every one of them has a sad story, every one of them needs our help. Please if you love dogs as much as we do, give generously today.