Winter is coming to the dogs of Dubrovnik

Winter is coming fast to the City of Dubrovnic, Croatia – and the 300 rescued dogs that live in the Zarcovica Animal Shelter (run with great difficulty by truly dedicated volunteers) are suffering today on a wind-and-rain-swept mountainside and they urgently need your help.

The mayor of the richest city in Croatia, doesn’t care. When asked to help, his attitude was it was not his problem. He said: “I am under no legal obligation to create an animal shelter for stray dogs.”

He admitted the situation is ‘catastrophic’ and his solution is to send the dogs to places where they will be killed.

Seldom has Network for Animals encountered such callous indifference. The only thing that stands between these dogs and death are a few brave women, volunteers who stand guard over them day and night and struggle for their survival. Sandra Sambrailo, spends 24-hours-a-day at the shelter, sleeping at night in an abandoned container. She says she has to do this because once already the mayor sent armed police to enforce an illegal confiscation of the dogs in the middle of the night, when she was alone there. They took 65 dogs but were forced to give them back.

The City of Dubrovnic won’t give the shelter running water so Sandra and her volunteers carry heavy containers up the mountainside. The mayor won’t provide toilets so the women squat in the bushes. There’s no electricity so the women shiver in the cold, but they will not abandon the dogs.

And with your help, nor will Network for Animals. We are providing funds for proper shelters for the dogs and to buy portable toilets and a shelter for Sandra. The mayor of Dubrovnic, already convicted once of corruption and facing more charges, may be able to live with his conscience. So be it, but we know our supporters, and we know you won’t stand for this.

Please give generously so we can fight and win for the dogs of Dubrovnic. Together we will get them through winter.