dubrovnik-2016-12

The Croatian government has ruled that the Zarcovica Animal Shelter in Dubrovnik can remain open. This is after our supporters played a major role highlighting the plight of 300 dogs cared for by a handful of brave women on a wind and rain swept mountainside near the tourist city.

The Mayor of Dubrovnik won’t create a municipal shelter and is waging a campaign against Zarcovica. He wants the dogs seized and sent to places where they will be killed. In the middle of the night, when there was just one lone woman on duty, he sent armed police to seize 65 dogs.

But now the national government has stepped in and given the dogs a reprieve. It will allow the shelter to operate, providing it revaccinates the 300 dogs who live there. At the same time, members of the Dubrovnik City council are asking the Mayor to create a new shelter in a more suitable place and to explain what happened to money the city budgeted to do this.

We are winning. The Mayor is being pressured from all sides and there is hope, but right now the situation is desperate. A new compound can’t be built before winter, so makeshift-dog-houses must be made safe and warm to provide refuge from the winter storms, food provided, and of course, money raised for the vital vaccinations.

Our pressure on the Mayor of Dubrovnik is working but we can’t stop now. Please help me take the dogs safely through winter and protect them from the Mayor. We can’t save these dogs without your help.

We are providing funds for proper shelters for the dogs to vaccinate all 300. If we can do that, the government of Croatia will let the shelter stay open, regardless of what the mayor says. The mayor of Dubrovnic, already convicted once of corruption and facing more charges, may be able to live with his conscience, but our supporters will not.