There’s not a single stray dog to be seen in Dubrovnik, Croatia’s richest city. That’s great for the cast and crew of the multi-million dollar Hollywood epic Robin Hood being filmed there, but a nightmare for the dogs.
More than 300 Dubrovnik street dogs are huddled on a windswept mountainside, shunned by the city and cared for by a few brave volunteers at the Zarcovica Animal Shelter. Incredibly, Dubrovnik is not giving a single cent to help and the dogs would be dead without the help of Network for Animals and Zarcovica’s dedication.
Leonardo DiCaprio, Robin Hood’s producer, is in Dubrovnik right now. He probably has no idea that Dubrovnik’s dogs are suffering so his movie has dog-free streets. Leonardo has an admirable record of caring about animals and will probably be horrified when he learns the truth. I hope so anyway.
In the meantime, dog lovers like us must help dogs in distress in Dubrovnik. They need food, veterinary care and shelter and the city point blank refuses to take responsibility. It would like the dogs to simply vanish and Zarcovica is an embarrassing reminder of its callous failure to help animals.
I have been fighting for the dogs since last year and progress has been made. The mayor of Dubrovnik recently stepped down, after we revealed that dog houses he claimed to have built did not exist and the money budgeted for them is missing. But the fight is not yet over. Right now Dubrovnik has no mayor. My representative, David Barritt, has rushed to Dubrovnik to talk to city officials this weekend, but they say their hands are tied until new elections in May. Obviously, the dogs can’t starve until May so I have promised more help.
I can only do this with your support. Please, please help the dogs of Dubrovnik by donating to Network for Animals right now, because in Dubrovnik you and I must become Robin Hoods and give to dogs in desperate need.
For the animals,
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