From Africa to Europe, South Korea and the Caribbean, August saw our team providing emergency support to thousands of animals in critical need. Here are your donations in action.
South Korea (precise location withheld to protect the animals)
When a fire wiped out the Jindo Love Rescue animal shelter for survivors of the dog meat trade in South Korea, we turned to you for urgent help. 20 dogs perished because of the fire, and several fled in fear. Many survivors needed critical medical care, and the shelter’s food supplies were destroyed. As a result of your generosity, we were able to rush emergency funds to help the injured animals, fill bellies, search for survivors, and begin to rebuild. Even though the shelter has 24-hour ‘foster mothers’ who live on the premises, the fire was too powerful to stop in time to prevent the tragic deaths. The cause of the fire is still under investigation, and we will update you as soon as we know more.
Athens, Greece
In the semi-rural area of Aspropyrgos near Athens, thousands of unwanted dogs and puppies roam the streets. They are known as ‘ghost dogs’ because they are so afraid of humans, they emerge only to fill their bellies before disappearing back into the shadows. They are starving and terrified, and many are sick, dying and riddled with parasites - like little Shannon, who was being eaten alive by ticks. Thanks to your support, and together with our partner, Ghost Dogs of Aspropyrgos, we were able to rush funds for her life-saving treatment and give her, and her mother, the sustenance they urgently needed. Thank you for donating - your kindness gives these unloved ‘ghost dogs’ warmth and love they wouldn’t otherwise know.
Harare, Zimbabwe
All Annabelle did to end up abandoned at a shelter was be a cat in Zimbabwe. Annabelle, along with another 110 cats, live at the Friend Animal Foundation (FAF) in Harare - a shelter you helped us rescue from closure in 2021, saving nearly 500 dogs and more than 100 cats. Now that the shelter’s most urgent needs are met, we have turned our attention to the cattery, which is in dire need of improvement. The cats, most of whom will spend their entire lives at the shelter, were in need of new beds, improved shelter and recovery areas, and better stimulation. Thanks to your kindness, we will be able to help improve these areas and give the cats warmer, brighter, happier spaces to live out their lives - all nine of them!
Roatan, Caribbean
A little while ago, we told you about the desperate situation for animals on the island of Roatan in Honduras. On a recent visit, our team saw first-hand the horrors this shelter faces every day - animals hacked with machetes, deliberately burned with boiling water, and run over by cars. We asked our supporters to help these tragic little souls, and thanks to you, we are able to give much-needed support to Roatan Rescue as they battle the brutalities committed against Roatan’s street animals every day.
War in Ukraine
It’s been six months since war began in Ukraine and the situation keeps deteriorating for animals devastated by the conflict. We are still there working with partners on the ground providing food, logistical help and four rescue vehicles (so far). Your donations have enabled us to help some 5,500 animals. We are so grateful for the kindness you continue to show the animals of war – dogs and cats with no other hope but you - and we know that if they could, they would thank you, too!
Little Acts of Kindness: Stray the cat
Our Little Acts of Kindness program helps animals like Stray - an elderly street cat who was in desperate need of surgery after developing an abscess in her mouth. Not only did we cover the cost of her surgery, but the even better news is that Stray now has a loving home to live in during her final years. Little Acts of Kindness are made possible because of your support. Stray, and thousands of others, sleep in warm beds and have full bellies because of you.
(P.S: As every cat lover knows, street cats are notoriously hard to photograph! These snaps are the best Stray would allow us to capture!)
As always, thank you for being a friend to the animals when they need it most. None of our work, in any of the more than 20 countries we operate in, would be possible without you.
Image credits: Image 1: Jindo Love & Image 5: Vetmarket
