A look at Romania
Gut Aiderbichl helps dogs in need
Long before Gut Aiderbichl was founded, Michael Aufhauser was very concerned about street dogs in southern and eastern Europe. He could not let go of their fate – he had already seen and witnessed too many cruelties. In 1991, he was one of the first to report on the killing of dogs in Spanish perreras (animal shelters), and he did not miss the opportunity to buy many of these poor dogs himself and place them in good homes.
Just like Michael Aufhauser back then, this issue still concerns the Gut Aiderbichl team today – almost 30 years later. In 2017, we decided to launch the “Stray Dog Project Romania”. At the time, an animal lover asked us for help because she and her almost 300 dogs had to leave the property where they lived. The woman could not cope without help, as even the daily care of her dogs was already a major challenge for her, without electricity and running water.
But why are there so many street dogs in Romania in the first place? Romania is an extremely shaken country that has to deal with many problems from the past. Communism has changed the country, the cities and their inhabitants forever. And thus also the lives of the dogs. Because they found themselves on the streets and more and more of these former pets became street dogs.
Many people saw and still see no need to neuter dogs and cats. Others do not have the money to finance this operation because they have to feed their children. So there is a cycle that is difficult to break. As in many other countries, such as Greece, the state is responsible for the strays and has tried many solutions. One of them is to place them in state animal shelters, which are unfortunately very often poorly managed and the dogs have to endure terrible conditions until they are killed after a grace period of 14 days… This practice is not new and can unfortunately also be found in Spanish perreras, in the USA, Greece and many other countries. Unfortunately, there are no serious animal welfare laws in these countries.
In Romania, as in other countries, it is particularly important for all animal welfare activists working on behalf of street dogs to continue to highlight positive examples. It is important to support the population in dealing peacefully with weaker animals, to be a role model for them and to show them alternatives.
Neutering projects are also very important. Over 2,000 dogs and cats have already been neutered by the Gut Aiderbichl team in recent years. Thanks to the hard work of other organisations, the situation in Romania seems to be improving. We also receive this information from other countries. But there is no time to rest on our laurels – there is still a lot to do and the suffering of the street dogs and cats is very great.
Since the start of our stray dog project, the Gut Aiderbichl team has already been able to take around 453 dogs (as of 16 February 2021) off the streets – 309 of which have already found their way to a new loving home. The trend is of course rising and we hope that we can help many more. And we owe this to people like you, who place enormous trust in us and support us financially!
Simon Hahn, head of the stray dog project in Romania, remembers almost every dog rescue, but one in particular sticks in his mind: dog Vanessa. He found her badly injured at a petrol station in Bucharest. When she saw him, she immediately started wagging her tail as if she knew he was her saviour in distress. Without hesitation, the brave dog crawled towards him, as she didn’t have much left to lose. She entrusted Simon Hahn with her life and her trust was not disappointed: today the three-legged dog lives at Gut Aiderbichl Henndorf and enchants absolutely everyone who meets her. By the way, she is still looking for a loving home.
“You should keep your conviction to want to help and your belief in the good. Despite all the negative and sobering experiences we have in animal welfare in general, there are always touching encounters and stories that show that our commitment to animals is ALWAYS worthwhile. We must not give up, we simply owe it to our fellow creatures!” (Simon Hahn)
Our belief in destiny and the rightness of our actions keeps us fighting. Together we have already achieved a lot and can achieve even more! It is only thanks to your support, dear Aiderbichler and animal lovers, that we can help so many dogs in Romania and give them a good life until the end of their natural lives. Please continue to support us with a symbolic sponsorship or a donation. We and our animals thank you from the bottom of our hearts.
