Aug/06

AUGUST 2006 – THE DRAMATIC SITUATION OF THE CALARASI KENNEL

No comments · Posted by in 2006-2007

We could not believe our eyes when last 8 August we entered the Sufletel kennel. What was meant to be an inspection to eventually spend some days there with our mobile clinic became an emergency for our project. We found an alarming situation, perhaps the saddest and worst of all among those faced over these past 4 years. 230 dogs were kept there in miserable conditions owing to lack of funds or lack of management skills. 100 dogs were severely or terminally ill owing to severe skin diseases.

9 – 11 AUGUST 2006

4 vets from Unisvet, 3 volunteers from Save the Dogs and a worker from the Cernavoda kennel spent 3 days, working intensely for 10 hours a day, at the Calarasi kennel

Unfortunately, some dogs were in such poor health conditions that they had to be euthanized. In particular, our team recalls with great sadness two dogs affected by a severe ascites which had caused much suffering to the poor animals and could not be healed.

All the pets had a worming and flea treatment. About 100 dogs were treated with Ivomec (ivermectin) against mange. About 40 male dogs were neutered.

We bought material for an amount of 600 euros and set up a sanitary belt around the kennel (delimited by some metallic grids). We bought cement, shelter, wood and metallic pillars and a barrow.

We also met the Vice-mayor of the town, one of the authorities most open to dialogue and apparently willing to change the strategy set in place to control the problem of stray dogs in the town. We explained to the Vice-mayor that we are not able to run a third project but we offered him help to start a project similar to those run in Cernavoda and Medgidia.

The 4-5 tons of bones and corpses lying next to the kennel were removed by a bulldozer and disposed of. Unfortunately, despite a picture of our team was published on the first page of a local newspaper, the following day dog catchers were working full capacity in the city centre.

Special thanks go to the Unisvet vets who worked side by side for 3 long and sad days with the volunteers of STD. We feel indebted to Luca, Sveva, Monica and Marcello for their hard work and professionalism and their emotional involvement and logistic support.