International Children's Day at Footprints of Joy in Romania

To celebrate International Children’s Day on 1 June, Footprints of Joy opened its doors to almost 200 children from Cernavodă and other nearby cities. A large group came to visit from the Ferentari district of Bucharest, accompanied by staff from the Casa Bună Association and an Orthodox priest, Father Enascu.

For a few hours, the shelter became a space for learning, connection and new experiences, where children had the opportunity to interact directly with animals in a meaningful and authentic way.

The undisputed stars of the day were many of our dogs, free-roaming cats and, of course, the true celebrities of Footprints of Joy, the donkeys, whose friendly nature always wins everyone over.

For many of the children, the experience was deeply memorable, encouraging new ways of relating to and understanding the animal world. Some of them spontaneously told us that it had been one of the most beautiful days of their lives – a reminder of the lasting impact that these moments of connection can have.

Just a few days earlier, we had the pleasure of welcoming back a group of 30 students from a specialist vocational school in Bucharest for visually impaired children, who were returning for the second time in two years. It was very touching to watch the interaction between the young visitors and our animals and to watch them leave with smiles on their faces, each carrying a large stuffed toy they had received as a gift.

One unexpected moment made the day even more memorable: the children had organized a small collection in support of the shelter. Their generosity and thoughtfulness were deeply moving.

Both visits from the children of the Ferentari community and the visually impaired students were made possible thanks to the support of the Ascendis Association, which fully sponsored both trips.

Footprints of Joy, Save the Dogs‘ center in Romania, aims to be an open and welcoming center where people and animals can meet, connect and learn from one another.

Only through understanding can we build a more harmonious and respectful relationship between people and animals.