The task of completing the work about running the asylum has been assigned to a small group of volunteers who selflessly help the asylum.  Though there is a website for this asylum, the picture about it is not clear until one personally gets there.  Therefore the ACT Foundation Serbian team visited the asylum “Bella” on the 13^th December 2013.

The day was clear, dry and cold. Our arrival was not unnoticed – the dogs came around us, and we even fondled some like tame domestic doggies. To be honest, they really tamed them and trained them, they keep them tidy, though they are predominantly tortured, beaten, wounded and abandoned animals! Of course, there are exceptions, some of them are still distrustful and unpredictable. We were welcomed by the barking from all around, along with the smells indescribably persuasive for the kennels, though they are conscientiously kept and they are in the open. And we melted while listening to Zorka, this brave woman while she was talking openly for a long time, about the help they received so far, about various, often unfulfilled promises, then about the needs, the long-term ones as well as the immediate ones, related to the dog care.

When you look at the website, it looks sweet and charming, but it is physically harsh and elbow-grease and it is all for the good of the dogs. Zorka is 65 years old and she is fit and healthy. She lives at the messuage, being more in the cold than in the warm. She lives in a little house which is utterly poorly furnished, without the entrance door, and the door in the corridor are also rather decayed. She is a frugal person who spends every dinar (RSD) on the needs of her pets, whereas she uses only minimum for herself, so she heats her house very occasionally and it is very cold inside.

The asylum is vast and has about 400 dogs out of which 390 have been sterilised and well fed. What is the problem is the accomodation of these dogs in the cold – they need blankets and also terry so that she can wipe the dogs she washes, as well as to warm up those younger ones during these cold days. Zorka has employed two people to help her with this huge job.

The dogs mainly lie on the straw, but it is possible that they get infected whenever a disease or some poisonous tick occurs as now is the case. That is why they have to burn larger amounts of straw which is an additional expense. They mostly have the medicines and food, they need vaccination against rabies. If you have contacts with veterinarians or city office which deals with this issue and you can help us to push this, please let us know. Zorka has already tried it several times, but was rejected with various excuses.