Dear friends & supporters,

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unfortunately since the civil war ended in 1992 Bosnia's stray animal problem began to spiral out of control and tragically no big efforts have been made amongst most of the population to change this situation. Add to that the indifference or even intense dislike for strays by so many people as well as the opinion that animals don't matter and the result you get is a country where animals endure unspeakable cruelty and neglect. Strays are even regarded as vermin by many. 

Until 2009 there were no regulations in place to help animals or protect their wellfare and even nowadays they are not really enforced much nor are they fully adequate. This is where animal lovers in Bosnia, as well as people and organizations from other countries come in. To educate, provide funds and relieve the burden by offering homes for these unlucky dogs.

 

Of course there is the often asked question, why dogs from abroad? Have we not got enough dogs in this country that need help? People in the UK are divided in their views on this subject and we respect that. Paws2Freedom is helping many UK dogs where we can, but there are also so many dogs in need worldwide who did not choose the country they were born in. They are innocent, these poor victims of human failure. Does true love for dogs know country borders? Does it in fact know any limits? In our opinion the answer is NO. There are no limits. A dog in need is a dog in need.

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You may have been asking why we chose to help the dogs in this particular shelter. We have heard nothing but good things about this rescue initiative. Located in a city called Prnjavor, the BARK ARK SHELTER in Bosnia is run by dedicated animal lover Bojan Veselica and a small team of helpers. In the shelter there are dogs from all over this area, Derventa, Celinac, Modrica and the shelter holds the dogs from the entire region. In return for receiving permission to run this massive shelter which on average houses up to 500 dogs, Bojan has agreed to also catch the strays in the area. For the dogs this is very positive as they will be caught with expertise and kindness.

 

Bojan's team is only small and the work is extremely hard, but they are achieving great things. There are a number of  rescuers, rescue organizations and other dedicated people helping this shelter and the dogs in whichever way they can. Everyone does their bit in different ways which is absolutely amazing, but sadly it is never quite enough given the magnitude of the stray dog problem. Funds need to be raised to pay for the huge demand for dog food in the shelter every single day. Imagine 700 dogs of all ages, shapes and sizes! Some with medical needs which also have to be funded. The bills are massive and mounting!

The DogsTrust run a wonderful project in this region where they are helping by providing free sterilization for street dogs which sometimes makes Bojan's life a bit easier when he picks them up from the streets as they are already done. 

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The ones who are helping are all part of a big rescue puzzle. Each and every one of us. We are all pieces of different shapes who make a complete picture as we all fit together. It's heartwarming teamwork. Paws2Freedom offers rehoming for dogs until the spay/neuter has taken the effect we pray for. It has been proven by similar projects in other areas that with dedicated spay/neuter programs, over the period of often many years the stray dog problem can be almost eliminated. Others raise funds to feed the dogs. While others again offer emotional support and spread the work with love for dogs in their heart and respect for the rescuers in Bosnia who are brave and dedicated enough to make a difference. Bojan is such a person. What he achieves he does with only limited help. He does his best with the limited resources he has available. He sure has our admiration and respect! Together we are all the picture of hope for a better tomorrow for animals. 

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After some research we simply could not turn a blind eye. The reputation of the BARK ARK SHELTER is excellent and we chose to trust them. So we decided to help in whichever way we can.  Being just a small rescue we can only do our bit with the limited resources we have available here. And as we only rehome in our area of Cornwall/Devon or in the area where our foster homes are based we would like to invite you to visit Bojan's Facebook group and meet some of the beautiful dogs he rescues and who are looking for homes. If you are not based in our area or even in the UK, there will be others who are able to help you should you wish to adopt a dog from the Bark Ark Shelter. If you are in our area, we welcome your enquiries about a particular dog you may have spotted. Please don't hesitate to contact us here or email or message us on Facebook. 

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Let's make a difference! 

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