Dubrovnik is a famous tourist destination! A beautiful city  in Croatia where a lot of celebrities spend time golfing and enjoying the sunshine. What they don't see is Dubrovnik's dirty secret Dubrovnik's SHAME!  Žarkovica Animal Shelter!

 The shelter is located on a hill  "Žarkovica"  where a historical fortress is located. Other than a spectacular view, there isn't anything good about it!  The weather conditions are trying! Strong winds, lightening & thunderstorms, landslides often occur from the duluge of rain.  There is no place to hide from the sun in summer time nor the freezing rains in winter.

  This shelter has NO electricity No running water. When night comes, volunteers are forced to us lights on their caps. It's more than dangerous in the rainy season when the ground is muddy and slippery! 

  Water is brought in for the dogs  in plastic buckets from a big tank. During the winter, of course the water is freezes and it has to be heated many times throughout the day on an open fire so that the dogs can have water. It's impossible for the voluntees to wash their hands and there are no toilet facilities!  

 For  just the past 6 years the city has sporadically given the shelter food which is not nearly enough to feed the dogs year round and they rely heavily on public donations, which often run short.  Leaving the dogs hungry as well as wet and cold ! The city does not pay any employees to work at the shelter.  The city basically ignores the fact that the shelter exsists.

  They also totally ignore the fact that there are many stray cats in Dubrovnik.  Cats have never been acknowleged by they city and so have never received any food or money for care. Their care has been taken on entirely by volunteers who feed, foster and adopt them out.

 The only thing the shelter has plenty of, is love. This is the  fascinating story here!  The dogs are not complaining. They have huddle together, they feel safe here in these conditions.They know they have a  "Guardian Angel".

  Her name is Sandra. She and a small group of volunteers have dedicated the past 13 years to saving these dogs. She is there 24/7 even  sleeping with them in a small container. Many, even men, have tried to help from time to time but they all leave. The conditions are too rough! She is alone. Sandra and her dogs.

  The Croatian Animal Welfare Act states  every city must have shelter for abandoned animals.  This has been ignored by Dubrovnik officials and now it's time for them to own up to their responsiblities. The must support these animals as their own law demands! The must not be allowed to leave the responsiblity of over  350 dogs to one woman!  

  Please add your voice to help change things for this one woman and the more than 350 dogs relying on her.

 

Dubrovnik je poznata turistička destinacija!Predivan grad u Hrvatskoj gdje mnogi turisti i poznate osobe uživaju u ljepotama grada.Zašto oni ne vide ružnu tajnu Dubrovnika?Sklonište za životinje na Žarkovici.
Sklonište se nalazi na brdu poviše grada gdje se nalazi povijesna tvrđava Žarkovica.Osim predivnog pogleda, Žarkovica ne nudi previše drugih ljepota.Vremenski uvjeti su teški.Jak vjetar, munje i oluje, pijavice i odroni nakon čestih kiša.Nema previše mjesta za zaklon od sunca ljeti ni zaklona od hladnih kiša zimi.
Sklonište nema električnu energiju ni tekuću vodu.Kad padne mrak, volonteri rade pod svjetlima lampi.U vrijeme kiša tlo je sklizavo i opasno.
Voda se raznosi psima u plastičnim kantama iz velikog tanka.Naravno da se u zimskom periodu voda zamrzava pa je nekad potrebno i grijati vodu kako bi psi imali za piti.Volonteri nemaju gdje oprati ruke niti mogu koristiti toalet.
Zadnjih nekoliko godina grad Dubrovnik povremeno osigurava hranu za pse u skloništu, ali to nije dovoljno za njihove potrebe pa se i privatne donacije koriste u tu svrhu.Grad ne plaća radnike u skloništu, pa zapravo izgleda kao da sklonište za grad ne postoji.
Činjenica da postoji i veliki broj uličnih mačaka u gradu ovaj grad ne zanima.Mačke nisu nikad prepoznate kao gradski interes tako da nisu nikada financirali hranjenje ili sterilizacije uličnih mačaka.Briga o mačkama prepuštena je volonterima koji ih hrane, brinu o njima i pronalaze im nove domove.
Jedino čega u skloništu ima puno je – ljubav!To i je fascinantno u cijeloj priči.Psi ne negoduju i ne bune se.Drže se zajedno i osjećaju se sigurni bez obzira na uvjete.Oni znaju da imaju svog „Anđela Čuvara“.
Ona se zove Sandra.Ona i volonteri Društva za zaštitu životinja su 13 godina svog života posvetili spašavanju i brizi o životinjama.Ona je tamo 24/7 i čak prespava sa psima u skloništu.Dolazili su ljudi pomagati s vremena na vrijeme, ali obično i odustanu zbog jako teških uvjeta u skloništu.Tako da Sandra ostaje sama sa psima u skloništu.
U hrvatskom Zakonu o zaštiti životinja stoji da svaki grad odnosno lokalna zajednica mora imati sklonište za napuštene životinje.To se ne poštuje od strane Dubrovačke vlasti i sada je vrijeme da preuzmu svoje obaveze i odgovornost.Moraju brinuti o životinjama na način kako kaže zakon.Ne može odgovornost za 350 pasa biti na jednoj osobi i volonterima.
Pomozite nam svojim glasom da promijenimo trenutnu situaciju za 350 pasa u skloništu.