Hi, my name is Agnieszka Bak and I've just left Albania heartbroken.

Please sign this petition to Mayor of Sarande to open a rescue center for stray dogs and cats. The number of stray dogs and cats in Albania is enormous, please help me to bring attention to this problem. Below is my personal heartbreaking story from my trip to Albania in September 2016, we need to do something to help those abused and hungry animals in there. Below you can find the letter I've sent to mayor of Sarande, please sign and share this petition, it's free and can save many innocent animals in Albania. Thank you!

Dear Mrs Florjana Koka,

At first please let me say thank you for being a mayor of an amazing place in Albania where me and my husband had a pleasure to spend a week at the end of the September. Albania is a beautiful country and that's the best place in Europe for any kind of tourists activity from beautiful beaches in Ksamil to hidden gem mountains in Theth.

I am writting to you to share my concerns regarding stray animals in Albania, but the most dusturbing in Sarande. On our last day in Albania on 4th of October 2016 we have been driving back to Sarande after visiting Theth. Just at the outskirts of Sarande in the forest we have seen a stray dog, looking quite slim. We puled back. We had a pet food in our car which we bought and carry with us after seeing so many stray dogs around, I took a can of a food and run back to the dog who was walking at the road towards the city.
Once I reached the dog, I was horrified. That was a female who most likely just had small doggies and was still feeding them. She was in such a bad condition that she barely walked straight. Her spine and ribs where visible and she was about to collapse. I slowly came close to her as she was very scared probably from cruelty she received from people in the past, and opened a food can. She was very exhausted and hungry and ate it in less then 30 seconds. At that point I was all in tears. This poor dog was dying and probably had to abandon her babies to survive.

What happened next was even more disturbing. Just 20 meters away was a car and two men selling fish. My husband stayed in a car as the dog was very scared of people, and he talked to the two men.
They said it's their dog and that they feed him with the remains of fish. It was clearly a lie as this dog haven't eaten for weeks prior to this day. Once I gain the dogs trust, I took him closer to the car as I planned to take him to Sarande and find some help. The older man tried to cross the street shouting at the dog, but I was screaming and crying to him to not cross the street. The dog was absolutely frightened of the man and run away. I followed her and gave her all of the food we had, so she can survive couple of days. She was too scared to take her to the car. At the end the man throw a stone toward her and shouted to her to go away I supposed. We waited until the man drove away. Then we tried to take her in, but it was impossible, she was too scared and she run away to the woods . I hope the food we left helped her survive at least couple of days. I was in shock and still am. It was two days ago, but I am still not well.

This letter is to bring to your attention the fact that in Albania nobody cares about stray cats and dogs. We have seen so many of them during one week, but this one case was simply shocking. I would like you to take some actions and open a shelter for those animals. I understand that financial resources are limited, but if you won't start castrate stray animals, their number will only increase. City council needs to start controlling that problem. I really hope that you already know about this and that organizing a rescue center is a matter of time. As a resident of UK I am more then happy to help running a fundraising page and happy to help with adoptions, however the city hall should be the main organ to fund that. I am also more then happy to fly back and help with opening the center. There was a lot of other tourists concerned about this as well and I am sure this action will greatly benefit your outcome. Tourism is a main source of income in Sarande and many tourists would not leave your country heartbroken if they will see that you are also looking after stray animals well.

Together with this letter I am also setting up a petition and fundraising page to collect money for this purpose.

I am very looking forward to your reply and I hope for a good future cooperation.

Kindest regards,
Agnieszka Bak

6/10/2016

London