The dog shelter center was established in 1996 by a local animal care activist after the city council ordered the demolition of the swine yards at the edge of the town. The pigs were guarded by dogs, so hundreds of dogs were released and became strays. She realized the need for a shelter and with the help of the city council she moved the dogs to some stables next to the town. They quickly outgrew the grounds and moved in 2001 to an even smaller place with no water, kennels or money to build a proper shelter. A German Foundation came to help, bought more land, built kennels, a house for veterinary services. The council pays 2 workers, the German foundation pays 3 more workers, a vet, an administrator and gives other financial support for the shelter.

The Animal Care project in Romania offers volunteers the opportunity to support the welfare and protection of animals at a local dog shelter. The aim at the shelter is to assist in the protection of these animals, providing companionship, medical treatment, and opportunities for play. Many of the animals have been mistreated or abandoned and the long-term goal of the shelter is finding a suitable family for the dogs to be adopted, both locally and within Europe. Getting the dogs to interact with humans is a vital aspect of this placement as if the dogs cannot be socialized, it’s unlikely that they can be adopted into a loving home.

The shelter in Miercurea Ciuc is in better condition than many other Romanian shelters, but is different to Western European standards, so you’ll need to be prepared for this. There are hundreds of dogs and the shelter tends to get quite muddy, so you’ll need to dress accordingly. Most dogs are adopted, but those who are not, stay and live at the shelter and receive medical care on a permanent basis. All onsite dogs are fully vaccinated.

It’s important to note that volunteers participating from October until February need to be prepared for very cold conditions. You can expect lots of snow and the terrain to be muddy, so please ensure you pack accordingly. 

Number of dogs: around 300

Number of staff: 5 workers, 1 administrator, 1 vet

Your most important job is to help socialize the puppies/young dogs. There are numerous kennels containing puppies which you will be shown during your placement orientation. The idea is that the volunteer should spend at least 15 minutes in each kennel interacting with the puppies so they become familiar with human contact. The process:

• Get to know the dogs
• Spot which ones are less confident and try to pet them
• Give yourself a goal i.e. by the time you leave to have them eating from your hand or for them to allow you to pick them up.
• Try feeding them treats out of your hand.
• Brushing the dogs
• Providing basic obedience training
• Cleaning kennels
• Replacing or cleaning wet/dirty materials in the kennels
• Walking certain dogs on occasions and where specified
• Helping to maintain the shelter grounds on occasion and where specified
• Photograph the dogs to help with the shelters’ marketing
• Help promote the dog shelter and support the team during vaccination campaigns with the local community, again, this is only on certain occasions and where specified by staff members
• Depending on your project duration, you may have the opportunity to assist with some small construction projects (i.e. building dog runs and fences)

Advice from past volunteers

• When you have nothing to do, ask “How can I help?”. Try to be as proactive as you can, seeking out the tasks and asking when you are not sure.
• Make sure to wear clothes that you are happy to get dirty, ripped, chewed. If you didn’t bring such clothes, there a plenty of second hand shops in the city selling clothes at very cheap prices.
• Be prepared for dogs to jump all over you. Hence why you should not wear your best clothes.
• Do not take your phone into the kennels unless you want to take photos. Phones can be easily damaged whilst interacting with the dogs.
• The Animal Care project is a 20min cycle, 40min walk or short bus ride away from the volunteer accommodation. The local team has bicycles available for you to use if you wish.

Volunteers participating from October until February need to be prepared for very cold conditions, as most project work is based outdoors. You can expect ​a lot of snow and​ for​ the terrain to be muddy