International Projects
Our main objective is to help the dogs in Romania. However any dog or animal in distress tears us apart. So every year, as part of Paws2Rescue’s commitment to helping animals in desperate need around the world, we undertake one International Project in addition to our work in Romania.
2021 - Philippines
Our international work continuing into the future, as we continue our work with Philippine Animal Rescue Advocates (PARA), whom we have worked with since 2019.
This wonderful team now look after 76 rescue dogs, 18 puppies and 40 cats in their shelter in such difficult times during the coronavirus epidemic. With local donations and adoptions low, our support is so desperately needed at this time.
Whilst we are keen to continue our work with PARA, and improve animal rights conditions, during lockdown, this is proving more difficult sadly. In the meantime, the rain season has approached. The dogs need dog boxes, elevating matting for their beds, they need food, vitamins and medicine – and this is how we are helping.
The approximate monthly expenditure at this shelter is 45,000 Philippine Pesos (PHP) a month (this is approximately £670). This is split:
15 sacks of rice
25 sacks of dog food
Vegetables
Meat
Vitamins
Antibiotics
Caretakers salary x 2 12,000 PHP
Rental costs 5,000 PHP
Electricity 1,500 PHP
Water 1,000 PHP
How can you help? By one off donations, or a small monthly donation, you can help us to ensure that these dogs continue to be fed and cared for.
This is no luxury shelter, but step by step, we can help to improve these dogs’ lives. Here are a few of the rescued dogs – a world apart from their awful lives of abuse before they were brought here to safety.
2019 - Gambia
This year our International Project is Gambia.
Our friends in the UK, Tim and Tanya Catt, started helping a local pre school in Brufut, Gambia years ago. Conditions came to a head when they went last year to visit and the schoolchildren were in arrears in paying the landlord – he was threatening to close the school – shockingly, they only needed to pay £1 per term per child, but sometimes even this was hard to find. Our friends paid the arrears and decided to raise money locally back in the UK, to build a school that would be free for all children. The plans made, the school will consist of 3 classrooms 3 toilets running water to drink and an office. Amazingly the cost of building this school is only around £4,000-£5,000.
Working with the local dog and cat rescue Gambicats, we will educate the children about caring for animals, using our Paws2Rescue Education Programme already being used in schools across Romania.
Gambia has a huge problem with stray cats and dogs, and we are keen to educate and help the future generations. The school will also have chickens, which the children will be taught to look after.
With the land in Gambia purchased by our friends, and the perimeter wall built, the locals in Brufut are starting to make the bricks that will build the school.
We are so excited for our 2019 project and cannot wait to extend our Animal Care Education programme into Gambia.
2018 - Peru & Philippines
In 2018 our International Project was Peru. Our team flew from the UK to carry out street clinics in the shanty towns and a huge neuter programme across Augusta. Our legacy in Peru was to donate a projector to a local rescue, so that animal care films can be shown in schools and the communities.
2017 - South Korea
In 2017 we were involved in South Korea. We were involved in protests at the South Korean embassy in London. We supported local rescuers in saving dogs from a dog meat farm, where they would have been sold for eating. We also brought three of these dogs to the UK and re-homed them into loving families.
The dog meat trade in South Korea has long upset us, as we see horrific images of dogs being boiled alive, skinned alive and tortured before death in the most horrific manner – all because dog meat is supposed to be more tender if the dog dies in fear? How about not eating dogs, and treating man’s best friend with respect?
We have been fortunate enough to save three Jindo dogs from a dog meat farm in South Korea. They were destined for the dinner plate. Through our facebook auction page Paws2Dream, we successfully raised funds for their travel costs. Gem, Dami, and Dana arrived at London Heathrow at the end of June 2017. All three of these precious dog meat trade survivors have now been adopted and can leave their memories behind them.
