Rocky’s Sanctuary Appeal

What does Rocky need right now?

The question we at Kiki’s HOPE for Animals rescue have received hundreds of times over the past couple of weeks.

We have given this matter a great deal of thought and our answer has been further validated by the shocking revelations from his x-ray results.

Rocky has come into our lives as our rescue is facing some incredibly difficult times, our worst times ever to be exact.

Funding for many organisations has dropped back dramatically along with adoptions. All at a time when the sheer number of animals being dumped has risen sharply, all of which combined together, has caused a ‘perfect storm’ of misery.

As a result, our wonderful team on the ground have had to cope with the heartache of leaving many animals on the streets to fend for themselves this year as there simply isn’t any more rescue or kennel space available and raising the funds to support the existing animals is a daily struggle, causing extreme stress.

When Rocky was found we couldn’t leave him to die in that terrible place but we knew that helping him was going to add to all these pressures we are already facing. So we must say that the support and attention he found has been unbelievable and we can’t thank you enough for all the support and care you have all offered.

We have over 140 dogs and 61 cats and kittens under our care at this moment. We have never had so many animals to try and support and we don’t have the facilities to house this many creatures.

As a result many dogs have been placed in private pension/kennel facilities at a HUGE cost to us every month and the ones still with us are crammed into tiny and unsuitable living conditions which are not fit for purpose any longer.

Indeed we write this post with a very heavy heart as we lost another of our beloved long term residents overnight, he simply died in his tiny kennel and gave up on life. Another of our dear souls was killed in a fatal dog fight earlier in the summer and this fear is with us constantly as we manage this difficult situation.

Put simply, our animals are literally dying for a better shelter.

So in answer to the question of “what does Rocky need right now” - he needs a safe haven, a proper sanctuary, somewhere to live out the rest of his life in a place where he knows that nothing can harm him and people are there to simply care for him.

Rocky is a Sarplaninac. A livestock guarding breed native to the Balkans, famously beautiful, loyal and stubborn. Unfortunately these traits have not worked in Rocky’s favour as although his amazing supporters have fallen in love with his gorgeous face, the incredibly agonising and life altering torture he has experienced at the hands of his former owners means it is unlikely that he will ever trust a human enough to become an even-tempered, predictable, domestic ‘family pet’.

And it would be wrong of us to try to make him into something he is not. He is also showing signs of trauma in the sense that, if someone moves suddenly, he becomes aggressive out of sheer fear.

A behaviourist likened it to soldiers who are mentally scarred by the cruelty of war and get flashbacks which cause them to lash out and act violently.

You may wonder ‘why not put him down if he is aggressive?’ But he is not. He is traumatised and damaged, physically and mentally, but still deserves a life and the chance to nurture his sweet, kind side.

At the best of times a Sarplaninac is known to thrive best in a mentally stimulating environment, socialising with dogs and having minimal but pleasant human interaction. And we can provide this environment. Just because a dog is not a suitable ‘pet’, doesn’t make their life any less valuable, and doesn’t mean they shouldn’t receive a life full of quality care and compassion.

Rocky and all our other broken souls desperately need a new sanctuary, a true shelter with proper indoor kennels and cattery. They deserve to know the joy of plush beds, toys, sanitary flooring. Of heating during the bitterly cold winter months and protection from the unbearably hot, roasting summers.

Why can’t they stay on the street?

Dogs are hit by cars every day, accidentally and purposefully. They are poisoned or shot. Smaller dogs and puppies are ‘played with’ and tortured for fun. They have deadly and severely contagious diseases and parasites. Then there are the dreaded dog catchers who cruelly round up strays and take them to grim state pounds where certain death awaits.

We want Rocky to join us when he is physically better but that can’t happen unless we can move and create a better shelter.

We hope you will continue to extend your support for him despite him not being able to have the happy ending you have all probably imagined for him, sitting by the fire in a family home. He will still have a happy ending. One that is best for him, we are determined to make it so.

But we need a new Sanctuary.

For Rocky and for our many permanent residents, as well as the dogs who will come through our door in the future and leave to a forever family.

We need to raise £80,000 to buy a new property in Serbia to make into a sanctuary. About £50,000 of this will be spent on the land and property itself, and the rest on creating the dog housing and the cattery. Ideally we'd be able to create an isolation area and sick bay for poorly animals too, something we badly lack right now.

Any left over funds (if there are any) will be used for dog and cat beds, cat trees, dog and cat toys etc.

We have attached photos of the current shelter accommodation. Bedding doesn't survive in this environment so our dogs frequently sleep on wooden crates, or cold concrete floors. Try to imagine this in the dead of winter and the hardships they endure?

Please help us to change this so no more dogs are sacrificed to these conditions and that Rocky, and all of our dogs like him, can live happily and healthily in a new sanctuary of their dreams.

Please see the stories of a few of our other permanent residents in the ‘updates’ tab.

Facebook: Kiki’s P.A.W

Instagram: @Kiki’sPawClub

Website: KikisHope.Org