Save Our Streetdogs Oradea - Back to Transylvania
I am a real fan of makeover programmes. From Ground Force to Changing Rooms, there is something about these shows that appeal to my natural impatience. I just love the thought that if you fill a place with enough men with muscles and women with brains, you can transform the grottiest hovel into a palace within 48 hours. The problem is, I just don't believe it's possible. I am always fairly sure that within a few days the MDF will have collapsed into the fake roman bath, or else the water feature will have overflowed leaving behind a bottomless swamp full of goldfish.
So it was with great trepidation I set off once again to Oradea in Romania. It had only been 13 weeks ago when I was there last time and so I was rather incredulous to be invited to witness the grand opening of SOS Oradea (Save Our Streetdogs). I couldn't believe it was possible that all the huge plans for the new catch, neuter and release centre could have come to fruition in such a short time especially when so much needed to be done. But then perhaps I had underestimated the determination and expertise of the three charities behind this ambitious project. When it comes to transformations, North Shore Animal League International, Battersea Dogs and Cats Home, and Dogs Trust certainly teach Handy Andy a thing or two! Well so I hoped anyway.
Oradea is not the easiest place to get to. Being in Transylvania in the north west of Romania it is nowhere near Bucharest airport. So the fastest way to get there is to fly to Budapest and then hire mini vans for the five hour drive. The flight was uneventful except for a few mutterings from fellow passengers. "Is it...?" "I'm not sure...", "It definitely looks like her..." "No, it can't be" but yes it was! Travelling with us on the trip was Shauna Lowry TV presenter and total animal lover. Shauna is not just known here in the UK for her many TV programmes (including the one she made at Battersea), but is known internationally for her presenting on Discovery Channel's Animal Planet. Travellers will know that in virtually any country in the world you can turn on the TV and you can watch animals for 24 hours a day on this wonderful channel and Shauna is an Animal Planet regular. So Shauna was the perfect choice to open SOS Oradea. You don't have to talk to Shauna for long to realise just how much of a dog lover she is (and the endless dog-themed T-shirts are also a bit of a give-away) and it was obvious she was as happy to be on the trip as everyone was to have her there.
After the two hour flight and the seven hour drive (I know I said it was only five hours, but that was before the engine dropped out of one of the vans at the border) we arrived, tired, exhausted but eagerly awaiting our first views of the site the next day. Not everyone however was altogether confident about the grand opening. It had fallen to Deana Selby from Dogs Trust to arrange the event. Now just imagine trying to organise marquees, finger food, and drinks, when you can only talk on the phone (to the Transylvania Company no less!) to someone who spoke no English and strangely Deana's Romanian isn't great! I found Deana sitting in the hotel bar worrying that we would turn up to find a couple of boy scout tents for the marquees and some pigs running round the field for the finger buffet!
The next day we piled into our one remaining mini bus and headed off to the site. The first thing we all noticed was that Deana's fears had been unfounded, and her communication with the Transylvania Company had obviously been successful. The marquees were there, the food was there, and there was more drink than could be imagined (maybe they heard about our last trip to Oradea!?). It all looked beautiful, even complete with flower arrangements so there was much relief.
Then we headed off to look at what we had all come to see and what for North Shore Animal League International, Battersea Dogs and Cats Home and Dogs Trust was the result of an incredible amount of hard work, energy and vision the centre itself.
The last time I was here, the site consisted of three Portakabins stuck in the middle of an enormous muddy space. It looked as far from being a centre of animal welfare as you could possibly imagine. How things changed in 13 short weeks. The Portakabins have all been moved to their permanent locations and mounted on concrete blocks. These now house the operating theatre, recovery room, offices, equipment and food stores etc and all are beautifully painted and wonderfully tidy. Surrounding the Portakabins are kennels where dogs can be housed waiting to either be released back to where they had been brought in from, or to be rehomed. Behind the kennels is the Freedom Field, a large area where the dogs can be exercised and are able to mix and play with each other. Over the top of the kennels and Portakabins is a large roof to protect the whole area from the sun of summer and the deep snows of winter. The whole site buzzed with the excitement of the staff who seemed as proud of their new centre and their charges as the three organising charities so obviously were with the immense achievement.
As always, everyone was attracted to the dogs, and we all spent quite some time wandering round and talking to the them. Everyone was deeply moved by the dogs here. They were just so friendly, and I think we all lost our heart to at least one of them. If there had been any way we could have taken them home, our already overcrowded mini bus would have had many more passengers. One of the ironies that hits you so forcibly in Oradea is that virtually every single dog in the centre would be snapped up like a shot if they were to find themselves in a rescue centre here in the UK. Their tragedy is that they were born in Eastern Europe. Kennel after kennel housed lovely, friendly, social dogs that were delighted that for once in their lives they were the centre of someone's attention. While it was great to know that something was being done for these dogs, it was so very hard to leave them. I doubt anyone managed to walk away without their feelings of hope for the future being tinged with a deep sadness that it was all so necessary.
Thankfully it looks like people in Oradea do care about the plight of their dogs. More and more people began to arrive for the opening including a class of children who had been working with the SOS Oradea's Education Programme. After a tense moment when it looked like the guest of honour the Mayor (who had donated the land for the project) may not turn up (he was just making a 'fashionably late' entrance) the opening began. After speeches by many of those involved, the children sang and recited poetry about dogs. There was something so very moving about the earnestness of the children and it showed just how vital education is, and how much these children would be the future for the street dogs. Then finally, Shauna and the Mayor cut the ribbon to declare the centre open.
It was amazing to believe just how much had been achieved in such a short time. It is also rather tragic to think that this is just the tip of a very big iceberg. The dogs that pass through this centre are the lucky ones. All over Eastern Europe, the problems are the same but the opening of SOS Oradea is not the end of the story. It is just the beginning. It will be the model that other such schemes can be based on, giving street dogs everywhere a chance of life. We have become somewhat blasι here in the UK. Yes, we have suffering, but not on this scale. This is something we can't even begin to imagine.
Here in Eastern Europe, three charities are making a huge difference for the dogs a difference that will hopefully safeguard their future and change their lives forever. Now that is a huge makeover.