Rudozem Street Dog Rescue

As some of you may have already read, RSDR are facing serious issues at the Veliko Branch where Kerry and Kosta are.   It has gotten to the stage, that we are now doing an emergency evacuation of all the dogs and cats at the VT branch, and moving Kerry and Kosta out and back to Rudozem. 

There have been people asking to help with publicity and telling the media, and at this stage I urge you to please wait until Kerry and Kosta are safe before you act!!!     The moving back and forth of all the dogs is going to happen in stages over the next 1-2 weeks as Rudozem is about a 7 hour drive from VT, and it will take awhile to build new pens at Rudozem, and arrange transport of 28 dogs and 9 cats.

At this stage, if you could just rally as much attention for people to donate instead for building of pens, transport and other expenses, and promote RSDR as much as possible by sharing our website www.streetdogrescue.com ....  and just showing your support.

Please help us to make RSDR finanically secure and prepared for any eventuality for both branches of RSDR in the next few months ahead!

There will be other expenses RSDR hasn't accounted for and they will need help with just caring and feeding over 80 dogs at the Rudozem building...and 30 dogs at the family house in Rudozem....  we have over nearly 120 dogs and still dogs on the streets.... Please donate by going to  http://www.streetdogrescue.com​/donatehelp.htm

For those that haven't seen the news.  This is a blog from Kerry Rowles at the Veliko Turnovo Branch   

15th July By Kerry Rowles

Last night while out walking Chanel, Kosta and I were confronted by a large group of gypsies who were threatening to beat up Kosta because of the dogs. They were shouting at us saying the dogs would get out and bite someone. Like Kosta said, none of our dogs can get out and even if they could they certainly wouldn't bite anyone. One man replied by saying he didn't want to take that chance and that he would take matters into his own hands with no regard for the law. After searching for help it has became clear that no one will. The police want names which we can't provide, half of the gypsies aren't even registered and the mayor wants to stay on the gypsies side with the elections coming up. If he upsets them he won't be voted in as mayor again. At the moment it isn't safe for Kosta to go anywhere and leave me alone as I have been flashed at, had rude and disgusting things shouted at me, been chased and had stones thrown at me. It isn't even safe for us to go anywhere together after Rambo was shot and after these latest threats we are so scared for the safety of the dogs. One person who has always been nice an helpful is worried and has told us to be careful as the gypsies might start throwing poison in the garden. Today the 'authorities' came round and someone has made a complaint saying that Chanel has mauled a childs face. She was never off the lead and we never even saw any children. They are now saying that we have to have Bigdog, George and Chanel destroyed as they are 'dangerous' and all the other dogs kept on a short chain or risk them being killed or taken away to the isolators.

We urgently need to get pens built and ready in Rudozem so that we can start evacuating the dogs but we are really short on funds. We are the minority in a gypsy village and it has became obvious that the situation will only worsen the longer we stay here. Things are now very
desperate!

PLEASE HELP BY DONATING AT THE BELOW LINK TO HELP US BUILD PENS AT THE RUDOZEM BRANCH...so we can make room for the dogs from the VT BRANCH.  http://www.streetdogrescue.com/donatehelp.htm Rudozem Street Dog Rescue

Kerry with Rusty and Scruffy.....and Kosta with George  ----   with just some of the dogs at the VT Branch

15 July 2011 ---  Update from Diane Rowles from Rudozem

I would like to thank everyone for your donations and your messages of support. I haven't had chance to add up the donations yet but i think we must have nearly 2000 euros. It is late now but I will work out the total as soon as I get chance. This should pay for the materials for the pens and the fuel for transport and hire of a large van to bring everything from the house. Pet Chauffeurs are going to collect maybe 15 of the dogs from Kerry's and bring them to Rudozem on Tuesday as they will be then taking our adopted dogs to Holland. Some of Kostas friends are going to stay with them on Monday. They will stay and help them pack and transport dogs back here as more pens are built and also help them to dismantle the pens there so that the wood and wire can be brought here. For now the dogs might be a bit crowded but we can use the materials from there at a later date to give them all a bit more room. The next week is going to be hectic as apart from seeing to over 80 dogs, we will be building from dawn to dusk so please accept my apologies if i am not able to answer any messages. Will keep anita informed so she can update. Thank you again to you all. Diane. xxx

The situation in Rudozem and Veliko Turnovo in regards to publicity by Anita Weber - RSDR Secretary

With regards to the support from police or any authorities with both the Rudozem situation with Diane & Tony that has been happening over the past few months...and now the situation in the town near Veliko Turnovo with Kerry & Kosta.  There has been no support whatsover, and we are facing a losing battle with trying to get support by Police or the municpalities to help us.  

The Situation with Rudozem --   This whole year, RSDR has faced opposition over the change of use of the building, and turning the building into a dog shelter...we have faced a lot of opposition and had a lot of trouble from the municipality over any issue including just the building of a fence and now the official police complaint.

Without some Bulgarian friends who have been absolutely wonderful, and helped us in the past few weeks, the situation in Rudozem would be a lot worse.  The outcome of those proceedings are still yet to come to determine if Diane & Tony are doing anything illegal... And this is an issue that will be happening still in the next month ahead.  (see previous blogs for more news about this).

However with the situation now arising in VT, it has become an emergency and has taken priority.

With knowing what has happened the last few months, the publicity in Rudozem, did cause a bit of anger in the community with some going more against RSDR and actually causing more problems.  So at this stage we have to be careful even with publicity as it can backfire.   So I ask everyone to please to wait until Kerry and Kosta are safe.

In VT where Kerry and Kosta are, the police have shown they will not do anything if they do not have names of the gypsies........at the moment we are concerned with getting the dogs out....for not only the dogs safety....but for Kerry and Kosta too...

When Kerry and Kosta first arrived to the area in VT in Bulgaria in October 2010, the house they were going to be staying in, had been ransacked and broken into by gypsies...things smashed.   Kerry reported it to the police.

A few months later...a gypsy was breaking into the house next door and she rang the police and reported it and he got caught!!!... since then this one gypsy has had a vendetta ......and now all of them are hassling them.   Kerry has been harrassed and followed around by Grown men and had stones thrown at her, and has been chased!!!    Kerry is 20 weeks pregnant. They have threatened Kosta, aswell as told him not to leave Kerry alone as she is going to get it!     The village consists of over 700 gypsies, whilst there is only 2 of them.

At this moment the main concern is to get them both out and all 28 dogs and 9 cats out of the house as fast as we can, before anything can happen. 

At VT, there has already been one dog shot, Rambo!! And even though he has recovered, there have been threats that they will continue to do so, so throw poison in the yard. The gypsies will go as far as biting their own children...and then will say it's one of the dogs!!!

It is extremely dangerous for Kerry & Kosta to be left alone in a town where the police, and mayor will not do anything.

Diane is also worried a lot about publicity because even though peoples intentions are good and she wants to fight and said she would if it was just her.....however it is her family that is in danger if it backfires. So I can understand her concerns because they will be the ones left alone in a village with people against them....

However in saying that it might be contradictory to be now writing this on the blog....but RSDR do need help with funds, and urgently appeal for everyone to help and make a donation, so RSDR can immediately evactuate the dogs, build pens, and continue to survive!!.....  

We will not only need the funds for this emergency situation, but also need funds for the care and feeding of the dogs, aswell as secure some financial security for the serious outcome still to be decided on the future of RSDR at Rudozem.

If everyone could please make a donation, please go to http://www.streetdogrescue.com/donatehelp.htm  

Anita Weber, RSDR Secretary
Rudozem Street Dog Rescue
www.streetdogrescue.com