David Wise and Hannah Carter are driving a round trip from Brighton to Romania next month to save dogs from kill shelters and to raise money for a local rescue charity. When we spoke to David about the trip he emphasised just how important the journey will be to him and his fiancé, Hannah.
It’s a known fact that owning dogs is beneficial to you mentally and physically. With owners less likely to suffer from depression and have better cardiovascular health. They are great listeners too, with three in ten adults feeling as though they listen to them more than their significant other. Human-dog relationships are something that have developed over 20,000 thousand years, with the end result being what we have today.
Our furry friends are a huge and influential part of our lives, but they aren’t always treated with the same adoration.
In Romania, stray shelters systematically kill and abuse dogs over a 14-day period. When they first arrive, they are crammed into kennels together with barely any food or water. There is no veterinary care or food so dogs either starve or die of diseases. If they are not claimed within two weeks of their arrival then they are given a lethal injection, often by someone who has not been trained to do so.
Reading this will obviously make you a little bit “angry” but does it make you cross enough to drive a 3000 mile round trip to save some dogs?
Well, David and Hannah from Brighton are doing just that. Next month the duo are doing the drive to bring back some dogs from these kill shelters in order to get them adopted. They have already adopted and fostered dogs from these places, like little Charlie (pictured). They plan to drive their Ford Mondeo to and from Romania with the goal of getting 4 to 5 dogs safely back home.
The pair first got involved with Small dog Rescue Sussex when they saw an advert late last year and they both felt ready to open their heart to some more four-legged friends. Speaking to David, he said: “We often foster dogs that haven’t yet found homes, and both of us think that rescue dogs are so beautiful, we just want to do as much as we can to help these little guys. Despite their horrific pasts these are some of the most loving dogs we’ve ever met”.
Like most pet owners, they fell in love with dogs and the affect that they have on them. “I mean mentally we are better people now, mental health issues have almost melted away since having Charlie, makes you want to help these little guys in these shelters even more”.
The pair said that Brexit makes the trip even more vital, as a no deal outcome in October could potentially put more pups at risk. “The idea of a no deal Brexit makes us quite uncertain, as we don’t know the regulations about bringing them back and if we could even do it after Brexit”.
David said that they are least looking forward to seeing the dogs in the shelters as it will be quite upsetting and that the 36 hour drive back with at least 4 dogs seems a bit chaotic. “Seeing them being adopted in the future and have updates about their new lives will make the whole thing worth it, regardless of how stressful the drive will be!”
The duo both want people to look at rescue dogs the same way as puppies, and that hopefully the trip will raise awareness to adopt and not to shop.
They are currently Crowdfunding on Just giving (linked below) and hope to reach their modest £500 goal before they go. They are still looking for donations of blankets, dog food and toys, and are happy to be reached via their Facebook page, also linked at the bottom.
From all of here at the Brighton journal, we wish them the best of luck and can’t wait to see the dogs in their new homes!
Featured image: Photo by ipet photo on Unsplash
Photo of charlie, Hannah and David courtesy of David Wise.
