Rolda Inc. is an Australian nonprofit fundraising to support the lifesaving work of Rolda Romania.

An essential part of ROLDARomania’s work is sterilising any dog we can. safe to do so. Romania’s current stray dog population is approximately 2.5 million—the highest stray population in Europe! The most humane and effective way of preventing more pups born into a life of suffering is a program of compassionate and comprehensive sterilisation.

In a bid to reduce the number of puppies born on the streets, we originally sterilised and returned homeless dogs. However, in 2016, it became illegal to return stray dogs to the streets. Likewise, dog owners now face penalties if they don’t sterilise and microchip their dogs. Many owners had no choice but to abandon their pets to avoid fines.

In response to this challenging legal situation, ROLDA Romania began a campaign to both sterilise and microchip pets from owners and families that could not afford to do so. This campaign has three key positive outcomes:

1. The sterilised pets can no longer breed with other pets or strays, reducing the overall stray population and preventing pets from having costly litters that owners cannot afford.
2. By sterilising/microchipping pets from poor families, keeping and caring for their pets becomes less of a financial burden, reducing the risk of abandonment.
3. Microchipping confers a legal responsibility upon the owner for their pet, acting as a solid deterrent to abandonment.

Romania is a poor nation, especially by Western standards. Many there have so little, barely affording to take care of themselves and their loved ones, let alone their pets. It’s heartbreaking to think of a family abandoning an adored pet, just so their children won't starve.
It’s a story encountered all too often, though, with your help, this situation can change for the better.