In Craiova, Roemenië, werken we samen met Ramona. Ze was nog maar een tiener toen ze haar eerste hond hielp, en daar is ze nooit meer mee opgehouden. Samen met haar man Codrut en hun dochter Leia helpt ze dagelijks tientallen straathonden en straatkatten. Dit is een zwaar bestaan in Roemenië, waar zij en haar familie regelmatig voor gek worden uitgemaakt omdat ze geven om de dieren waar niemand anders van houdt. Naast haar fulltime baan en zorg voor de honden, houdt Ramona van schrijven. En dat kan ze prachtig.
Op ons verzoek schreef ze in het Engels over haar leven met de straathonden. Het is zo mooi en ontroerend, dat we dit graag met iedereen willen delen.
I must have been 12 years old when my heart broke for the first time. That’s when I found a starving dog. I gave him the food I had, knowing that I’d be having more when I get home while he’ll continue to fight for his life, day after day. It all started with offering one day of life to one dog. The years passed and I had the same feeling with every dog I could feed. That was all I could do back then.
During college I decided to get a job so I could do more, so I could help, neuter dogs, treat them by being able to pay for all this. I worked for them, and I felt how that compassion turned into love, dedication, and accountability. I learnt a great deal from the dogs I met, I remember each and everyone and their stories as if everything happened yesterday.
In 2013 everything changed. The dogs became prey for dog catchers, and I had many homeless dog-friends. I had to help them, I needed a quick solution, a place to take and care for them. This is how my little heaven took shape. It was a race against the clock, with costs exceeding my capacity. The desire to save them helped my dream come true and in two weeks I had a place where I knew no one would hunt them. It became a huge responsibility, they depended entirely on us. Unable to be indifferent, I saved more dogs than I could handle. This is how I started to work with different associations and persons from abroad, for that magic word, “adoption” to become a reality … with baby steps and many tears cried, I had to let the dogs go. A huge void remained after they left, a hollow I’ll never be able to fill.
Lots of work, lots of love, lots of time, lots of sacrifice, lots of pain, sometimes a weird mix of feelings. I have memories in every corner of my heaven, every corner of my heart harbours a bit of their soul. I tried and perhaps I managed sometimes not to attach myself too much to all of them, but I loved them all to bits.
I carry the memory of dogs I wished I could share my life with, dogs that offered me so much love, love I cannot express in words. But I had to let them go, as they told me “Let me go, mum. There are more like me, in dire need of people like you.” This is the message I hear every time I break down, every time I have to find someone to take over my mission and offer him a family, a place of his own. Beyond all these life stories, all these lives I encountered, is the story of those who were always by my side, those for whom I started this journey, those who are my reason to carry on. They grew old with us and part of them chose to leave … leaving behind an endless suffering. Their eyes always told me they were grateful, as without us they wouldn’t have had anything of this, and I always imagined that part of their existence will always be with me.
Tonight, when I will look at the sky and I will see a blinking star I will know that there are my dogs, wagging their tails in joy, telling me that they are ok there, that they had the best time with us, even if not for long. I know they are thanking us for the love we gave them. And then I will thank them for the unparalleled feeling of love, trust, gratitude they offered me in return.
Ramona
