Mica

Mica was also part of the first group of ROLDA doggies to arrive.  She was so tiny we felt we should squeeze her onto the transport run too!  Mica now lives in Dover with Joy and family including her house rabbit friend.

Hi Chrissy‚

Mica is a little darling‚ loved by all who meet her‚ she is placid and loves a knee to up on!

We all love her to bits‚ she has put on weight‚ no issues with eating.Sleeps in the kitchen at night with Bob and Jack(the cats)‚ if she invades Barneys(the rabbit) personal space under the table she gets chased off.

As can see she is a perfect addition to our family.

Thank you again for letting us have her.

Joy x

Jem

Jem was one of the first ROLDA dogs to arrive here in the UK‚ in Feb 2009.  She was initially fostered by the lovely Kymm who went on to set up her own charity South East Dog Rescue before finding a home with Liz and Matt near Brighton.

Hi Chrissy

Things are indeed going well - she is just the loveliest dog you could possibly wish for. She continues to grow in confidence with other people and dogs‚ both at home and away from home‚ and seems to really enjoy going out and about in the car and walks in new places. With us at home she is pure pleasure to have around - from her moments of happy madness that involve doing high speed circuits of the garden‚ usually beginning and ending on the top of the grass cutting pile‚ to other times when she is just so quiet and peaceful‚ either in her bed‚ or in one her selected sunny spots in the garden‚ pleasing herself by chewing on one of her toys or a stick‚ or just relaxing. She is so well behaved‚ and we have still yet to hear her bark‚ though we can see why she might have been called smiley‚ because she does smile! She has made good friends with two Jack Russells (also recently acquired rescue dogs‚ one pure and one cross‚ but not sure what with) belonging to Liz's best friend.

All in all we are so pleased with her‚ and she seems very happy with us‚ and we are all very grateful to you and your organization and people. Thank you so much.

All the best

Matt and Liz

  

(update 12/10/09) 

Hi Chrissy

Thank you‚ we are all well‚ and so is Jem. I can’t believe it is really only a matter of months that we have had her – she is now such an integral part of our lives that it feels so much longer. She is very settled now‚ and over the past couple of months her true character has been developing with that. We haven’t really trained her very much‚ but in many ways she has picked up on what we want and expect of her‚ whilst retaining enough of an element of mischief and play to keep us on our toes. We love her to bits‚ and still consider ourselves extremely lucky to have been blessed with such a lovely dog – our thanks again to you.

Regards and best wishes

Matt and Liz

Manisha

Manisha's Story!
To follow is the amazing story of how Tracy and Sue found Manisha themselves in Romania and the journey they took to bring her back to the UK. 
October 2007
It was my second trip to Romania. The purpose of my visit was to stay with my new found friends Cristina and Roger Lapis and help out at their bear sanctuary and dog shelter of which Cristina is the founder and Ambassador.   My previous visit in September 2007 had been an exhilarating 50 mile hike through the Carpathian Mountains to raise money for the 'Libearty Bear Sanctuary' in Zarnesti supported by the WSPA. This is how Cristina and I first met‚ through the animals.
Cristina had just finished filming with Animal Planet at Zarnesti zoo who were there to neuter a very large tiger!  It was a cold but pleasant day and the journey from Bucherest to Brasov was long and tiring following our journey from England the previous day. I say 'our' as I was accompanied through both the hike and my return journey to Romania by my best friend Susan Talbot whom I've known for over 20 years. Cristina was driving and myself and Sue were sitting in the back of the car‚ events of the day having taken ahold of Sue! Suddenly Cristina brought the car to a halt waking Sue and keeping me guessing as to why she had pulled over on such a busy motorway. Cristina jumped from the car and was gone. I knelt up on the chair and peered through the back window and could make out Cristina walking back towards the car with a small grey lifeless bundle that she'd found at the side of the road. I jumped from the car and assisted Cristina into helping her put the poor little dog with the saddest eyes into a dog cage Cristina and Roger carry around for such emergencies. For the rest of the 2 hour journey back to their home there was not so much as a murmur from the cage. The worst thoughts were going through my head and the journey seemed to take a week.
Manisha on the day we found her matted/filthy and after a shower and a trim!
During the rest of our week's stay having showered‚ clipped‚ neutered‚ de-flead and fed this little dog‚ I started to grow very fond of her and Sue and I decided to name her Manisha. Before leaving Romania I'd made up my mind I was going to bring her home to England and give her the life she deserved. I knew I'd have to wait for her passport and documents to be ready but Cristina said she would keep Manisha for me at her home until things were finalised. I was going to be the first person who would bring one of Cristina's dogs back to the UK and was delighted at the prospect.  With my mind made up we returned home and eagerly anticipated the day we would return to collect our Manisha.  
June 2008
I was reunited with Manisha‚ a healthy little bundle of fun and her once sad eyes were now like little stars and twinkled. She bounded up to me like she remembered me. We'd just spent another week in Romania to return with Manisha.  Although Sue and I flew back to the UK the day before Manisha‚ the cheaper option was to fly her to Brussels the next morning and for us to drive to Brussels and collect her. I was so excited and yet nervous at the same time. I have a 11 year old German Shepherd who‚ most of his life‚ has been an only child. Would they get along? What if this‚ what if that? My head was filled with all these 'things' but the biggest one was... will she get through the French Customs and into the UK. Cristina and I had double-checked with the authorities both in Romania and the UK and made all the necessary arrangements for Manisha to fly to England that I knew everything had to be fine. We hit the French border and within minutes having checked the passport and documents we were cleared. I DID IT! Sue and I cried with relief and celebrated with a coffee at the Euro-tunnel cafe!!

Today
Manisha was professionally washed‚ groomed and sadly SHAVED‚ the only fur they could save was her ears and tail. Through her life of neglect it was too matted to comb and would have been too stressful for her to endure. However‚ 4 ½ months on this is Manisha with my GSD Taila. They are best friends and she follows him everywhere. She now knows what toys are for and loves to be cuddled (constantly!).  She is showing her thanks through the love she is giving to both me and my partner Mark and we could not imagine our lives now before she came along. She's given Taila a new lease of life also which is so lovely to see.

Binky

Binky arrived late 2009 from the FPCC shelter in Oradea and was rehomed for us by Billy and his team at the Retreat Animal Rescue Sanctuary in Kent.  Initially a nervous girl she has grown in confidence over time and now lives with Scarlett in Norfolk. 

Thius and Reube

Thius and Reube were found by myself and Jan in the late Summer of 2008.  We saw them at the side of the road‚ both hopelessly malnourished to the point that they were dragging their legs along the ground desperately trying to reach scraps of food thrown from passing cars.  We decided to take them to the vet clinic to have them put to sleep as we truly believed they were only days away from death and were suffering.




Thankfully the vet refused although she did agree it would be a small miracle if they pulled through and furthermore‚ even if they made a recovery physically‚ they could be mentally scarred as they were semi-feral.
We decided then and there that if they both survived‚ we would certainly bring them to the UK.  Dana from the ROLDA shelter agreed to give them a chance and started them on a special diet.
In the Summer of 2009 I returned to collect them both driving all the way to Romania (my fear of flying had completely kicked in by now).  I drove Thius‚ Ruebe and 4 other dogs back to the UK.  Thius and Ruebe had recovered physically but were absolutely terrified of people to an agonising degree.  They couldn't be handled and so we had to use a catchpole to load them into the car.  On doing so Thius actually momentarily passed out through fear although he soon can round but I knew there was a long road ahead - literally!
On arrival into the UK Jan who'd initially adopted Foxy and who'd been with me that day we spotted Ruebe and Thius‚ took them into her home and spent the next 6-mths slowing building up their confidence.  For the first 2 months they lived in the garden‚ too afraid to come into the house.  They eventually grew to trust Jan and subsequently myself and although still nervous around strangers‚ they are as far removed as possible from those scared‚ starving little pups we found that day.
I am so proud of these two and Thius and Ruebe will always have a very special place in my heart! xx
Further images of Ruebe can be seen on our 'Home Page'.

Miri

Miri arriving in December 2010‚ a fun-loving happy little lady!  Initially fostered by Belinda and Terry... Miri quickly found a home with Polly and Henry in Herefordshire.  Miri now spends her days playing with Swansea Jack and her other furry siblings!

Zuzu

Zuzu arrived in December 2010 to a home waiting with Joanne and Ian in Barton-on-Sea‚ Hants.  Joanne and Ian already have one ROLDA rescue called Freya who has been helping Zuzu settle in.