People often ask, “Why should anyone care about the dogs in Bosnia, when so many dogs in the U.S. need homes too?”

 

We tell them this: because in Bosnia, dogs have about a zero percent chance of ever being in a home.  These dogs are the unintended consequence of a war-torn country. As Bosnian families were trying to survive the Sarajevo siege, snipers, and genocide more than 20 years ago, their pets were unfortunately left to survive on their own -- taking residence on the streets.

 

Now, as Bosnia's social and economic growth is arguably frozen in a pre-war state, generations of those displaced war pets have either been thrown back out on the street again, or have raised litters of new generations on the same streets in which they were born.  

 

There aren't official rescue and cruelty prevention groups such as those in the U.S. to serve as advocates for these sweet pups.  Bosnia's strays are kicked, beaten, ran over by cars, and left for dead. They wander the streets searching for food, most of them skeletal.  And if these dogs have figured out how cruel people can be, they stay up in the mountains where they dig holes to sleep and live in, searching for whatever bits of food they can find, shuddering and running away from any person that tries to come near them.

 

And if they do have the chance of being in a home, many of them are attached to a three-foot chain, next to a dog house that is way too small, that they can barely reach because of how they are chained. They are covered in mud, and left there to watch the cars fly by them every day...day in, and day out. No feeling of love or warmth from their master.  Whereas most Americans love dogs and would do anything to help them, in many other corners of the world, this is extremely far from the case.

At first we felt so helpless in our efforts because we had no real means to do much more for these sweet animals other than feed them or show them a few moments of affection – if they would even let us near them. Many of them are so leery and skeptical of people that they run away as soon as approached. All we could do was try to somewhat brighten their day from what little a treat or petting them can do. Having to walk away and leave them broke our hearts every time, but because of our situation there, we had no place to take them.

 

We are thrilled that our original hope and vision grew into the rescue mission it has become today, and can only dream that what started with 1 precious rescue, Tanzie, can lead to many more saved Bosnian dogs. 

We can sum up the sentiment in Bosnia in one analogy: If you see a dog walking the streets in the U.S., your first thought is usually “Oh no, someone’s dog got out!”  Whereas in Bosnia, it’s “Oh look, another forgotten, stray dog...with no place to call home…maybe we should call the dog catcher and get rid of it.”

 

We know there are dogs all over the world, even in the U.S., who need help, but it’s just the strays of Bosnia need a few more advocates on their side.

 

Will you help us #savebosnianstrays?

​