Happy Paws' angels

"We sometimes congratulate ourselves at the moment of waking from a troubled dream;
it may be so the moment after death."     Nathaniel Hawthorne

Rest in peace, our angels! 

            

                                                                   

Tammy, died of Parvovirus

 

 

  4 of the inphant puppies died of Parvovirus. Coco is the only survivor, she is one year old

Milo, victim of Parvovirus

Grace, severly wounded, she died during surgery

 

Thelma, dead of Parvovirus

Thelma's sister, Maxine, victim of Parvovirus

Bamse, found dead; we still don't know the cause

Connie, she died because of Parvovirus

Vida, innocent victim of Parvovirus

Vida's brother, Ben, died two days after

We will never forget you! You are loved!

Our success stories

Besides spaying and neutering as many animals as we can (more than 1500 stray and owned animals since 2006), we work to give them a brighter future and we spare no efforts in doing so. Everytime a dog finds it's way to a fabulous home, we feel our work is not in vain and feel inspired to keep going. These furry friends who have made it out of the indifferent world in which they were born only to suffer prove that miracles do happen; of course, the help of our friends and supporters is priceless to all of us.

 Millie/ Chicha

We found her and her daughter in a very cold winter day, they were almost frozen. We first took them at Happy Paws, although it was just a dump. Obviously, it was too cold for them, so we found them a foster family, but they were the first residents of Happy Paws.

Too small for such a cold weather

Frozen and starving

 She was adopted in Denmark by a lovely lady who will always take good care of Chicha. She is now a spoiled princess who forgot all about her sad past.

She will never be cold or starving again

Uratzelu (little ugly one)/ Johnny Handsome/ Ozzie

He found me one Autumn day; I was walking on the street, I saw him begging near a fast-food stand and was thinking of buying something for him to eat. But he had a better idea: he stood in the middle of the sidewalk and started to cuddle at my feet. It was pretty clear I wasn't going to let him on the street anymore. I then found out he had a very bad experience on the streets, because ever since he was abandoned, he had been bullied by people and dogs and he practically walked all over town trying to find a safe place. People were calling him "Uratzelu" because of his teeth, but he was really the sweetes boy I have ever seen. I found a foster place for him the next day (when it actually began to snow, so he was very smart to charm me right before winter comming to Moreni).

Chased away, with an ear and a half and scars on his nose, Johnny came to us

Trying his charms on me :D

 He was adopted by the one who sponsored his travel to UK, where he was supposed to be fostered until adoption. But there was never a girl who resisted Johnny's charms, so he is now named Ozzie and lives with a great family and a new best friend, Jaz.

Best friends with a Rotweiller, although he hated big dogs

Goldie/ Lucky

Someone called me about this gorgeous dog who was thrown over her fence on the nastiest day on the winter of 2012. The person who did this didn't care that the poor dog could have broken something or that the persons dogs could have attacked and killed her. All he wanted was to get ridd of Goldie; passing the responsability to other people is Romanian's best option (right above poisoning or abandoning them in a forest, in the middle of nowhere). This person found Goldie in her outside toillet, wet to the bones, scared and hungry; she kept her for a while, but hardly had any conditions, so Goldie came to Happy Paws. Although we were just building the sanctuary and couldn't offer much to any dog, Goldie was very patient and nice.

This was Goldie when I first met her

Goldie's first meeting with her lovely new mum

It was love at first sight

 Lucky is adopted in Norway and she was reunited with other two Moreni girls. She is a spoiled princess, and her days of being unwanted are over.

Lucky is indeed a very lucky dog with a new family who adores her

 

Molly/ Shabby

Molly was dumped outside the lady who found Goldie in her toillet about the same time. She suspected they were abandoned by the same person. Molly was very scared and she wouldn't let anyone come close to her, although she was hungry and cold. She finally accepted this lady and she was taken inside, with Goldie/ Lucky. After a month or so, they both came at Happy Paws. Molly was more aggitated and hated to be left alone in a kennel. She was a strong, bossy girl, but very loving to people, once she learned to trust them again.

She finally accepted to be taken from this deserted construction where she had found shelter

Shabby left the dark days behind; she is now a fan of the good life

Pushi

Marilena found her limping on the streets with a huge GSD on her tail; the image must have been very weird. However, for those who visited Moreni or really understand what it is like for small dogs there, it is clear how Pushi's days were counted if not rescued. She was old, fertile, with a bad leg and, as we later found out, she had some seizures similar to epilepsy. But, most of all, she hated being left alone. 

 

Screaming to be picked up

On her way home

Pushi is now adopted by a wonderful animal rescuer in UK. She understands Pushi's needs and loves her for who she is, a beautiful and very sweet old pug.

Cute as a button

Tinka

Tinka was born near a dumpster just outside Happy Paws. She was the weakest of the three puppies and she wouldn't have made it if we didn't rescue her. She was eaten alive by lice and very anemic; her front paws were crocked because of the very low calcium level.

Barely standing, completely exhausted from hunger, lice and heat

Two months and already let down by people's indiference

Slowly, she came back to life

Growing up. She was a lazy, shy girl, but simply adorable

 Tinka is adopted by a lovely lady in Belgium who helps Tinka with whatever medical treatment she needs to get those legs stronger. Tinka has everything she needs and she is loved just as she is, an imperfect, but truly amazing dog.

 

All grown up and her front paws look amazing

 

Tiny Tim/ Patroclus

I found him begging outside a store for food. I was shocked to see people passing by, completely indifferent to a small paralyzed puppy begging for food. I found out he was hit by a car and he wouldn't have made it for long on the streets because he kept crossing the street, dragging his back legs behind him. I took him to Happy Paws, although we had no conditions for such a dog: outside kennels, no full supervision. But Tiny settled right in, he had no idea he was different and he wanted to play and chase all the the big dogs.

We tried to protect his legs as best as we could, because he was a very active puppy

Nothing could stop him

Later he became stronger and his legs didn't get hurt because of the dragging

Tiny Tim amazed us all with his energy and will to live. He was always doing everything the other dogs did and the only time he cried for help was when he was stuck in a whole dug by other dogs. We all loved Tiny, but it was very clear to us that Happy Paws wasn't fit as a  home for him. He was very lucky to be adopted by a great lady in the USA. He is now named Patroclus and is improving every day.

Hello USA!

Saying goodbye was hard, but he had a great life waiting

Standing up when nobody thought it was possible

Kiki

Kiki was one of my most special cases. She and her mum and sisters were living in an old lady's yard, with no food and water and almost no human contact. I used to feed them all, throwing food over the fence, but it soon became clear they were in danger; none of them were spayed, so the puppies kept appearing and dissapearing and not to a good home. I tried and tried to convince the old lady to at least let me spay them, but she didn't want to; so, I decided to steal them. I took two of my friends and went there when she wasn't home. Three small puppies were dead in the yard and it looked as though the others were eating the corpses. I managed to get only two dogs out, sisters from different generations. All four of them were very wild and I could barely managed to catch two.

Terrible conditions, broken fences, no food, water or shelter, dead puppies on the ground

                                                          The puppy was terrified and wouldn't leave her sister's back

They were both very wild and it was a long time until I could touch either of them. Kiki managed to escape and crossed the creek behind Happy Paws and was attacked by other dogs. I finally caught her and luckily she wasn't very hurt. Taking her to the vet that day revealed she was intoxicated with something that she probably ate in that nasty yard she called home. After that day, she decided she could trust me and her small sister followed her example.

                                                              Scared and sick, forced to give in to people she didn't yet trusted

She was fostered by my good friend Malina and she managed to tame Kiki, although she ran away twice at first. She is now adopted in Norway and she lives like she was meant to all along: loved, spoiled and never hungry. 
Kiki gave me faith in my rescue work and she showed me that love can go a very long way and that no dog is beyond help. Her traumatic past didn't stop her from becoming the most loving and gentle soul that ever reached the Nordic land. 

                                                                                        Exploring Norway

A

A new best friend, Sharo

                                                                " Romania is that way, but I will never go back"

 

Telli/ Kiki

Rescued from that horror place with her older sister, Kiki. Both of them had hardly any decent human contact, so they were very scared of people. But she followed her sister everywhere and when Kiki decided to trust me, so did Telli. She was the cutest little puppy ever, playful and loving, although still shy if picked up. I found her a home near Moreni with a sweet old lady and her children. They all love Telli (now Kiki), but she is still pretty wild. I guess she felt confused once her older sister wasn't there to show her  what to do. I offered to take her back, but this nice family loves her very much and they offer her time and space to settle in. I guess she came a long way from being hungry and alone and close to death every day.

                                                                         Sweet Telli getting her first vaccine

             

                              She keeps her distance, but hopefully she will relax and enjoy her new family soon

  

Blue

He was abandoned in the public shelter as young dog with his brother, Mickey. They were neutered and the both came to Happy Paws, because they had no theritory to be returned to. He spend about six months with us and was adopted by Marilena's brother; he is now a guard dog. 

 

Blackie

She was found  roamming on the streets all alone and fertile. She came to live at Happy Paws and spend more than half a year with us. She was a very loving and sweet girl who wanted to be cuddled all the time; she sometimes barked so hard to get our attention, she would lose her voice. She desperately needed a home of her own and her luck changed when Marilena took her to her mother. Blackie is an only "child", so she is very happy.

                                             Her favorite barking place, she stayed there until someone would pick her up

                                                                                  Cute as she can be

 

Bella

She and her two puppies were abandoned in the public shelter; we got them out at once, because the puppies were in danger of  getting Parvovirus, a deadly disease. They were all very sweet and Bella was a great mum.

                                         The accomodation wasn't much, but food, love and vaccines were guaranteed

                                                                      Pika and Candy were adopted in Bucharest

  
Bella is now sharing a home with Blue at Marilena's brother.

 

 

Fryd

She was abandoned near a lottery tickets shop. The people there fed her and all kids in that area played with her, but there was always the risk of her being run over by cars or poisoned; there was also a nasty man who hated dogs and attacked her. I decided to take her in and found a wonderful home for her. Ar first, Fryd was miserable and wanted to go back to the streets. Fryd had a funny way of expressing her sadness, her face was the pure image of being sad. But she is now spoiled and runs free with other 5 dogs in Norway.

                                                                     No care in the world, Romania is faaaaar away

                                                                       Three Moreni girls living their dream lives

  

 Bonnie

She was living in a nearby park in Moreni, didn't bother anyone. Bonnie used to beg for food and look for leftovers in the dumpsters. That is why the stupid dogcatchers caught her, they lured her at the dumpster and then use the huge pliers to catch her; she cried and struggle to get out, but had no chance; but she was lucky that my colleagues were filming and I posted that video all over Facebook. Soon, we were able to get her out and someone offered to foster her in UK. At first, she hated being inclosed in a kennel at Happy Paws; she was a cheeky troublemaker, but we loved her.

If you would like to see the video in which she was brutally caught by the dogcatchers, look here: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=384708944882124&set=vb.100000290667268&type=3&theater

 Bonnie is now adopted in UK. She is safe and loved and she will never feel so afraid as she did that day.

Maya

Maya was the only survivor of her litter; the other puppies were killed by evil kids who take pleasure in tourmenting innocent animals who can't defend for themselves. Maya had a broken head after such a kid used his slinghshot on her; she was very scared and sad and took a long time until she could trust anyone. 

 

                                   Growing up with other orphan puppies

                                                                    Soon she became a sweet, playful puppy

She was fostered in UK for a short while and she is now adopted. She finally has a good life and she can put her rough start behind her. 

                                                                                    On her way home

 

Betty

She was abandoned on the streets and we spayed her and then took her in. She was adorable, loving and cute, we had no idea  why she was left on the streets. Luckily, she was soon adopted by our vet's mother in law and she is now loved and appreciated as she should be.

 

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=501499519893733&set=o.255866501174425&type=3&theater  (a video with Betty playing at home)

 

 

Honey

She was found abandoned on the streets last winter, a small vulnerable puppy who would have died if not rescued. Lucky for her, she was adopted two  days later in Moreni. She is now a spoiled little missy and we got to see her again when she came to us to be spayed. Honey will never go hungry or give birth to unwanted puppies, as she was.

                                                                           A sweet girl who only wanted to be loved

Beautiful Honey waiting to be spayed

Chloe

Ever since we found her, she was a fragile and very lovable dog. She had a car accident, one of my colleagues actually witnessed it, but luckily she had no broken bones. However, it was a slow recovery and we did everything we could to make her strong and healthy. I always felt over protective of her and Chloe showed her gratitude by kissing me and cuddling on my feet whenever I visited her. 

 

                                                                    Always looking for a soft place to stay on

She was fostered in UK and adopted soon after. She is now the beloved pet of four adorable boys and she just loves it. Chloe still looks for the softest things to stay on. 

                                                                  In her defense, this is actually a doggie bed :D 

Cookie/ Poppy

  Abandoned on the street in the middle of winter with mange (probably why she was abandoned). She was shy, but happy to be somewhere other than on the street; we kept her with a jacket and put lots of  straw in her dog house, because Cookie was so small and vulnerable. We all fell in love with her, she was cute as a little mouse and so desperate to be loved. 

She soon found someone to foster her in UK and a forever home. She is loved and spoiled and shares her great life with other cute dogs like her.

                                                      Poppy getting cosy with her new best friends

 

Bindy 

I first saw her one morning when I was on my way to work. I could see she was confused and scared, hidding under the cars, so I thought she was recently abandoned. I was planning to look for her once I was back home, but I couldn't find her. Two days later, one of my colleagues found her near her garage, she was just to be attacked by a pack of bigger dogs. Bindy came to Happy Paws and we tried to keep her warm, because she was so thin and small.

  
She soon left to UK where she was adopted and she now lives the life of a  princess and even has her own Facebook page.

 

Daisy 

I found her on the streets after she was abandoned by a family who bought a pure breed dog. So, she went to the dumpster nearby to find food, because the ones who called themselves "family" before didn't care what happened to her. She went back to that building and cried at their door, but that door would never open for her again.
Daisy is a very clever dog, we found that at a photo shoot, where she learnt in only a few minutes that staying still for a photo means getting a treat; thus, she wanted to let us take her picture every 30 seconds, although there were other dogs waiting.She was determined to find a fabulous new family, which she did, in UK. She is now adopted by someone who appreciates her for her intelligence and sense of humor :D

                                      This was intended to be a passport photo, cause all she wanted was to be adopted

      Her new mum doesn't need to have a pure breed dog to feel rich or important. Daisy is just perfect for her

 

Chitz-Chitz/ Lucy

  She was rescued from the side of the road, where she was left to die. She was adopted in Romania once, but brought back in a week, accused she ate some chickens. It is a very bad penalty in Romania and we didn't try to rehome her here anymore. She is a very sweet natured dog and she used to squeak like a little mouse when she wanted attention from us (thus the name "Chitz-chitz" which is the sound a mouse makes in Romanian). She was a very loving and loyal dog and she suffered visibly if she wasn't cuddled by her rescuer for a long time. We had actually lost hope to find a good home for us, when she was offered a fabulous new life in Norway.

                                                                                         Never short of cuddles

                                                          Her new Romanian best friend, Bella

 

Blanche/Daisy

 

She was rescued from an irresponsible owner who kept her in terrible conditions. She was covered in fleas, no fur on her back, all wounds; she had an allergy because of it, also cherry eye on both eyes. Appearently her owner kept her and her mum (which we couldn't find, because he already abandoned her somewhere and didn't tell us where) for breeding, but they both had health problems. Blanche lived inside, in her own filth and with very dirty owners. We finally managed to get her out and paid 12 Euros for her. She spent a lot of months in foster care, because she was too sick to be kept outside at Happy Paws. She had a lot of health problems, which we managed to solve with the help of our supporters. 

                                                                                 Sad and sick, with high fever

                                                                 Covered in fleas and wounds from scratching

She was offered a great home in Norway and she finally gets what every dog deserves, love, cuddles, medical care; all her ordeal is behind her.

                                                                                               Home, at last

Fenris

He is a survivor of Parvovirus; sadly, his two beautiful sisters lost the battle. But this made us love him even more and we were so happy to know he was going to a wonderful home in Norway. We protected him as best as we could, because he spent half of last winter with us. One of my colleagues fostered him until he was strong enough to go back to Happy Paws. Fenris was our dear sweet boy, cute as can be and very gentle and loving. He became best friends with a cute girl named Sassi, who was also adopted in Norway. They shared a kennel and trips to the vet to get prepared for their most important journey: the journey home.

 

                                                                                      Fenris and his sweet sisters

 

Fenris and Sassi

  

                                                                          At home, with a new best friend

 

Sassi

She was the tiniest puppy we have ever seen, all alone on the streets last November. Hungry and nearly frozen, her hours were counted. It was a struggle for us to keep her alive at Happy Paws during the cold winter, but we made it. The same day we found a similar puppy wondering on the streets, so we figured they were sisters who got separated for some reason. Soon after being taken to Happy Paws, they and other 8 puppies living together got sick with mange, which made our work even more difficult. They all got good treatment, good food, lots of straws to keep warm (and we changed it every two days), lots of doggie jackets and lots of love. Luckily, she was adopted to Norway where she can forget all about it and act like a cute, silly puppy that she is. No more hunger, no more cold, just beautiful people to play and cuddle with.

  

                                                                                    Playful and adorable

 

Nelson/ Mars

 He and his two sisters were found inside a factory yard in Giurgiu. They were skinny and alone, facing many dangers, as we later found out. I agreed to foster them at Happy Paws, but one of his sister, Grace, never made it to us, she died in a vet clinic in Bucharest; she had been so badly wounded (we don't know how or why, she was just a puppy), she didn't make it through the surgery. 
Nelson and his sister Anda came to us and were very scared; they didn't enjoy people's or other dogs' company. Slowly, they came to trust us, but their past trauma was still visible. Nelson was a sweet and shy puppy, who loved to be cuddled; we could see he desperately needed a home. 
He was fostered in UK and was very soon adopted by a great family. He now gets to go with his new owner at work and enjoys long walks. His past is behind him, FOREVER.

 

                                                                        Mars, a very lucky boy, as his collar shows

Anda/ Sasha

She came to us from Giurgiu with her brother, Nelson (Mars). She was very afraid and couldn't or wouldn't eat dry food at first, but we didn't suspect  what had happened to her before coming to Happy Paws. After a few months spent with us, we figured she needed a home where she could learn what trust and love is; she was getting better, but once taken out from Happy Paws (vet trips) she turned into a completely different dog: she wouldn't get out of her transport crate and if we forced her out, she was acting exactly as a wild animal. 

  

                                                                  Terrified of everything else outside Happy Paws


We then discovered she had a broken lower jaw. It wasn't visible until that time, but it explained her behaviour, her difficulties eating hard food, her fear of people. By then, her new family was waiting for her at home in UK, but we had to delay her trip, until we knew what was wrong and if it could be fixed. The vet confirmed she had suffered an accident, most likely a very hard kick in the mouth...this shocked us, the idea of someone kicking a two months old puppy with such cruelty...

                                                             This photo made me think something was wrong with her


Her new family accepted her for who she is and is determined to show Sasha that life can be beautiful and lived without fear. She still has problems adjusting, but she is surrounded by people who love her, so she will be OK.

                            Sasha at home in her own private room, where she can sit quietly and think about her day

Carla/ Donna

 

One of my colleagues found her alone on the street, old, matted and with a bad eye. We thought she was abandoned, but still asked around if someone had lost her. She was a very sweet girl and my colleague took her to the vet and helped her improve her health. 

   
 Marilena fostered her, because she was too fragile to live outside. Just when she didn't expect ever finding Donna's owner, a woman saw her and recognized her as her grandmother's dog. She got lost right around New Year's Eve, because she got scared by the firecrackers. Donna was beside herself with joy when she saw her beloved owner.

 

 

Nemo/ Mickey

  We found him one Autumn day, he was wounded, skinny, scared and staying in the middle of the street. We tried for days to catch him, but he was so scared, he wouldn't let anyone approach him. We finally managed to catch him and take him to Happy Paws; we let him settle in quietly and slowly, until he felt comfortable being around us.

                                                   Very scared of everything, his face says it all

 A nice family who lives near Moreni came to see him and immediately fell in love, because he reminded them of their own dog who died of old age. They named him Mickey in his onor.

Jolie/ Lisa

We found her at a free spay/neuter campaign sponsored by Romania Animal Rescue. She was so tiny and skinny, abandoned on the streets. The person who fed her from time to time got mad at us, because she wanted puppies from Jolie...as if that was what we all needed, more unwanted puppies, more skinny mothers, more innocent victims. We took her at Happy Paws as winter approached, because it was clear to us she wouldn't make it on her own. She was a cute, but shy dog, who prefered to be left alone by everyone, without being aggressive. We protected her as best as we could, offering her good food, straws and jackets. 

                                                                  Right after she got spayed

She was adopted by a family near Moreni, but she soon became very sick and Marilena, her rescuer took her to the vet (she knows the family and offered to help them). It seems Lisa had a car accident in the past which creates problem for her to defecate, so she has to eat only wet food and soups. She is now well at home, where she is loved and cared for. 

 

Grasa/ Sadie

She was found abandoned on the street and we could see she wasn't a stray, because she looked good; but she is a girl and usually people abandon female dogs on the street or on the side of the road. Luckily, we found Grasa in time, but she got sick with mange from the other puppies. She was treated and recovered beautifully. She was a cute, happy puppy, so funny with her chubby, short legs. We called her "little train" or "little sausage". 

  

 

She caught the eye of a nice lady in Scotland who wanted a playmate for her son; Sadie was perfect for that. She is a cute little sausage who loves to play and chew ; even credit cards seem to be very tasty :(

                                                               Growing up together, exploring and enjoying everything for the first time

 

                                                                              "It's good to be spoiled!"

 

 Sayuri/ Emma

We found her last summer, lethargic and with a wounded leg near a dumpster. Her brother was already dead when we found her and we were afraid she wouldn't make it either. She was very scared and sad at first, but she soon got better and got used to everyone at Happy Paws. She became very attached to Nico, a black dog who probably resambled his dead brother. We called them  "the fat twins" because one could hardly tell them apart and they were always hungry. 

  

She is now adopted in UK for a week and her owner reports almost daily. We are all happy to see her exploring and discovering things for the first time. She takes all the toys, all the blankets, tries out all the doggie beds; it is why we work and sacrifice our own personal lives, so our dogs have wonderful lives where they are surrounded by love and safety.

 

 

Jessie

Jessie was found last winter, all skin amd bones and with a chain mark around her neck. She was very hungry and cold, but she took over Happy Paws from the start. She feared nobody and she made it clear to everyone that she needs all our attention and love...and possibly all the food. 

 

 

 From the start, Jessie was quite a little troublemaker; but it was obvious she only needed the attention. Everytime one of us went to Happy Paws to clean and feed the dogs, we would have to do it holding Jessie in the same time; she was desperate to be in someone's arms.

 She has found her perfect home in UK and we are all extremely happy about it. As I suspected, she is a nice, well behaved girl, now that she knows she has all the love and attention in the world. Jessie has came a long way since living in a chain in Romania and we wish her and her family a long, happy life together.

 

 

This is why we do it

No words needed.

  

Thank you!

We would like to thank our great friends Elin Lonberg and Kelly Hare who help us supporting and finding homes for our rescue dogs!Thank you Safe Rescue group for helping us foster our babies in UK!
Thank you our supporters and  long distance adopters for helping us to keep them happy, healthy and fed until going to their forever families!
Thank you Nancy Janes, Romania Animal Rescue donors and vet team for helping us to spay/neuter everyone at Happy Paws and many others!
Thank you adopters for trusting us and for giving our babies the life we dreamt they would have!
Thank you Malina Ghete for being our friend and trusted vet!

THANK YOU!