HELP ANIMALS -The Story of My Life-

ORGANIZZAZIONE DI VOLONTARIATO
,,SORRISO DEL SOLE “
www.sorrisodelsole.eu

The Story of My Life

As an orphan, growing up among the street children and the stray dogs I was sleeping with the dogs in my arms and next to my chest. We were keeping warm to each other, we were in the park, and on the street...wherever we could find a place to sleep.
My name is RADU PETRE and I was born on the 26th of November 1954 in Bucharest.

My father was for a while an Inspector at Piaţa Naţiunilor (P-ta Unirii), and my mother was a house keeper. My godfather, named Ghizdereanu, was President of the Court of Bucharest. In 1960, when I was five and a half, after an illness, my father died. In order to maintain ourselves my mother was forced to get employed, but not having too much school (at that time the period of compulsory education was only of four classes) got employed as a cleaning lady at the Hospital Dr. Gheorghe Marinescu no.9 at Maternity Section. At that time I lived with rent on Radu Vodă street No. 24 in Bucharest. I remember with tears in my eyes that I did not turned 6 years yet and I went to Marasesti Square tram station, I took tram No. 1 and I went to my mother at work to help her washing the dishes, to cleaning, earning the existence for us.

Many times I ate together with the patients and they would send me after the stuff they needed and so I won some money. I was known as the child of the Hospital by the sisters, nurses, and physicians. One day Mr. Arseni, MD, our great surgeon who was doing brain surgery, sent for me. He heard of me and wanted to meet me in person. I went to his office and I received permission to live in the hospital. Aged 6 when most children were together with their families with mother, father and toys ... I started to know life in the real sense. Here at the hospital among the sick people I have had contact with dogs and cats that were abandoned. I gave them food, leftovers that remained from the patients, I care for them and so began a great love for animals. Every day, at dinner time, they expected me...

THE ABSENCE OF A PROTECTOR

MOST OFTEN NOT THE LACK MATERIAL MEANS OR THE LACK OF CASH WAS MY PROBLEM AND FOR THE CHILDREN LIKE ME, BUT THAT I HAD NO FAMILY, NO ONE TO EDUCATE US, NO GUIDANCE, NO PLACE TO LIVE ... JUST LIKE THESE ANIMALS LIVING ON THE STREETS IN THE COLD, RAIN, WITHOUT SOMEONE TO TEND FOR THEM. TO ME, SOMEONE WHO SLEPT WITH DOGS WITH IN HIS ARMS TO GET WARM, THESE BEINGS HAVE BECOME MOM AND DAD AND BROTHERS. THEY SHARED WITH ME POVERTY, NEEDS, TROUBLE AND …ANY LITTLE FOOD WE HAD. WE WERE INSEPARABLE.

A case in point
As I said, my childhood was spent on the streets of Bucharest with the street children and the stray dogs. Here is an unusual happening! Behind Fundeni Hospital there was a football field where almost every Sunday the “neighborhood boys” gathered for soccer games and the games got the heat up, which eventually led to real battles. Behind the football gate opposite to the hospital, there was a large and beautiful garden, in which three wolf dogs roamed, big and scary. Not even a fly went over there. All balls that got in the garden were cut, broken and thrown away. During the following days “the boys” appeared with a new leather ball… that looked expensive. I played too, and I had the bad luck to throw a stronger hit, and the ball went straight in the garden where the three dogs were. I was so afraid that I have to buy the ball and I had no money, but I knew the lesson, too: I was to be beaten badly by all, or I had to get back the ball …

Then, without any more lingering thoughts I went near the fence where the ball and the three dogs were, I looked at them, they looked at me, two left and one stayed. I said to myself that anything goes and I jumped the fence to everyone’s astonishment. The dogs did not sketch a gesture as if they were hypnotized and their masters could not believe their eyes. I took the ball and I went back to the field. THE DOGS PROBABLY FELT MY LOVE FOR ANIMALS ... IT WAS A MIRACLE…

THE PROJECT

In 2001 I founded the Animal Protection Association,,SUFLETE AG.” I set at the association’s disposal 4,000 square meters of land and a shelter for about 150 dogs, (do notice that we have to arrange 50 cages more. 100 are inhabited). ALL THESE ARE MY PERSONAL PROPERTY, WITH THE MENTION THAT, AS WELL, THE CONSTRUCTION SHELTERING OF THE DOGS IS ACCOMPLISHED WITH MY OWN RESOURCES. WE HAVE 100 DOGS IN THE SHELTER AND ABOUT 200 IN OTHER LOCATIONS. When we get the money, we will arrange the other 50 cages, and we will populate these with dogs, too. The dogs from our shelters ARE sterilized, disinfected and vaccinated. THE FOOD IS RECEIVED FROM THE “BRIGITTE BARDOT” FOUNDATION - FRANCE - AND WE USE OUR OWN MONEY FOR TREATMENT. I MADE AN ACT WITH THE NOTARY BY WHICH WE CONFER POWER OF ATTORNEY TO MS MONICA ROSCA TO HANDLE THE ASSOCIATION,, SUFLETE AG.” I MADE WITH LAWYER CATALIN P. RADU AN ACT OF CONVENIENCE, WHICH ALLOWS MRS. MONICA ROSCA FREE LEVERAGE TO USE THE LAND AND THE DOG SHELTER.

During all this while we are looking for masters for the shelter dogs, and when we give one way, we accommodate another. We do advertising, lobby for adoptions. WE participate in campaigns for sterilization. We contribute to create a better society by improving the human-animal relationship, developing and promoting innovative ways since pets can help people with problems and special needs (disabled, especially children, the elderly, the ill, etc.). A world in which all animals can live a quality life where they are truly respected and appreciated for what they teach and offer us. These things can be achieved only by involving our people, if we can understand that just as much as we can destroy, only we, humans, are the only ones to build a better world, more dignified, more loving, more lenient, towards other people and towards the animals.

In 2007 I left Romania, sick of the economic disaster that is the country, the legal system. We have 2 CEDO PROCESSES ON THE ROLE OF WHICH ONE CONCERNS ANIMAL RIGHTS IN A COUNTRY SUCH AS ROMANIA WHERW NOTHING SEEMS SACRED AND THE HUMAN VALUES SEEM NONEXISTENT. THE LEGISLATIVE SYSTEM IS A DISASTER, THE ANIMAL PROTECTION ACT IS UNCLEAR, POVERTY IS IN “POWER”, DUE TO POVERTY AND THIS IS WHY PEOPLE ABANDON THEIR ANIMALS: HORSES, DONKEYS, COWS, DOGS, CATS, etc … WHILE HUMAN RIGHTS ARE NOT OBSERVED, NO ANIMAL RIGHTS CAN BE DISCUSSED. BY THIS SHELTER WE WANT TO BUILD WITH YOUR HELP, NOT ONLY IN ITALY WE WILL BE ABLE TO SAVE A PART OF THE DOGS IN ROMANIA, AND WE WILL PREVENT THE ABANDON OF ANIMALS IN ITALY. WE HAVE MANY REQUESTS FROM DIVERSE PERSONS WHO ARE VERY BUSY AT WORK AND DO NOT HAVE TIME FOR THE ANIMALS THEY OWN AND THEY WANT TO ABANDON THEM. I SUGGESTED THEM TO DELAY SUCH DECISIONS, BECAUSE WE CAN FIND SOLUTIONS TOGETHER.

BEST SOLUTION would be to build these shelters and to leave their pet with us from Monday to Friday and Saturday and Sunday when they are free to take they back HOME. All were very enthusiastic of my idea. THERE ARE OTHER SITUATIONS WHEN PEOPLE LEAVE FOR VACATION AND HAVE NO PLACE TO LEAVE THEIR ANIMALS OR THE ELDERS CANNOT AFFORD TO KEEP THEM, OR THE YOUNG HAVING CHILDREN, AND FOR THIS REASON THEY NO LONGER CAN HAVE ANIMALS, OTHER PERSONS GET SICK, OR GET OLD, OR PEOPLE DIE ON THEIR ANIMALS.

SOLUTIONS

- early stopping of the abandon by mandatory castration of dogs and cats of a common bred with master, and of those of other race with no right to breed, since at this time the demand is by far outstripping the supply, from one end to other end of Romania;
- the continuation of castration of the stray dogs and the sole return to territory of the meek and healthy ones, following that the aggressive, sick or infirm to be taken over by NGOs (thus reconciling animal lovers and people who do not love animals) from one end to other end of Romania, not only in certain areas. There is a risk that in areas where dogs are castrated to be brought dogs which are not castrated from other areas.
- posting on sites of all the private and state institutions involved, all the information of public interest: the cost of business and management of stray dogs, (for treatment, vaccinations, sterilization, food .. etc), wages, the program of the personnel, of the doctor, the substances with special use (toxic), the amounts allocated, their origin, the number of dogs captured, dewormed, neutered, adopted, euthanized;
- the cooperation in a real and transparent manner with the NGOs, the civil society, the citizens who are interested;

- THE ADAPTATION OF THE LAW IN ROMANIA TO THE EUROPEAN LAW FOR THE PROTECTION OF ANIMALS. THERE ARE NECESSARY CLEAR AND PRECISE LAWS WITHOUT MUCH ROOM FOR INTERPRETATION AND SEVERE SANCTIONS AGAINST THOSE WHO DO NOT COMPLY WITH THESE LAWS.

I REPEAT

IF THE CAMPAIGN OF STERILIZATION AT THE NATIONAL LEVEL IS NOT INITIATED, I.E. FROM ONE END TO OTHER END OF ROMANIA, ALL THIS WORK IS IN VAIN, AND THE SPENDINGS MADE FOR STERILIZATION WILL BE USELESS, TOO. MASSIVE TRANSPORTATION OF UNSTERILIZED DOGS SHALL BE MADE IN AREAS WHERE DOGS ARE STERILIZED, AND THE NUMBER DOGS WILL BECOME LARGER. ALTHOUGH THE PROJECT OF THE STERILIZATION OF STRAY DOGS RUNS AT PRESENT IN BUCHAREST, ORGANIZATIONS SUCH AS “SAVE DOGS” AND “GAIA” IN MEDGIDIA, CRAIOVA, PITESTI, FPCC BIHOR, ETC. ACTIVATE AND THEY INVESTED AND INVESTED GREATLY, AROUND THE TENS OF MILLIONS OF EUROS… UNFORTUNATELY THE RESULTS ARE NEGATIVE: CURRENTLY ON THE STREETS OF ROMANIA ARE MILLIONS OF DOGS WITHOUT A MASTER!!! They are not neutered and this causes their multiplication, are hungry and may become a real threat, are not treated and they are not vaccinated, thus becoming a source of infection. AS SOON THE SLAUGHTER WILL START! MERCYLESS THEY WILL BE KILLED! STOP THE KILLING IN ROMANIA!! STOP THE KILLING OF STRAY DOGS IN ROMANIA!

THE END

WE HAVE SAVED FROM EUTANASIA THOUSANDS OF ANIMALS (DOGS AND CATS) AND I HAVE STRUGGLED WITH THE MENTALITY OF PEOPLE, I LOST TIME, MONEY, FRIENDS, I LEFT ROMANIA ... ALL THAT FOR THESE POOR ANIMALS WITH WHICH I HAVE SHARED, AND I SHARE THE JOYS AND SORROWS AND ALSO THE HARD TIMES OF LONELINESS WHEN THEY WERE MORE THAN A BROTHER TO ME. I WAS BORN, AND IN MY CHILDHOOD I GREW UP WITH DOGS AND CATS, AND OTHER ANIMALS, AND NOW I SLEEP WITH TWO DOGS IN BED. I LEFT FOR THESE WONDERFUL ANIMALS 4000 SQM OF LAND AND A SHELTER WITH 100 DOGS, WE HAVE 200 OTHER LOCATIONS. WE HAVE IN ITALY A SMALL “SHELTER FOR CATS” AND I SUED THE ROMANIAN STATE TO THE CEDO TRIAL FOR ANIMAL RIGHTS BECAUSE ROMANIA DOES NOT COMPLY WITH THE ANIMAL RIGHTS, MY ENDEAVOR IS TO DESPERATELY SUSTAIN THE MAINTENANCE OF THE SHELTER. I MAKE PROPOSALS AND GIVE SOLUTIONS FOR COMPLIANCE WITH THE ANIMAL RIGHTS, ESPECIALLY THE RIGHT TO LIFE! OUR ADVANTAGE: A LIFETIME EXPERIENCE!!!!! WE THANK YOU
ORGANIZATIONAL TEAM ,,SORRISO DEL SOLE “

PRESIDENTE
RADU PETRE

RIVANAZZANO TERME 26-11-2009