Septembrie la Dumbrava: tratamente, reparații și viața de zi cu zi

September was supposed to give us a little time to catch up after summer, with the children returning to school and the holiday activities coming to an end. Instead, we had veterinary treatments, an operation, trouble with both vehicles and a water pipe bursting for the second time this year, alongside our usual care for more than 80 animals and activities with children and older people.

We didn’t manage to resolve everything, but we kept going with the help of the people who support us.

The animals: a loss, recovery and an adoption

We lost Mădă, one of our young dogs, after veterinary investigations and a wait for results during which we hoped we would find a way to help her. Her condition worsened and we couldn’t save her, although she was only a puppy and we wished she could have had so much more time.

Thor underwent surgery on his leg and continued his recovery with laser therapy sessions, which meant further veterinary visits and costs we need to keep covering.

Táltos travelled approximately 270 kilometres to a veterinary clinic, where he received orthopaedic shoes for his front hooves, and he is now walking better. He also needed additional hip X-rays, while an abscess delayed shoeing his hind hooves, so his treatment is still ongoing.

Roxy is still waiting to begin hydrotherapy, which could improve her mobility, because the other emergencies used up the available funds. Having to postpone rehabilitation for financial reasons is difficult, but we couldn’t cover everything in September.

Meanwhile, feeding, cleaning, medication, walks and attention for the other animals remained part of every day, however many emergencies came along.

We also had some good news: Theo was adopted, and we were delighted that another cat in our care had found a family.

We are still looking for suitable homes for the other animals, whether they are young or old, sociable or shy, with or without medical conditions. If you are considering adoption, please contact us, and if you cannot adopt, sharing their stories could help them reach the right family.

The water pipe and the vehicles

The water pipe burst for the second time this year, causing considerable water loss and leaving us with another repair to pay for. The pipe was fixed, but the lost water was still ours to pay for, so we awaited the next bill without much enthusiasm.

The ignition broke on our Opel Combo, and when a vehicle takes animals to the vet and children to therapy, that means rearranging several journeys. For the trip to Cluj with Mădă and Thor, we used the van, which consumes more fuel and cannot be driven by everyone on the team, making the children’s transport to therapy more complicated too.

The van also suffered a broken windscreen in September, but fortunately our participation in the “Zilele Cășeiului” event covered that cost.

We continued contacting companies, manufacturers and dealerships to seek help with a more reliable vehicle, although most of the replies were polite refusals. The search continues, and if you know someone who might be able to help, an introduction would be welcome.

18,000 lei for food and treatment alone

In September, we spent approximately 9,000 lei on dog food and another 9,000 lei on veterinary treatments, before adding fuel, utilities, repairs, neutering, transport for the children and the other running costs.

These are the reasons we ask for support and why having more monthly supporters would help, especially as many of our animals have medical conditions or special needs, and their care must continue after an emergency has passed.

One hundred people donating 25 lei a month would provide 2,500 lei we could count on for food and care. It wouldn’t cover all our expenses, but it would allow us to plan for some of them with greater confidence.

Children and older people

We continued our monthly gathering for older people in the community and activities for children, with games, stories and time spent together.

Our summer tennis activities came to an end, and we thank coach Dorel Pop for the time and patience he gave the children as they learnt to hold a racket, follow the ball and, increasingly often, send it where they intended.

Our Duolingo competition also finished in September, after three months of encouraging the children to practise foreign languages regularly, while the start of school brought us back to educational activities and homework support.

They say it takes a village to raise a child, and since we actually are in a village, we are trying to do our part.

The local fair and autumn plans

We also attended a local fair, where we met people and talked about the association, giving us a chance to introduce Dumbrava to people who don’t already follow our work.

Alongside this, we continued looking for funding and partnerships, contacting companies and preparing autumn activities. Some approaches receive no reply and others end in a refusal, but we keep trying because we need greater stability to plan treatments and activities without always depending on the next emergency donation.

How you can help

Please support Dumbrava with a donation towards food and treatment or, if you can, a monthly contribution of 25 lei or any other amount that works for you. We need to continue rehabilitation, begin Roxy’s hydrotherapy and cover everyday expenses, while some repairs are still waiting.

You can also help by sponsoring an animal, sharing our appeals and the stories of animals waiting for homes, or introducing us to people and companies that could support our work.

To everyone who donated, sponsored an animal, shared our posts, joined our activities or offered time and practical help, thank you. We know your support comes alongside your own bills and worries, and it has helped us buy food, continue treatments and keep activities going for children and older people.

We ended September tired and with plenty still unresolved, but also with the joy of Theo’s adoption and the progress made in our animals’ recovery. We hope October brings more good news, families for those still waiting and fewer trips to the garage.

The Dumbrava lui Patrocle team

The place where we learn to love.