Sava’s Safe Haven Mobile Pet Clinic Update

In much of rural Romania, veterinary clinics are few and far between and those that do exist tend to focus on working farm animals. Many dogs, cats and other domestic animals are left to fend for themselves which can lead to serious disease, infection and injury going untreated for months and even years.

In July last year, we were introduced to Sava’s Safe Haven by our friends at Wild at Heart Foundation, and their dream of owning a one-of-a-kind piece of equipment that could support animals all over their local community. They had acquired a van and with our sponsorship and the Sava’s Safe Haven’s Mobile Vet Clinic was born. The Mobile Vet Clinic is a lifesaving vehicle that aims to provide essential veterinary care to domestic animals in underserved regions of Southeast Romania.

Sava’s Safe Haven and their Mobile Vet Clinic have become the light in the dark for many poor, vulnerable pet owners living in rural areas. Over the past 9 months, they have made remarkable strides in achieving their aim and providing community-wide veterinary care. What began as a mere dream, to address the glaring lack of accessible veterinary care for domestic animals has transformed into a lifesaving initiative.

With our support, this innovative unit has been made possible, transforming a once humble van into a fully functional Mobile Vet Clinic.

Our £5,000 sponsorship has enabled Sava’s to supply their van with the equipment needed to provide crucial veterinary support, such as vaccinations, microchipping and rapid diagnosis of diseases like parvo, distemper and tick-borne diseases. Moreover, the Mobile Vet Clinic doubles as a pet ambulance, facilitating the transfer of animals requiring more extensive treatments or sterilisations to the Wild at Heart Foundation-funded specialist unit.

Since hitting the road, the Mobile Vet Clinic has journeyed to the farthest reaches of rural Southeast Romania, reaching communities where veterinary care is almost a fantasy. Sava’s has collaborated with the local authorities to create a Trap Neuter Release (TNR) campaign in the village of Branistea. This campaign aims to educate the locals on sterilisation, microchipping, registration laws and the importance of animal welfare.

To help facilitate this campaign, Sava’s Safe Haven volunteers have been going door-to-door offering free microchipping, health books and registration to owners.

They’ve also been able to provide sterilisations to many owned pets helping to reduce the numbers of unwanted dogs born into a life of misery on the street.

Unfortunately, this campaign has uncovered some extreme cases of animal cruelty, illness and untreated injuries. Let us tell you about Misu.

In one of their outings, they discovered poor Misu who had a severe injury to his back paw as a result of being stuck in a fence. It is believed that he tried to escape his owner's property due to having not been neutered. Intact male dogs have a strong drive to seek out a female and it can be extremely difficult to prevent them from escaping when their motivation to do so is high.

Despite being a well-loved dog, his owners are an old couple who couldn’t afford to treat his injury, so they asked for Sava’s help. They took him back to their shelter in the Pet Ambulance for treatment.

Unfortunately, there was no saving Misu’s foot, and it had to be amputated. While he was under, they also performed a sterilisation procedure. Hopefully, this prevents any future accidents from happening as well as contributes to reducing the growing unwanted dog population.

Sadly, this situation mirrors the plight of many dogs in rural Romania, where access to resources as well as education is limited.

Thanks to the unwavering commitment of everyone at Sava’s Safe Haven, Misu has made a full recovery and is thriving as a resilient tri-pawd! He has now been returned to his home and is very happy to be back there.

The impact that Sava’s Safe Haven and their Mobile Vet Clinic have in their rural Romanian community is transformative. Through their tireless efforts, countless animals like Misu have been given a chance that they wouldn’t have previously had. We are honoured to have played a role in the creation of this innovative vehicle. By providing essential equipment and resources and backing the vision of accessible veterinary care for all, we have demonstrated our commitment to reshaping the pet industry for the better.

As we reflect on the remarkable efforts of Sava’s Safe Haven, we extend our deepest gratitude to Wild at Heart Foundation for involving us in this initiative. Together, we are all making a difference in the lives of animals and their devoted owners, illuminating hope for stray dogs around the world.