A FOREVER HOME NEEDED FOR MOLLIE, A DOG ONCE CAGED IN A ROMANIAN ZOO
22nd December 2009
Many Born Free supporters will remember Jerry, Jools and Bella, lions rescued from Buhusi Zoo in Romania. Jools and Jerry were rehomed to Shamwari Game Reserve in South Africa and Bella to the Lilongwe sanctuary in Malawi. There were also dogs caged in the run-down zoo, in equally appalling conditions. The ‘Lion’s Roar’ charity managed to rehome most of them until only two were left, Mollie and Dina. Lion’s Roar and Born Free asked well-known ‘dog listener’ Jan Fennell and her International Dog Listeners organization for help. Jan agreed.
Mollie and Dina were offered a safe haven with Jan’s rescue charity Every Chance Rescue and within two months Dina had been adopted. However, over 18 months later, Mollie is still without her ‘forever home’. She is being fostered by Jan Fennell herself, at her office in Lincolnshire in England.
Jan Fennell’s team reports: “Mollie has settled in very well and is a firm favourite with everyone she meets. We cannot understand why no one seems interested in her though. She is very affectionate, a real sweetheart. She is rather quiet and reserved, but we sense there is a confident, outgoing personality in there, waiting to reveal herself in the right home.” The team believe that Mollie would be fine to live with a gentle male dog and older sensible children. She is about the size of small German Shepherd dog.
MORE ABOUT MOLLIE
- Mollie before her rescue
Mollie is estimated to be about seven years old. We believe she had been at the zoo since she was a puppy. She and the other animals were all living in cages, lying on filthy concrete with no bedding. The dogs were never taken out for walks. Lion’s Roar had beds made and paid money to the keepers to keep all the animals in the zoo clean, and fresh food was supplied, but often the food was stolen and the cleaning only seemed to happen when the Lion’s Roar representative was present.
Mollie had obviously shared with a male dog at some point as she gave birth to her son in the zoo. Her son was very nervous of people, as were most of the animals born in the zoo, but Mollie seemed to crave attention, her large brown eyes gazing into yours as you approached. Sadly, her son died in 2007. No-one knows why or even if he was ill for some time before he died. The keepers just reported they found him dead in his cage with Mollie. Mollie was then alone.
All the dog shelters in Romania were full to overflowing, with most of the dogs destined to live out their lives in cages, so it was with great joy that we heard Jan Fennell had agreed to our request to take on Dina and Mollie. The Lion’s Roar team started training the dogs for their new life, introducing them to a harness and taking them for walks. Both dogs were so happy to be outside. But how to get them to England?
AUCTIONEER TO THE RESCUE!
Born Free supporter, and one of Britain’s favorite celebrity auctioneers James Lewis, from BBC1’s Cash in the Attic and BBC2’s Flog It! stepped in to help. We had to deliver a lion crate to the zoo for a lion rescue (Bella’s). So, James and his friend Mark Hughes drove hundreds of miles to drop off the crate and pick up Mollie and Dina and three cats, also caged in the zoo. Mollie and Dina were put in separate dog crates in the back of the van but after a few miles Mollie’s anxious barks in the back became unbearable, so Mollie and Dina were brought into the front of the van. Even though they had probably never been in a vehicle in their adult life, they settled down happily together on the front seat, sharing packets of crisps and biscuits with James and Mark, and sticking their head out of the window to watch as Europe sped by. And sped by it did, as James learnt on the return journey that his wife was about to give birth to their first, long-awaited child. He made it back with hours to spare.
James and his wife Annabel decided to take on the three cats themselves but regretfully knew they would be too busy to take on the dogs. Fortunately for Dina, a happy ending came almost immediately – her foster parents fell in love with her and adopted her. She is now thriving in her new home, basking in the love and attention she receives. For Mollie, that special home is yet to be found. Initially she found living in a home instead of a cage an unnerving experience – she had never experienced glass before, and she was very frightened of the washing machine and vacuum cleaner. However, she has been ready for rehoming for over 18 months and we are very hopeful the New Year will be a new start for her.
- Mollie and Jan
JAN FENNELL HELP
Jan Fennell, the Dog Listener reports: “ Mollie is an absolute delight with the most enormous ‘seal pup’ eyes. She still has her little issues, which I know will be overcome when she is living in a home setting. She loves spending time with Karen and Tania in our office and curls up on her blanket after a loving fuss.
“I know that with the right support she will make a wonderful companion for either a single person, or a couple, as she is not used to children and would take time to get to know them, just as she does with everything she meets.
“For my part I will be happy to work with anyone who wishes to become her ‘friend’ as she really does deserve the very best.”
WHAT YOU CAN DO
If you think you can offer Mollie her ‘forever home’ please contact Jan’s team for an application form. Telephone 01673 878639 or email the office at everychance1@btinternet.com or contact the Every Chance team direct via their web site www.everychancerescue.co.uk
A £200 donation, to help with their rescue work is requested if Mollie goes to live with you. Please remember: ‘a dog is for life, not just for Christmas’ - and a dog is a life. Mollie is an individual who has suffered at the hands of humans and deserves the best.
LINKS
- Dina before..
- ..and after.
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