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| Starving, Injured, Forgotten: Help Vera & Jelena save hundreds of Dogs in Serbia. |
| | In Serbia, where silence often replaces justice and fear keeps many from stepping forward, two women rise each day with a single purpose — to protect the lives no one else sees. Vera Vita and Jelena are not backed by big organizations. They have no salaries, no government grants, no guarantees. Yet every morning, they push forward through pain, poverty, and unimaginable hardship — because the dogs and cats in their care have no one else.
But now, with inflation rising, instability growing, and local support vanishing, even these brave women are nearing their limits. They need help — urgently.
A gift from you today means food, medicine, and warmth for animals on the brink of death. Please, if you can, donate now to support Vera and Jelena. Their fight cannot continue alone.
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| | |  | | Vera: The Woman Who Sleeps Among Her Dogs So They Don’t Freeze |
| In the icy nights of Serbia’s winters, while most people huddle under thick duvets or sit by heaters, Vera lays down in a room crowded with animals — her body heat the only warmth some of them will know.
Vera’s story is one of quiet, unwavering devotion. Her tiny shelter, tucked away in the outskirts, is home to over 50 dogs. Many are old, blind, limping from untreated injuries. Some were tied to railroad tracks. Others were dumped in forests to starve. One, named Monkey, was rescued with gaping wounds — a victim of prolonged abuse. We launched a campaign to help Monkey. Thanks to your donations, we got him surgery. He survived. But now there are dozens more, each with a different scar, each silently waiting their turn.
Vera has turned her life inside out for them. There are no breaks, no holidays. She cooks for them, medicates them, washes their wounds, and sometimes, she mourns them when help comes too late. What she doesn’t have is the support she needs to continue. She once told us, “They depend on me in every sense. I can’t even get sick. I am their only chance.”
Today, she needs you as much as they need her. |
| | |  | Credit: Jelena’s Sanctuary |
| Jelena: A Voice for the Street Dogs of Silence |
| Just a few hours away, Jelena lives a life defined by sacrifice. She is a woman of grit — quiet, resourceful, endlessly compassionate. For years, she’s fed and treated dozens of street dogs. Not in a proper shelter — but across city alleys, deserted yards, and roadside bushes, wherever these frightened, forgotten animals manage to survive. She knows them all by name. Belka, a shy black dog who wouldn’t eat, had spiked a high fever. When her bloodwork and X-rays came back, Jelena found out she had spondylosis — a degenerative spinal condition. She’s also nearly deaf. Her best friend, Deda, died after being hit by a car. Jelena couldn’t bear the risk. She took Belka home. |
| | Jelena lives in isolation. She has no one to lean on. She cannot go out, cannot fall sick, cannot even receive visitors. Her phone is her only connection to the world. And through it, she reaches us — to ask not for herself, but for those she feeds, treats, buries, and loves. She writes: “I fight for my own survival. I fight for them. My souls who have no alternative.” Her fight is noble. But it’s growing harder each day. |
| |  | Credit: Vera Vita and Jelena’s Sanctuary in Association of Animals First Aid (AFA) |
| | Animals First Aid stands in partnership with Vera Vita and Jelena. We’ve walked beside them, funded vet care when we could, and helped rescue the most vulnerable. But the need has outpaced the support — and now, we are asking you to help us carry them forward. Here’s what your gift can do today: ● $25 feeds a hungry dog for two weeks ● $50 helps cover urgent vet care for a sick or injured animal ● $100 helps sterilize five stray dogs or cats — stopping suffering before it starts ● $250 provides blankets and medical supplies to help get through the harsh months ahead Every donation goes directly to the animals. There are no middlemen, no overheads. Just compassion turned into action.
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| | |  | | The Situation in Serbia Has Changed — And Not for the Better Vera and Jelena are not only battling animal cruelty. They are up against a crumbling system. Serbia’s institutions offer no protection. There is no independent judiciary. Corruption is rampant. Criminal gangs hold power, and everyday citizens live in fear. The cost of living has soared, and those who once gave — even a few dollars — now no longer do. Donations have stopped. Hope is slipping. Yet the dogs keep coming. Abandoned puppies. Elderly dogs with tumors. Cats torn by infections. They arrive hungry, broken, too weak to stand — and these women never turn them away. But how long can they go on like this? |
| | |  | | You Are Their Lifeline Jelena and Vera are holding back the floodwaters of suffering with bare hands. Every day is a fight for survival — for themselves and the animals they love. But they’ve never given up. And with your help, they won’t have to. 🧡 Be the difference between hunger and healing. 🧡 Between death and another chance at life. 🧡 Between a dog dying cold in the street, and one curled next to Vera, safe and loved. Will you give that chance today? |
| | |  | We cannot do this without you. Please, join us to keep these beautiful animals alive. Your compassion has always been the force behind our mission, and with your continued support, we can transform suffering into safety and despair into hope. Thank you for being part of our journey. |
| By donating this cause you will be helping
“Vera Vita” and “Jelena’s Sanctuary” in Serbia. |
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| | Phone (US): +1 773 300 2544 |
|  | Animals First Aid (AFA) is a dedicated nonprofit organization committed to saving and improving the lives of animals in urgent need. Through compassionate partnerships and global collaboration, we provide immediate care, shelter, and long-term solutions for abused, abandoned, and neglected animals. Every donation directly supports life-changing interventions, ensuring animals receive the love, safety, and healing they deserve. Animals First Aid is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization in the United States (EIN: 99-1042428), and donations are tax-deductible to the fullest extent permitted by law. Together, we can continue making a difference, one precious life at a time. |
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