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Founded in January of 2003, the Romania Animal
Rescue, Inc. has had but one agenda: Saving animals in Romania by
providing and promoting free spay/neuter programs, thereby advancing
humane values, education, and kindness.
RAR began after three women, Nancy Janes, Susan Rubio and Lynn Pelletier, traveled to Romania
in 2001 for a hiking trip. They were appalled at the multitude of stray, starving dogs roaming the streets
of every city and town they visited in Romania. These animal-loving tourists began feeding the dogs wherever
they went. They had the opportunity to speak with many compassionate Romanian citizens who shared their pain
and dismay, but were simply unable to care for their own animals.
One day, a young girl walked up to Nancy Janes and said, "Everyone says they are going to help our dogs,
then they go home and forget about Romania's dogs." This girl's statement broke Nancy's heart, and she
promised her new friend that she would not forget! Upon returning home, Nancy kept that promise by founding
Romania Animal Rescue, Inc., now a United States 501(c)3 non-profit organization.
 From 2003-2005, RAR built a shelter for a group in Galati. As of 2006, RAR has focused its energies entirely
on birth control and prevention of suffering for the animals. RAR has a trusted veterinarian with whom it works
exclusively, Dr. Ileana Gheorghita. Currently, RAR has a successful spay/neuter program, free for the impoverished
public, for the estimated 14,000-16,000 street dogs and cats in Galati alone. RAR's goals are to keep this free
program ongoing to help the people of Galati, bring free spay/neuter programs to more cities in Romania, and
continually strive to solve the crisis of animal overpopulation.
RAR is a true non-profit: An all-volunteer organization that relies solely on donations. Co-founders Nancy and
Rory Janes, and every member of the Board of Directors donate their time and talents free of charge, work from
their homes, and receive no pay or recompense of any kind. All donations are tax-deductible and are used hands-on
solely for the welfare of the animals. With your help, RAR can achieve a remarkable change for Romania and its
people who are struggling to help its animals.
Please look at the animals whose lives have been changed
thanks to RAR. If you have any questions or comments, please email Nancy
Janes at romaniadogs@sbcglobal.net.
We are always interested in your thoughts.
I hope you will choose to donate to RAR, and receive your
much deserved tax-exemption for your generosity. We will never let you or
the animals in Romania, or anywhere else, down.
What We Do
Currently, we have a successful spay/neuter program, free for the
impoverished public, for the estimated 16,000 street dogs and cats in
Galati, Romania. The distribution of funds would be overseen and
accounted for by Romania Animal Rescue, Inc. (RAR) a US-based 501(c)(3)
non-profit organization, located in Livermore, CA, and our mission is to
establish animal welfare in the country of Romania.
 RAR
has recently opened a Paypal account for Animed Arad so that they
can receive funds from around the world, as well as donating over $2000
to Animed Arad. We have just opened a Paypal account for Roxana and
Carmen as well, and have offered to construct a website, at our cost,
for Daniela Dragomir of Braila, as well as start a Paypal account for
her. We funded the trips for Dr. Ileana, as well as Animed Arad, to
attend a very important animal welfare conference in Slovenia in
October. We also brought hundreds of bumper stickers and bracelets
advertising spay/neuter in the Romanian language for the Romanian groups
to hand out to their communities. We also shared some much needed
equipment with the other Romanian groups that we were lucky enough to
receive.
Help Labus of Galati has thanked us for our spay/neuter program, and are
offering to pick up animals for citizens of Galati. We appear to have a
good community spirit of help going in Galati!
We have had many articles in the USA published about our mission and
work in Romania, along with local fundraisers in the San Francisco area.
This has helped a great deal in making people aware of the current
crisis in Romania. Sadly, most people in the US don't even know
where Romania is!
 Our
organization was founded in 2002, at which time we worked
exclusively with ROLDA, an existing animal rescue organization in
Galati, Romania. In May of 2006, Romania Animal Rescue terminated
our 3+ year involvement with ROLDA. Since May, we have been working
independently with Dr. Ileana Gheorghita of Galati, Romania. She offers
and advertises free spay/neuter to all street and guardian animals in
the city of Galati, and submits records and billing to Romania Animal
Rescue to cover her expenses. Romania Animal Rescue has sent the HSUS
RAVS vets to Romania to help train Dr. Ileana in September of 2004, and
in March of 2006, Dr. Ileana attended an extensive training program at
the Mayhew Animal Home in London. We believe Dr. Ileana to be the most
qualified veterinarian in Galati, if not the entire country of Romania.
 RAR has disseminated thousands of rubber bracelets and bumper stickers,
along with leaflets and banners, to people and groups all over Romania,
asking citizens to "Sterilizeaza Cainele! Pisica! Da -i o noua
sansa!" Translated, this means, "Sterilize dogs! Cats! Give
them a chance!" The rubber bracelets are especially popular, and people like to have
them because they are such a "trendy" item!
We offer spay/neuter free to the public for the citizens of Galati,
Romania. Over the past several months, our program has resulted in
sterilizing over 3,789 animals, as well as providing emergency medical
treatment and vaccinations.
Our goal for 2007 is to have at least 2 local veterinarians, trained by
Dr. Ileana, to perform up to 1500 spay/neuter surgeries for animals,
free of charge for the citizens of Romania. We plan to offer spay/neuter free of charge to
the public. Eventually, we hope that each and every district in Galati
will offer free spay/neuter to the citizens.
 Currently, the average cost of a spay/neuter, using anesthesia and
analgesia, with vaccinations, is approximately $25-$30. The average
wage in Galati is $180 per month. People care about the animals, but are
at a loss to afford to spay/neuter them. Our program asks the citizens
to partake in helping the animals by asking them to bring their street
and guardian animals to the clinic that is currently offering free
spay/neuter, thus saving us the cost of purchasing a van, hiring and
training dog catchers, insurance, etc. This public participation
objective has taken on a life of its own, with another organization,
Help Labus, offering to pick up animals for citizens, free of charge,
and deliver them to Dr. Ileana's clinic so that more local animals can
be sterilized.
Our goal is to keep this free program ongoing to help the people of
Galati, and eventually more cities in Romania, to become involved in
solving the crisis of companion animal overpopulation. Together, with
your help, we can achieve a remarkable change for a country struggling
to help its animals.
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