
By the end of 2022 Dutch organisation Angel’s Choice has been supporting rescuers of cats and dogs, mainly in North-Macedonia, for seven years and eight months already. Worldwide 2022 has not been an easy year for humans and animals due to various reasons like war, natural disasters and shortage of food and energy. Prices for necessities have gone up. People have less money to spend. It’s a struggle to provide the wounded, ill and abandoned animals with all they need to heal, survive and live a good life on a daily basis. This takes its toll on the rescuers but they keep on fighting for the sake of the animals. They do an amazing job no matter what the consequences are for them personally. All Angel’s Choice can do is help them and their animals by fundraising, collecting donations, collecting necessities and shipping them to the rescuers, giving medical advice and networking. And by giving moral support when needed. We cry and mourn together and we rejoice and laugh together.
It’s up to the individual rescuers to rehome their animals abroad, because Angel’s Choice stopped rehoming animals several years ago. Fortunately a lot of adopters still give updates on their dogs or cats and some of them have become friends and loyal supporters of Angel’s Choice and the rescuers.
Angel’s Choice raised funds for transport of handicapped and special needs animals to Hungary (dog Garo), France (dogs Rusty and Coco) and Germany (cats Bubi and Morris).
And in 2022 the first FIP cats were treated successfully with an experimental drug: Clio and Finny.
Organisations supported
In 2022 Angel’s Choice has structurally supported the following rescue organisations:
– Angelcats Sanctuary, Skopje, North-Macedonia, run by Maja Popovska, mainly cats, supported since the beginning of 2015
– Dog Rescue Gastarovska, Skopje, North-Macedonia, run by Silvija Gastarovska, mainly handicapped dogs, supported since the beginning of 2015
– Masha’s friends, Skopje, North-Macedonia, run by Tatjana Atanasova, cats and dogs, supported since 2018
– Save the Stray Angels, Krushevo, North-Macedonia, run by Ruzhica Parsons, supported since 2018
And on a non permanent basis:
– Friend of Animals, Prilep area, North-Macedonia, dogs and cats, run by Vlatko Zatkoski – mainly focussed on fundraising for neuterings
– Anima Mundi, Skopje, North-Macedonia, project to prevent blindness in kittens, run by Melita Ivanova
– Animal Voice, Bitola, North-Macedonia, run by Leonardo Sokolov, ad hoc fundraising for new shelter and medical advice
– and some individual rescuers for individual dogs or cats.
Co-operation
Angel’s Choice is a big supporter of joining forces. Rescuers should work together and help each other. Fortunately this is happening more and more. Sometimes this means that medication, special food or other necessities are given to other rescuers when they urgently need them. Sometimes a dog or cat goes from its original rescuer to another rescuer who has more space and experience or better facilities. E.g. Handicapped dog Puturus rescued by Animal Voice went to Dog Rescue Gastarovska, handicapped dog Sunny went from Friend of Animals went to Dog Rescue Gastarovska and cat Potsie with a huge wound went from Friend of Animals to Angelcats Sanctuary.
Neuterings
In 2022 689 cats were neutered thanks to the neutering project run by Angelcats Sanctuary in co-operation with several vets. These 689 cats included newly rescued cats by Angelcats Sanctuary (very limited number), stray cats in Skopje (trapped, neutered and returned to their area), stray cats looked after by other rescuers other cities in North Macedonia. The neuterings were paid for by donations from individual sponsors, auctions organised by Angel’s Choice and donations from Stichting Dierennood. 689 neuterings at 20 euro per neutering means 13,780 euro!
Furthermore Angel’s Choice raised money for the neutering of about 30 dogs at Friend of Animals and Animal Voice.
Rescue 2.0
In the fall of 2021 Angelcats Sanctuary got a grant from Civica Mobilitas. It is the first grant ever in North-Macedonia for the welfare of cats only! The title of the project was: ‘Through civil activism to systematic solutions for homeless cats’. This project is about influencing the authorities to take more systematic measures to prevent the problem of uncontrolled breeding of the stray cats. Civil activism as a very important tool for raising awareness among people who due to superstition and cultural mentality refuse to neuter pets, leading to uncontrolled growth in the number of stray animals. After one year the project ended officially and a report was given to Civica Mobilitas. This does not mean at all that Angelcats Sanctuary will stop all civil activism, because the goal has not been reached yet by far.
Leishmania
Sharko was one of the first dog known with leishmania in the history of Angel’s Choice. He was treated for active leishmania in North-Macedonia but when he came to the Netherlands in 2017 it became clear that his leishmania was active again. Therapy started and it was not easy to get his leishmania under control, but it has been under control for several years now. This was a huge learning curve and a lot of expertise was gained by Adrie Beyen (who runs Angel’s Choice). Because many vets in the Netherlands have no experience with leishmania and other Mediterranean diseases a lot of dogs with leishmania or tick diseases are not diagnosed and treated in time causing them to suffer and die unnecessarily. That’s why she became an active member of the Dutch group ‘Mijn hond heeft leishmania’ and shortly after she was asked to became one of the admins. Since then (for several years now) she has helped many dog owners in the Netherlands and Belgium and also rescuers in North-Macedonia with information, advice on therapy and more. In critical cases she supports individual dog owners on a daily basis.
Finances
All rescuers depend on donations to do what they do: taking care of animals in their neighbourhood, taking in the ones that need medical and other care because they will not survive on their own on the streets, and preparing them for adoption (vaccinations, chipping, documents, neutering). Because North-Macedonia is non-EU and PayPal does not provide services to receive money for people in Nort-Macedonia Angel’s Choice facilitating the fundraising by the rescuers and also does its own fundraising for food, medical care, neuterings and more. There are some loyal supporters who donate every month a fixed amount for one of the rescue organisations or for a specific animal.
Angel’s Choice received a percentage of proceeds from sales via sponsorkliks and has a small number of teamers who donate 1 euro per month. Not a huge amount, but every euro counts.
Once again 12 monthly auctions were organised with the help of Hans Toorneman and Monique Stavast. A lot of people keep on donating items (from books and DVD to jewelry, knick-knacks and household utensils). And fortunately a lot of people from the Netherlands and Belgium place bids on a lot of items. In total the 12 auctions raised just 9,878.85 euro and this money was used to pay vet bills, medication, supplements, special diet food and neuterings.
Shipping costs of sold items were sponsored once again by publishing company A3 boeken.
Two lotteries were organised. Never Huus in Germany donated one week stay in their holiday apartment and 62 tickets at 10 euro each were sold. In total 620 euro became available for the new shelter of Animal Voice. For the second lottery artist Renate Verhagen donated a mini portrait of a cat of dog and 30 tickets at 5 euro each were sold. The raised amount of 150 euro was used for neuterings.
Donated necessities
Various people in the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany donated necessities to Angel’s Choice: deworming tablets, spot on anti-flea treatments, medication, diapers, puppy training pads, blankets, towels, dog coats, collars, leashes, harnesses, vitamins and other supplements, snacks, toys, cages, baskets, carrier bags, bandages, gauzes, medical cones, food bowls, clothes for the rescuers and more.
In total 25 parcels of 20 kilo each were sent to the various rescuers and rescue organisations in North-Macedonia by mail (shipping sponsored by publishing company A3 boeken).
In addition two car loads (about 400 kilo each) of necessities were driven to Skopje by Jessi from the Netherlands. Very grateful for this!
This year about 220 tubes of Terramycin and Thiocilline for they eyes were donated for the kitten project of Anima Mundi. Also about 50 tubes of Terramycin for the skin were donated to be distributed amongs various rescuers and vets.
Three times heart medication (vetmedin) was sent to Iva Zafirovska for senior dog Granny and once two jars of l-lycine for some of her cats.
Items that could not be sent to North-Macedonia because of size, weight or contents (e.g. big bags of food, cans of wet food, other food, medication and more) were distributed amongst various private sanctuaries in Belgium and the Netherlands. In total 7 parcels of 20 kilo each and 2 car loads.
Thank you
Once again Angel’s Choice (founded and run by Adrie Beyen) wants to express its gratitude to all rescuers who spend a huge part of their lives for the well-being of many animals. Their never ending efforts are greatly admired and respected.
Everything mentioned in this report was made possible thanks to many people who have contributed in various ways, e.g. by donating money, sponsoring individual animals, donating necessities, donating items for the auctions or bidding on them, collecting coupons, sharing ideas and expertise.
Thank you to all from the bottom of our hearts and on behalf of all the animals who were lucky enough to be rescued.
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