By the end of 2023 Dutch organisation Angel’s Choice has been supporting rescuers of cats and dogs mainly in North-Macedonia for eight years and eight months already. Supporting means fundraising, collecting donations, collecting necessities and sending them to the rescuers, giving medical advice and networking. Together (rescuers, sponsors, supporters and Angel’s Choice) we have been working very hard but sadly there is no end to the stream of abandoned, abused, wounded and ill dogs and cats. Neutering is the best way to prevent animals suffering and that’s why neutering is top priority. Unfortunately neutering is no policy yet of the national and local governments in North-Macedonia. However, there are some developments and Maja Popovska (Angelcats Sanctuary) is involved. Still very early stages…

Organisations supported
In 2023 Angel’s Choice has supported:
– 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
– Friend of Animals, Prilep area, North-Macedonia, dogs and cats, run by Vlatko Zatkoski – mainly focussed on fundraising for neuterings, supported since 2019
– Anima Mundi, Skopje, North-Macedonia, project to prevent blindness in kittens, run by Melita Ivanova, supported since 2019
– and some individual rescuers, mainly with medical advice or specific medication for individual dogs or cats.

Neuterings
As said before neutering is the best way to prevent animals suffering and that’s why we are very happy that Angelcats Sanctuary has continued its neutering project. We were optimistic and set our goal at one thousand neuterings in 2023. Despite not reaching our goal we are still very pleased we managed to neuter 810 cats. Since the official neutering project started in 2019 in total 2643 cats have been neutered: newly rescued cats by Angelcats Sanctuary (very limited number), stray cats in Skopje (trapped, neutered and returned to their area) and, stray cats looked after by other rescuers in other cities. The neuterings were paid for by donations from individual sponsors and proceeds from auctions and other fundraising activities organised by Angel’s Choice.
Furthermore Angel’s Choice raised money for the neutering project run by Friend of Animals to neuter 18 stray dogs and a second neutering project for 20 stray dogs.  

Leishmania
Since February 2019 Adrie Beyen (founder of Angel’s Choice) has been admin of the Dutch Facebook group ‘Mijn hond heeft leishmania’ (my dog has leishmania). In this capacity she helps and supports owners of leish+ dogs and rescue organisations by providing information, interpretating lab reports and giving possible options for therapy. All to be shared by the dog owners with their vets to get the best possible plan for therapy and monitoring. In 2023 she was involved in the development of the website leishmania.nl for dog owners and vets to help prevent more unnecessary suffering and deaths. Publishing company A3 boeken paid for development and hosting of this website.

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. Because North-Macedonia is non-EU and PayPal does not provide services to receive money for people in Nort-Macedonia Angel’s Choice facilitates the fundraising by the rescuers and also does its own fundraising for food, medical care, neuterings and more. To be clear: the rescuers themselves remain responsible for everything.
There are some loyal supporters who donate every month a fixed amount for one of the rescue organisations or for a specific animal.
The fundraising activities vary from sponsorkliks (% from sales in various webshops) and teaming to monthly auctions and sale of donated items on Market Place and other commercial websites. In 2023 12 auctions were organised including jubilee auction 75 with the help of Hans Toorneman and Monique Stavast. In total the 12 auctions raised 11,584.48 and this money was used to pay vet bills, medication, supplements, special diet food and most of all neuterings.
Postage of sold items were sponsored once again by publishing company A3 boeken.

Donated necessities
Various people in the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany donated necessities. From deworming tablets and spot on pipets to diapers, wet wipes, supplements, blankets and more. In total 28 parcels of 20 kilo each were sent to the supported rescuers in North-Macedonia by mail (plane). Necessities that could not be sent to North-Macedonia because they were too big, too heavy or forbidden to be imported were sent to various private sanctuaries in the Netherlands and Belgium. In total 17 parcel of 20 kilo each. Publishing company A3 boeken paid postage for all 45 parcels.
In total 470 tubes of Terramycin were sent to Melita Ivanova for the kitten project.

Thank you
Though this has been a tough year for many due to global and personal developments and disasters, together we have managed to make a difference for a lot of dogs and cats. The rescuers play a huge role in this of course but without all the people who support, sponsor and donate only a fraction would have been achieved. Thank you all!

Adrie Beyen, founder of Angel’s Choice
31122023