Look: People put five tons of gifts under the tree for the dogs in the shelter
Video, photo: Gifts for animals and commented feeding. It was also Christmas Day at the zoo
People brought gifts in the form of dog food, treats, blankets and other pet supplies in large numbers. Rather in sacks than in bags – or in well-stuffed, filled bags. There was a ready-made sea of attention under the decorated Christmas tree near the gate of the complex – and when it looked like it might even rain in the almost April-like warm weather and the workers started taking away the gifts, the tide beat the tide: it didn’t seem like the gifts were going down; sometimes just the opposite.
Steinbauer estimated that there would be as many as was common in the pre-Covid era: around five tons, a supply that would last about five months. “Some families, who are perhaps leaving for the holidays, stopped here with them already on December 23; on Christmas Day, people will be coming until the evening,” the manager recalled from experience. With the assurance that even if the open day is held until 3 p.m., even then the gate of the shelter will not remain closed. And some people bringing provisions are said to be stopping even in the following days. The deputy head of the shelter, Bronislav Mazáč, also appreciated the generosity of donors who provided money this year.
No one put a dog under the tree
If December 24th is not only a day of generosity, but also a fairy tale, a truly fairy tale story did not take place here on this day. Although among the visitors, there were also people who came with the idea that some dogs could take them home straight away and install a new home for the abandoned furry one. “I like the Yorkshire Terrier, or the black one over there; such a nice guy,” Deník heard from the interview. One female also received a lot of attention, already attracting attention with a sign on her pen: her name is Mercedes.
Source: Deník/Milan Holakovský
Jan Mlejnský, who is in charge of receiving and issuing animals, told Deník that he gave out only one dog on Christmas Day – but in this case the owners came to pick up a captured fugitive. “He ran away from the owner, probably when he smelled bitches,” stated Mlejnský. With the fact that people asked about specific dogs, however, quick adoption is not as simple a matter as some would imagine. For many, official matters are pending, he explained.
These are often dogs whose owners have already died – and are waiting for the end of the inheritance proceedings, said a typical example of manager Steinbauer. Others stay in the shelter because their owners are in the hospital for a long time. One of the dogs “from the office”, as they say here, has already started the fourth year of his stay at the shelter – and his further fate is still undecided. “It was a child’s dog, the head of the shelter explained to Deník. “He is already 18 years old today, but he is going to study, so he didn’t pick him up,” he stated, adding that it is a sad fate for the dog.
He thinks that if people can’t take care of the dog, it’s good to give him a chance to live with someone else. Even though the dogs in the shelter have guaranteed care, quality feeding and more often than in some families, they still don’t have one master. And the dogs know it…
Puppies are the biggest attraction
Currently, the Troy shelter cares for 91 dogs. The greatest interest is usually in puppies that are gone right away. There are currently no suitable ones on offer; those that the shelter takes care of are still too small and those who are interested will be able to do so later.
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In the covid years, when people spent a lot of time at home, the interest in shelter dogs was extraordinary – especially smaller breeds – and fortunately, now that the coronavirus rules have been lifted and the way of life is changing, these dogs are not coming back. In recent years, even live Christmas gifts have not appeared, which soon got tired. In addition to animals, the main fate affected the health of the owner (which concerns about 30 percent of its residents), most often larger dogs appear in the shelter, which their owners have stopped managing. These are often pit bulls, Staffordshire terriers and their hybrids.
This is also why the city police does not invite interested people “from the street” to the Troy shelter if they would like to help out. Employees and permanent associates take care of that. Including students from veterinary or animal husbandry schools or from the University of Agriculture who complete a year’s internship there. However, entrusting a large dog (and often one that the owners got rid of because they didn’t know how to handle it) to the care of an untrained volunteer would be perceived as a risk by the shelter management.
In addition to dogs, the Troy shelter takes care of snakes, turtles, including aquatic ones, and birds. Farm animals can also find shelter there, and there is also a stall for horses.
In addition to the “dog” shelter in Troja, the city police also operates a “cat” shelter in Dolní Měcholupy. Both only take care of animals from hobby farms. For those, the city police also provides sanitation, i.e. disposal of dead pieces. He is also engaged in trapping. The care of wild species, if some individuals find themselves in trouble or it is necessary to capture them, is provided by Forestry staff. m of Prague.