Rescued Twice: Rico and Nora’s Fight to Survive the Romanian Public Shelter System

The dog catchers came to Lacul Sarat, Braila, and Rico and Nora’s lives changed in an instant.

One moment they were free. The next, they were behind the fences of the public shelter, two dogs among many, waiting for a fate that no one could promise would be kind.

Public shelters in Romania are overcrowded and underfunded. For a healthy dog, they are frightening places. For a dog who falls ill, they can be a death sentence. And that is exactly what began to happen.

By the time Rico and Nora came out of the shelter, both were sick. Seriously sick.

Alina, a devoted animal rescuer from Braila, could not leave them there. She got Rico and Nora out of the shelter herself, determined to save them. Both dogs were seriously ill, and she reached out everywhere she could think of, asking for help. No one answered. Except ROLDA.

Thanks to the generosity of the ROLDA Rescue Team, we were able to say yes. We arranged and covered the costs of testing and treatment, and connected Alina with a remarkable team of veterinarians at the Anim All Delta Clinic in Braila: Dr. Codreanu Bogdan and Dr. Stoian Bogdan.

On 8 June 2026, the two doctors came, examined both dogs, and ran complete blood panels and rapid tests. The results confirmed our fears.

Rico, a gentle five-year-old boy, tested positive for anaplasmosis. It is a bacterial infection spread by ticks, and left untreated, it silently attacks the blood, causing fever, joint pain, lethargy and worse.

Nora’s news was even more concerning. She tested positive for heartworm disease. Spread by a single mosquito bite, heartworms grow inside the heart and lungs, slowly suffocating a dog from within. Without treatment, it is fatal. Treatment itself is long and delicate, requiring careful monitoring every step of the way.

The doctors did not stop at a consultation, however. They took on both cases completely, starting treatment immediately and committing to monitor Rico and Nora throughout their entire recovery.

And then came a gesture that moved us deeply. Alina had nowhere to safely house the dogs during their treatment. So the clinic offered to keep Rico and Nora in their kennels, free of charge, until a solution is found. Kindness, they said, deserves kindness in return. The veterinary clinic will now become a ROLDA Care partner, joining our growing network of veterinarians who refuse to let cost decide whether an animal lives or dies.

Rico recovering in the kennel where the clinic is hosting him free of charge

Alina’s message to us says it best:
“Without your intervention and generosity, these two dogs would not have had a chance. You are truly wonderful people, and I will be forever grateful. Thank you on behalf of Rico and Nora!”

Rico and Nora are now safe, warm and receiving the treatment they need. Their recovery will take time, but they are no longer fighting alone and desperate in a public shelter that does not care. This is what your support does. It answers the calls that no one else will. It turns a positive test result from a tragedy into a treatment plan. And it builds partnerships, like the one now forming in Braila, that will save animals long after Rico and Nora have recovered.

Please allow yourself a comforting smile, because you made this happen.