Raisa’s fight
By Andreea Campeanu
Andreea Campeanu
Cluj-Napoca, Romania
STORY SUMMARY
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For the past ten years, 32-year-old, Raisa Ludosan of Cluj-Napoca, Romania, has been rescuing dogs and cats. She gives them a temporary home, vaccinates them, takes them to the vet and feeds them, until she can find someone to adopt the animals. The rescued animals have faced brutal and abusive conditions. Close to a thousand dogs have passed through her care.
Raisa currently cares for 77 dogs. She hosts some in her home, some in a house she recently acquired, and some in foster homes. To support her rescuing activities, she runs a dog grooming school and salon. For years Raisa drove the dogs to their adopting families in Germany. She now collaborates with an association in the United Kingdom, where most of the adoptions are done.
This week, one of the puppies in her care, who was in one of the foster homes, was already weak and injured before he was rescued. The dog passed away due to a bite from a large dog. Raisa shed a few tears, then went back to work.
Raisa hugs rescued dogs at “The Sanctuary,” a house in a village near Cluj-Napoca, which she recently acquired through donations, in Borsa Catun, Romania. 33 dogs and multiple cats live here.
Raisa hugs a dog at the grooming school. She owns the school and salon, and holds classes there. The school helps her support her rescue work.
Raisa leaves her house in the morning in Campenesti, just outside Cluj-Napoca, where she started rescuing dogs ten years ago.
Raisa applies makeup on a friend for a wedding. She uses the money she makes from her makeup business to support her rescue work.
Scissors and combs used for dog grooming rest on a table in the grooming school. Raisa and her team hold dog grooming classes here.
Raisa holds one of the rescue dogs, while dog groomers work. The dog grooming school and salon fund her rescue efforts.
Raisa talks on the phone outside of a veterinarian clinic, after visiting two of her dogs that are currently in quarantine.
Raisa covers a puppy that died the night before taking it to the veterinarian clinic for incineration. The night before, she received a call from the woman who was fostering the puppy and had to pick it up. The woman cries while handing her the puppy.
Raisa applies face cream before starting her day, in her home in Campenesti. She lives with seven dogs.
Raisa is getting a tattoo. She has multiple dogs, some of which have died and are tattooed on her arms.