If you are a BU follower, you will already know what an active and chatty bunch we are, and we would certainly describe the BU family- that's everyone from rescuers, volunteers, adopters and interested people- as warm hearted. So we would like to offer you a very generous serving of the warm and fuzzies, and introduce you to a very special young man, Nemanja Stepanovic, aged 10, who does very well at school!
Here at Balkan Underdogs we are passionate about our campaign to create a more sustainable future for animal welfare. We work closely with rescuers in educating the younger generation of Serbia by going into schools (Covid permitting) and engaging with the children about respecting animals, and animal welfare. Nemanja is a prime example of how attitudes towards animals are changing for the better, in a country where sadly no animal welfare legislation exists. Nemanja not only makes us extremely happy and proud, but shows us how hopeful we can be about the new generation being passionate and implementing change with their voices and their actions.
Nemanja is the son of Vlada, who owns a pension on the outskirts of Belgrade which is exclusively used for Balkan Underdogs rescues. Working with Biljana our rescuer (and Facebook pixie), Vlada and Nemanja care for BU dogs that have been rescued from the pound and the streets. They provide shelter, food, socialisation and play- and as you can tell from Nemanja's blog below- plenty of love and affection too!
Nemanja has written the following blog post for us here at Balkan Underdogs and we are so so proud of him because he cares so much about the dogs, and sets the perfect example of how our young people are the future.
So over to you Nemanja!
"I love dogs because they are good, cuddly, beautiful, funny and because they are our loyal friends.
I love all dogs, but there was one female dog which was dear to my heart, her name is Amity and I called her Cuddly, and I was very sad when she had to go, but now I am even more happy because she's got a lovely family and a warm home.
I help my father by walking the dogs, and playing with them, and I like helping with the feeding.
Regarding the sterilisations, I know a lot about it, but the main thing is to stop uncontrolled breeding and with that to lower the number of abandoned dogs, I am very sad when I see on the streets dogs with no water or food, no home, that is all very sad, they are not protected from mistreatment and different weather conditions, I am very happy that my parents decided to help by saving the street dogs, I am grateful to the people who want to adopt them and that they have patience and understanding, because that means a lot to the dogs, and to us that are fighting for their lives."
Eventually, Nemanja and Vlada are hoping to open a sanctuary so they can help even more dogs who are desperate, hungry and need medical attention. And this is where we would like to say a very big thank you to all of our sponsors who make it possible to pay for food, vet bills, and to keep pensions like Vlada's running. If you are interested in sponsoring a dog into a pension, take a look at our sponsorship page, or contact us for more information about how you can help.
BU Trustee Caroline has an extra special message for Nemanja! Vlada and Nemanja's pension is taking good care of Jasper, whilst he waits to travel to his new home with Caroline.
