ADVIT Moldova experience report by: EVS volunteer Maxie Riemenschneider, Germany.

I started my EVS in Chisinau, Moldova in September 2009. At this time, my only hosting project was an “Animation Centre for Children and Youth”. The first month there were ok, not always easy (as I had to get used to the mentality at first), but always interesting. After a while the feeling that I also want to do something else as just working with children grow in me. At the same time, I got more and more concerned about the Moldovan stray dog problem. A dead dog is lying on the sidewalk for more than 2 weeks and nobody cleans it, on a walk to home at night dogs are following me with the hope to get some food or just some minutes of affection, while another dog is dying just right in front of me on a poisoned peace of food.

Reasons enough to search for an organization which work with dogs, and try to help these, in my eyes, wonderful animals. With the support of Marina, one of the ADVIT-angels, I found the dog shelter “Casa Katharina”, situated outside of Chisinau, based on and financed from a German organization. Already on my first visit there, I completely fell in love with this place. You enter the gate and immediately 120 dogs start to bark, run to you, jump up on you and try to catch your attention. Right away it was clear: This is meant to be my second EVS Project!

At the beginning, there were some communication problems with the workers, as their English is quite bad and my Rumanian isn’t much better. But in time, our funny English-Rumanian-Russian-German Mix established itself quite well.

About the question what am I doing there: Well, everything what you can do for, and with dogs. E.g. taking care of the little, sometimes motherless puppies and wounded dogs; preparing special food for them, paying attention to shy dogs with the aim of loosing their fear as well as simple tasks like washing feeding bowls, cleaning the dog kennels, giving food and water and also, the most hated but also one of the most necessary tasks, collecting their…droppings. Sometimes I’m even allowed to assist the veterinary with operations, one of the most interesting things for me.

Besides my few hours in the dog shelter every week, I also enjoy a lot my free and independent volunteer life in Moldova. I try to learn more about my temporary home country and its culture (learning traditional recipes, traditional handicraft, traditionally customs), spend time with my local friends, try to see as much as possible from Moldova and its neighbor-countries, travel a lot, help to organize activities, festivals and concerts or do crazy things like jumping from a 55 meter high building. All this and much more is possible in Moldova and for this I love this country and my time as an EVS-Volunteer here. So how could I end this little article better than with the motto of us volunteers in Moldova: “In Moldova, everything is possible!”