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Inside Serbia’s Largest Shelter, A Small Team Is Caring For Over A Thousand Animals (37 Pics)
Interview
Anyone who has ever seen a litter of puppies left behind knows how quickly “just helping this one time” can turn into something much bigger. That’s the reality Vučjak Dog Shelter has been living with for decades as a place built to catch the animals that keep falling through the cracks, especially the smallest ones, who rarely stand a chance on their own.
We featured the origin story of the Vučjak shelter here on Bored Panda in 2024, in which Dejan Gačić, the founder, explained how it evolved from his and his late mother’s efforts to feed strays into a full-fledged animal sanctuary in the village of Čumić near Kragujevac, Serbia.
Their official story also includes the curious moment when Dejan was asked to save a captive wolf and bought it for a single bottle of liquor, keeping it safe until the shelter could grow into something more permanent. The shelter was founded in 1997, and over the years, it expanded significantly, even securing land in 2014 in Serbia’s Gledić Mountains to create a protected wolf enclosure with donor support, where dozens of rescued wolves were later released.
More info: Instagram | Facebook | tiktok.com | x.com | youtube.com | vucjakshelter.org
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Back at Vučjak Shelter, and a new wave of tiny arrivals
Image credits: Vučjak Shelter
This time, we’re returning to Vučjak with a different focus: the abandoned puppies now making up so much of the shelter’s day-to-day reality and what the team says has changed (and what hasn’t) since we last spoke.
Asked how the situation compares to 2024, they told us: “Unfortunately, the situation today is harder than it was in 2024.” They added, “At the moment, we care for more than 1,700 animals, mostly dogs and cats.”
The puppies are often the first to be abandoned, and often the last to be noticed
Image credits: Vučjak Shelter
Some are found on roadsides, some at dumps, some simply left at the gate
Image credits: Vučjak Shelter
As they put it, “The number of abandoned animals is growing month by month, while resources, space, and systemic support remain limited. Every new animal arrives with its own story, often a traumatic one, and requires time, care, and love.”
The shelter’s days now revolve around feeding schedules, clean bedding, and constant monitoring
Image credits: Vučjak Shelter
Every new pup arrives with a different story, and the same need to feel safe
Image credits: Vučjak Shelter
Asked about the wolf mentioned in the previous story, and whether they still house wild animals, they explained: “At the moment, we don’t have wild animals in the shelter. The wolf that used to be with us is no longer at the shelter.”
Little paws, big appetite: mealtimes happen on repeat
Image credits: Vučjak Shelter
A warm corner and a full bowl can be the start of a whole new life
Image credits: Vučjak Shelter
They added, “However, Dejan still responds to calls for help in cases involving wild animals, in cooperation with the relevant institutions, whenever it is possible and safe for the animal itself. Cases like these shine an additional light on how often the system fails, and individuals are left as the last line of help.”
This is what “temporary” looks like when abandonment never slows down
Image credits: Vučjak Shelter
“At the moment, we care for more than 1,700 animals, mostly dogs and cats.”
Image credits: Vučjak Shelter
Dejan Gačić.
On the topic of adoptions, the Vučjak Shelter team explained: “Most adoptions from our shelter still happen abroad. Adoptions in Serbia do happen, but they are significantly rarer.”
The youngest ones need the most time, and the most hands
Image credits: Vučjak Shelter
These are often the pups’ first checks, first baths, first moments without fear
Image credits: Vučjak Shelter
They stressed, “That clearly shows how necessary it is to work continuously on changing awareness and promoting adoption as a responsible and humane choice in the local community.”
When puppies arrive in groups, they cling to each other like lifelines
Image credits: Vučjak Shelter
Play is a good sign: it means they’re starting to trust the world again
Image credits: Vučjak Shelter
Animal abandonment continues to be an issue: “Unfortunately, the problem has seriously worsened. Serbia has a good Animal Welfare Law, but in practice, it is not implemented to a sufficient extent.”
A warm and safe place to nap is sometimes all these pups need to start their road to recovery
Image credits: Vučjak Shelter
Not every puppy comes in healthy
Image credits: Vučjak Shelter
“There are no systemic programmes for mass sterilization, public education is insufficient, and greater and more consistent involvement of local and state administration is necessary in order to solve this problem in the long term.”
But every one is cared for and given a chance to thrive
Image credits: Vučjak Shelter
Most were abandoned for long enough to need extensive veterinary care
Image credits: Vučjak Shelter
Asked how they manage the workload, they shared: “We have a small team of employees who put in enormous efforts every day so that all 1,700 animals have basic care, food, and veterinary support. Still, the need for volunteers is constant.”
“The number of abandoned animals is growing month by month…”
Image credits: Vučjak Shelter
The “easy” part is rescuing; the hard part is keeping up, day after day
Image credits: Vučjak Shelter
“We especially need people who can help with promoting the shelter, coming up with creative campaigns, attracting new donors, and organizing fundraising events, because without that support, the long-term survival of a shelter like this is extremely difficult.”
Socialization starts early, since many of these puppies will grow up at the shelter with hundreds of other dogs
Image credits: Vučjak Shelter
Some pups act brave first, then melt the moment they realize they’re safe
Image credits: Vučjak Shelter
“Donations are crucial for us. Financial support enables us to provide food, veterinary care, and basic living conditions for the animals.”
The shelter runs on donations which barely keep pace with the constantly increasing amounts of food needed
Image credits: Vučjak Shelter
Every bag of food disappears faster than anyone wants to calculate
Image credits: Vučjak Shelter
And they underlined that support isn’t only financial: “In addition to donations, adoption, volunteering, and sharing our story are a huge help too, because every post can mean a new chance for an animal.”
Food, water, vet care, cleaning, repeat
Image credits: Vučjak Shelter
And because dogs grow quickly, so do the costs that follow them
Image credits: Vučjak Shelter
“Serbia has a good Animal Welfare Law, but in practice it is not implemented well…”
Image credits: Vučjak Shelter
When systems stall or fail in this way, is when shelters like Vučjak have to step in
Image credits: Vučjak Shelter
“Unfortunately, the problem has seriously worsened”
Image credits: Vučjak Shelter
So the shelter’s biggest shortages have quickly become capacity and funding
Image credits: Vučjak Shelter
With a small team of employees, they appreciate any volunteer help they can get
Image credits: Vučjak Shelter
Promoting the shelter and adoption within the local community are their main goals now
Image credits: Vučjak Shelter
“Every post can mean a new chance for an animal”
Image credits: Vučjak Shelter
Most pups find a permanent home abroad, which of course requires more resources, more time, and more paperwork
Image credits: Vučjak Shelter
The lack of systemic programs addressing animal abandonment and care for strays, the problem has started to outpace the shelter’s abilities
Image credits: Vučjak Shelter
But the team keeps going, preparing the pups for homes that might be far, far away
Image credits: Vučjak Shelter
A wagging tail doesn’t mean the past was gentle; it means the present and future are better
Image credits: Vučjak Shelter
For now, the puppies keep arriving, and the team that Dejan has gathered around him keep doing everything they can to save the animals
Image credits: Vučjak Shelter
Check out Vučjak Shelter’s website and social media accounts to see more of their work and information on how to support them.
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