Hello! My name is Ramona Draghici, and I was born in Bucharest, Romania. At 19, I moved to Portugal and lived there for 11 years. In Portugal, I volunteered at a home center for people with severe disabilities. One resident became a dear friend, and I took him to races, museums, beaches, and other places. Despite his physical limitations, he was an incredibly intelligent person, a university graduate, and multilingual. Those experiences deeply enriched my life and strengthened my commitment to helping those in need, both human and animal. During my time in Portugal I adopted my beloved dog Adela.

In December 2018, I returned to Bucharest for Christmas to care for my very ill parents. Initially, I had planned to stay for just one month, but everything changed. During this time, I adopted two Rottweilers, along with several other dogs and cats, who had no one else to care for them. With my growing furry family and my parents still in need of support, returning to Portugal was no longer an option. My life took a new direction, and I decided to stay in Romania where my journey in animal rescue truly began.

Initially, I rented a place near the hospital where my parents were treated. However, as my dogs grew and I began rescuing more animals, I realized I needed a more permanent solution. I bought a house and moved in with the animals, despite having almost nothing to furnish it. We slept on a mattress while the house was under construction, which I mostly did myself to save money for the dogs.

Given the dire situation for stray and shelter dogs in Romania, I went to great lengths to improve their living conditions. I built kennels in my backyard to prevent fights among the dogs. For my paralyzed dogs, I followed veterinary advice to keep them in crates at night and provided them with therapies like acupuncture, radiotherapy, and hydrotherapy during the day.

One harsh winter made me realize that my setup was insufficient. The dogs were exposed to mud, cold, and rain, which made it clear that I had to build a better shelter. Now, my shelter has a roof covering even the areas where no dogs are housed, ensuring they are protected from wind, rain, and snow.

Over the years, I have found homes for over 4,000 dogs! This incredible journey has been both challenging and rewarding, and it motivates me to continue rescuing and rehabilitating animals in need.