GREAT NEWS… Sweet Maeve… Now named Maisie is HOME!! She was adopted today by Sue of Freemont, IL.
Maisie has waited a long time and traveled a long way for this … To find her human… Her place in the world!
Maisie was born on the streets of Romania, survived parvo, survived life at Craovia government shelter until the fateful day that Louise Edwards saw a photo of her at the shelter and… knew she was on death row. Sitting more than a continent away in the UK she had to figure out a way to help. And help she did… She raised money and had her moved to a private shelter…. and almost 2 years later she boarded a plane bond for Chicago.
By the time she arrived in Chicago it was as if her will to survive was gone. She bounced by quickly and her eyes began to shine again once she was fostered with ISDF. Today years of effort and hope and waiting have paid off. She is HOME and she will never know loneliness or despair again. Sue is anxious to make up for her years of suffering and surround her with love and comfort.
Pre-Adoption Adoption Post
In May 2014, Louise Edwards saw pathetic photos of Maeve at Craoiva’s public shelter in Romania.
The dog in the foreground was being rescued by a sponsor overseas, and Maeve, just a dog in the background, was desperately standing up and begging for any scrap of human attention. She was crying out for help, in her own way and with such limited means.
Louise knew that for Maeve – as for all dogs on death row at Romanian public shelters – the clock was ticking away, ominously, minute by minute. Maeve would either be euthanized, or – a far worse fate, and a common one – she would be consigned to starve to death.
Employees at Romanian public shelters have been known to pocket EU funding for euthanasia medications, thereby supplementing their very tiny incomes. To further enable themselves to a living wage, they often also sell off government-supplied dog food rather than using it to feed their charges. The dogs, lacking both medication to be euthanized by injection and a food supply, are instead literally killed by slow starvation – a “free” death for the employees.
Louise simply could not turn away from the horror she knew was coming. She reached out to Andrea in Romania, offering to sponsor Maeve to freedom.
Today, thanks to Louise, Andrea, and other animal heroes, Maeve is thankfully safe – but not exactly “saved”. That is, she long ago left the brutal confines of the public shelter, has been vetted properly, and is no longer in danger of cruel execution by neglect and starvation.
However, there are simply SO MANY saved dogs from the Romanian public shelters…and so few places for them to go. The street dog epidemic of the nation, combined with a lack of permanent, safe homes for them to go to domestically, adds up to a tragic situation in which many dogs are pulled from public shelters only to live out the remainder of their lives in private shelters.
Two years have passed and Maeve eats a good meal every day, and has access to fresh water. She has a bit of corrugated roof over her head, and a small wooden box to bed down in when the weather turns bitter. She survived both distemper and demodex, both successfully treated upon her arrival at the private shelter she calls home now.
Maeve is now healthy and robust, fighting fit, for the past two years. She has come out of her shell and is a true little doggie these days – she used to be bossy with her closest dog friends, but only because she wanted nothing more than to play all day.
Andrea takes Maeve out when she visits, along with some of her other charges, and when Maeve hits the grass, she will run, roll, and play with the joy of a puppy – knowing it may be a long time til she again feels the sun on her face and the grass under her paws, a long time again til she frolics with other dog buddies, and approaches in some small way, for brief happy moments, the normalcy she craves.
Maeve loves people and craves affection day and night, always trying to woo them to her for cuddles. She is energetic and smart as a whip – in a different world, Andrea envisions her jogging with an active family, or even pursuing agility, where she would be a natural.
Maeve is a spayed female, approximately 3 years old and weighing around 42 lbs. She will travel to the USA in early April and ISDF is searching for the perfect forever family for Maeve to spend the rest of her life with. At long last, Maeve’s life is about to begin. Now she just needs someone to start it with.
Maeve is being fostered in Wonder Lake, IL and is doing great. She is loving and gentle and gets along with other dogs well. She loves to play chase with other dogs and chase after balls. She is a joy!
Thank you for reading and sharing Maeve’s story. This sweet girl deserves so much after so long – thank you for helping us help her. If you are interested in learning more about Maeve, please contact Dawn Trimmel by email at
trimmel@usa.net or by phone at 414-426-4148. Thank you!
