One of the select few kindhearted people who have made it their life’s work to improve the world is this lovely mother and son team. Svetlana and Degan from Serbia have no trouble counting their good deeds even though, as many of us know, good deeds are hard to put a number on. After more than 20 years of running their shelter, they have saved more than a thousand dogs, and more than one hundred of them are currently living there.
Dejan and Svetlana humbly began their humanitarian work by just feeding the stray animals in the village of Cumic, where they lived. The locals appreciated the kind acts that the mother-son duo did. As a result, they started to develop a reputation and a larger network, and more resources. To put it another way, they began to grow and broaden the scope of their activities.
They finally built the Vucjak Shelter in 1997. After some time, Svetlana sadly passed away. Dejan, however, decided to continue their shared heritage and worked alone to maintain the shelter. However, it wasn’t as simple as it had been previously because he worked alone and because his shelter became home to hundreds or even thousands of animals at once.
Dejan spoke candidly about his mother and the influence she had on his life. “My mother started all this in 1997. It was not planned, there was no specific reason. We found one puppy in an elevator and took him home, and that is how everything started. She just wanted to help a dog who needed help.”
“My mother was a strong personality, strong character. She left everything in her social life and went to the village to live with the dogs. My mother and I were best friends. I’m still talking with her and telling her all the problems and challenges I am facing every day.”
Dejan also provided an update on the situation within the shelter. “I don’t know how many dogs we’ve rescued and how many dogs we’ve had over the last 20 years, but right now we have about 1000 dogs.” Taking care of them is, of course, not without issues.
“At the moment, we’re struggling and trying to prepare the dogs for the winter. The situation with stray dogs in Serbia is not good. People leave their dogs every day. I receive several calls every day from people who want to get rid of their dogs.”
However, domestic animals aren’t the only focus of the entire shelter industry. They acquired land in the Gledic Mountains in 2014 and built a wolf refuge there. You might wonder, “Why the wolves?” Although wolves are the national animal of Serbia, they are always in danger from poachers and fear extinction. When he can, Dejan feeds them fresh meat and fights for their safety.
As you might expect, managing a shelter alone is incredibly challenging. It is especially true when there are hundreds of animals to care for, as the maintenance costs rise and a lot of work to do. Dejan, for instance, plans to construct more dog houses and winter shelter structures soon. But the shelter is kept afloat, thanks to donations from good individuals and groups; let’s hope for another 20 years!
Last but not least, Dejan has demonstrated his commitment to the cause he chooses. “I want to say that I will fight for animals until I die. It is my road to heaven and it’s the legacy of my mother.”
Pic credits: vucjakshelter
