From our dogs and cats to wildlife, nature and the world around us, we believe there is always more to learn about the planet we share and the challenges it faces.
Because of this, we invite organisations whose work aligns with our values to share their knowledge, experience and ideas with our community. We hope their insights inspire you to learn something new, try something different, share an idea or find a way to get involved.
This week, we're handing over to Kiki's Hope for Animals, one of the UK organisations recognised in our 2025 Companion for Life Call for Projects. Awarded £6,000 in funding, Kiki's Hope for Animals is helping to make spaying and neutering more accessible for dogs and cats in Serbia, supporting families who might otherwise struggle to afford the procedures.
In this special edition, Pru and Jo share more about the challenges facing animals in Serbia, the importance of tackling unwanted litters and how accessible neutering can help prevent suffering before it starts.
Kiki’s Hope was founded 12 years ago and incorporated into a Community Interest Company in 2023 after we had grown far bigger than we ever envisaged.
In the business world growth is seen as a positive, in the rescue world it’s just a sad reflection of the surge in abandoned and suffering animals over that period of time and the huge increase in revenue needed to try and care for those that are fortunate enough to be rescued.
It is estimated that 1000 dogs are abandoned every day in Serbia alone and a tiny fraction of those dogs will ever know the love and care of a family or home.
Kiki’s Hope was named after the founder’s own dog, a beautiful little collie abandoned in Belgrade with her tiny puppies.
When found she was close to death having been poisoned. That fate, along with shootings, road traffic accidents (sometimes deliberate), starvation, disease and the threat of other wild, hungry dogs, will kill most dogs within months of finding themselves on the streets.
Those that aren’t killed on the streets are rounded up and sent to state sponsored ‘shelters’ where few survive.
Despite reputable rescue organisations operating in the Balkans, there is still a tsunami wave of animal misery that we are all fighting to hold back.
It's often left to lone rescuers on the ground to try and pick up the pieces and tackle the lack of awareness and compassion that animals can experience in some communities.
Over the years we have seen every horror imaginable.
Mass poisonings where adults and puppies were strewn everywhere, their faces contorted with the pain of an awful death.
Dogs run over in front of our eyes by drivers that had the option to brake or change direction but instead chose to kill.
Animals abandoned in remote countryside, sometimes by individuals moving dogs from one area to another as long as it’s out of their town.
Clearly condemning them to death in doing so because there is nothing to eat, no human presence to show a smidgen of kindness or humanity and survival in the wild is all but impossible for most domesticated dogs.
And then there are the 'deponies', the rubbish dumps in every village and town.
Usually piled high with dead and rotting farm animals and a favourite dumping ground for anyone wishing to dispose of their unwanted dogs, puppies and kittens.
In one particularly horrific case, our team arrived at one depony to feed puppies they knew had been dumped there, only to find that workmen had been there with excavators moving the rubbish piles and had buried 10 puppies alive.
Our team worked frantically with their bare hands to try and dig them out of these stinking, foul piles of trash and earth but sadly some were already dead and most of the others succumbed to injuries and disease within days.
A couple of years ago we rescued a dog called Rocky who had been shot, beaten in the head and thrown over a bridge.
“Conservatively, that has prevented another 1000 puppies and kittens being born this year.”
In the last month, the head of our Serbian operations stopped to feed strays at another dump site and found a tragic sight.
A girl we have since named Bridget who was laying amongst the trash, close to death with terrible injuries to her abdomen and legs.
She was rushed to the vets in excruciating pain where they determined that she had been deliberately cut open and that her legs were broken by human hands, prior to be chucked away to die a frightening and lonely death.
I could write accounts like this for hours.
The cruelty and apathy is often overwhelming and some days one has to remember the happy endings in order to find the motivation and inspiration to continue.
It’s no secret that depression and PTSD is higher than average in rescuers and veterinarians the world over.
PTSD, Psychological Distress and Compassion Fatigue are estimated to be 5 times higher than the average.
People entering the rescue world are empathetic by nature and then find themselves overwhelmed by the sheer volume of cases, the immense animal overpopulation, severe animal neglect and abuse and the constant death and suffering.
Very few rescue organisations have the budgeting power to initiate mental health support and yet there are these constant, damaging impacts on carers and stressful pressures on fundraisers.
There is no state support in the areas where we operate in Serbia or Bosnia so all our work has to be funded by kind donations from supporters worldwide.
In a world that feels fragile and uncertain right now, many folks are understandably concerned about their own financial position and the need to protect their families and animals from any future threats to their lifestyles and survival.
As a result, many rescues have seen a significant drop in revenues which has had the knock-on effect of meaning that in practical terms, all but the most vulnerable animals can be helped.
A fact which is also adding to the mental and emotional distress of all rescuers who are seeing the suffering first hand but are unable to get the financial support to help.
Having said all of that, brave and principled souls are still fighting hard, unseen battles for animals every single day and they deserve support.
At Kiki’s Hope we still choose action
“We know we can’t save every animal in need but that isn’t a good enough reason not save as many as we can right now.”
This year, with the help of Almo, we have been able to do meaningful work by initiating a Spay and Neuter project.
To stop suffering before it starts - to prevent unwanted kittens and puppies being born into a life that is a struggle from their first breath.
In rural areas, spaying and neutering is often regarded with suspicion and in many other cases, finances are simply not available when you consider that the cost can typically equate to quarter of an average wage.
Since Almo’s grant we have been able to spay or neuter over 100 dogs and cats over the last 10 months, and we have many more booked in before the end of the year.
The impact is almost impossible to calculate but conservatively, that has prevented another 1000 puppies and kittens being born this year.
A number which only increases year on year as the next generation have their own litters.
Going forward, it’s really a balancing act for Kiki’s Hope now as every week we are faced with the huge financial challenges of caring for rescued animals that rely on us, together with the emergency cases that arrive on our doorstep which cannot be denied help.
But now the grant is complete we hope we can continue with this work if funds allow.
We know it’s going to be the only game changer in the future, the only thing that will prevent further "Rockys and Bridgets" and kittens and puppies born to die.
Companions for Life
To us at Almo Nature and Fondazione Capellino, dogs and cats are members of our families, not possessions. They have their own needs and deserve the same respect, care and protections as any other members of our family.
We believe our responsibility goes beyond ownership. That is why, through our Companion for Life initiative, we campaign for stronger animal welfare protections, better laws and greater recognition of the needs of our companion animals.
From promoting responsible relationships with animals to advocating for stronger EU legislation, and providing donations in urgent situations, we're working on many levels to advance their health, wellbeing and protection.
Because every animal deserves to live a good life.