With the holiday season now in full swing, two local women are asking pet-lovers to dig deep for shelter animals in need – whether here or abroad.
With facilities like the Walker County Animal Shelter already making strides to reduce euthanasia rates, Romy Mueller Davis and Susann Gerth, both originally from Germany, have set their eyes on Romania, where they say the problem is much worse.
News outlets have long reported on the shocking conditions of many Romanian shelters, where overcrowding, starvation and cross-contamination between food and waste are not uncommon.
“These shelters are not like our shelters here,” said Davis, who has traveled to the European country. “These shelters are horrendous, where dogs pretty much kill each other to just have food. It’s just mindboggling.”
That’s why, on Dec. 15, she and Gerth are hosting a plant-based buffet and silent auction at Well Church of Chattanooga to help fund the mission of an animal rights activist overseas working to make a difference.
Since establishing her one-woman nonprofit, SOS Arms, in 2012, Georgiana Neagu of Fagaras, Romania, has rescued hundreds of dogs from these shelters and helped them find responsible homes. She currently cares for about 120 dogs in her home and on a small rented property.
The sacrifice has not come without a heavy financial toll.
“She’s on the brink of homelessness,” Davis said. “She overloaded herself … and we’re just really trying to ease her burden a little bit.”
The Santa Paws dinner will feature delicacies prepared from scratch by Gerth, who is a dietician. Menu options include German comfort foods like bienenstich, a cake stuffed with vanilla custard and topped with caramelized almonds, as well as currywurst, a popular fast food dish consisting of a fried sausage topped with curry-seasoned ketchup.
With meat-free options such as quinoa-bean chili and barbecue glazed tofu also on the menu, the women aim to show people who think vegan meals are bland and boring that the opposite can be true. Their goal has resonated with local health-food businesses supporting the charge, such as Real Roots Cafe, Heritage Health Food and Your Local Seitanist, which have all donated to the event.
If the benefit is successful, Davis said she hopes to host similar fundraisers for other deserving causes every few months, starting with Happinest Wildlife Rehabilitation and Rescue in Signal Mountain, Tenn., where she and Gerth are already regular volunteers.
The Santa Paws event runs from 6-8 p.m. and is limited to 40 people. Tickets can be purchased online at tinyurl.com/SantaPawDinner.
Email Myron Madden at mmadden@timesfreepress.com.