Rebecca Geres’s life mission to save “the voiceless and helpless” strays of Malta
2 February 2015, published by LITTLEROCK.com.mt
I thoroughly enjoyed interviewing Rebecca Geres, perhaps because I am so in love with animals myself. It is truly a pleasure to have the opportunity to expose the selfless work of this funny, happy-go-lucky person who adores animals and shares such a strong emotional bond with them. Locally she has become known as the young woman who is dedicating her life to saving strays, particularly dogs.
"My whole being revolves around saving the voiceless and the helpless,"
Rebecca left a cushy family business to follow a vocation in animal care: she studied a UK Diploma in Veterinary Assistance and is currently undergoing a UK Degree in Dog Psychology, Behavior and Training. Yet her connection with animals has its roots at a very young age.
"Growing up I had every pet imaginable: 10 hamsters, a pet rat, 11 rabbits, many rescued dogs and cats, birds, fish and a guinea pig. Bless my mother, who was also an animal lover but had to put up with my weekly requests for a new pet!"
All her pets resided in her bedroom, but that was not all. She spent her Lm5 (€12) weekly pocket money on dog and cat food to feed the strays in St. Julians where she lived. This did not make her very popular with the neighbours, "but the strays were happy and overweight!"
When social media took off and people in Malta began using it to network for all sorts of reasons, those who knew Rebecca would naturally tag her in posts about lost or abandoned dogs and cats. In between the time it took to tend to her job, studies, house, partner, social life and her own dogs, she also conducted rescues in her free time.
In November 2014 she created the Facebook page Spot a Stray Dog - Malta; the page reached 1,000 likes within the first 12 hours and has reached near 7,000 likes within 2½ months. Rebecca quickly realised there is a dire rescuing necessity.
"Although being a veterinary assistant was great I still didn't feel fulfilled. I left it to dedicate myself to this voluntary work; the satisfaction of saving a broken soul and nurturing it back to happiness and health, bonding and earning his trust, and giving him another chance at life is something indescribable and I wouldn't change it for the world."
Since November 1st, she has re-homed 31 dogs and reunited 13 lost dogs with their owners. The page also helps re-home unwanted pets. Seeing dogs happily settle into warm, comfortable homes or owners' reactions when she reunites them with their lost dogs she describes as a "priceless moment."
But this satisfying work does not come without its share of heartbreaks, such as finding a whole litter of 4 week old puppies left for dead, or an old dog with dermatitis on its paws from walking from Marsaxlokk to Ta' L-Ibraġġ. She is upset that dogs are abandoned due to old age or illness, such as sandfly, which is treatable and non-contagious, or pets kept outdoors with no shelter, food or water. Her own dog Macho was poisoned by a neighbor but luckily they managed to save him.
People post a picture of a stray dog on her page and Rebecca goes on location to capture him; some dogs simply hop into her car while it takes others weeks to gain her trust. With a microchip reader donated by the public, she checks him for a chip. If microchipped, the dog is returned to his owners. If not - and none of the people in the neighbourhood recognised him - she takes the dog in her care, gives him a good wash and groom and a hearty meal. The dog then gets a full veterinary check up including blood tests, and is medicated back to health if poorly.
"He will spend roughly 1 to 2 weeks with me in my home so that I can overview his temperament and character traits, then when it comes to re-homing I can assess who would be the best match for him. I encounter difficulties when it takes a long time to home a dog in my care as I would not be able to take on another case and the dog would get more attached to me, which is something I limit as much as I can."
For this reason Rebecca relies on rescue help - such as that from Animal Guardians Malta - and fosterers until a dog is found a forever home. She also relies on donations and sponsorship in order to carry on her work and she struggles with the expenses of dog food and bedding as well as veterinary expenses. Her lack of income from this work means she also struggles with personal expenses and she felt this particularly when her car was written off last December due to over heating from over use.
"I get roughly get 13 reports a day and I have trouble dealing with the guilt of the cases I wasn't able to see to right away. I get over 30 calls, 15 SMS and 200 Facebook messages and emails daily and it is a struggle to keep up with them."
Although working on a voluntary basis, Rebecca's typical day starts very early and ends very late: she follows up reports of stray spottings, spends time rehabilitating and walking the dogs in her care, cleaning her home and the dog's areas, and somehow also manages to allocate time for her studies and research.
"I constantly work on my mission and on ideas of how to better what I do. My main aim is to make a difference in Animal Welfare laws in Malta, and eventually to introduce and be part of an Animal Police Squad."
__________
Rebecca to anyone who would like to get a dog:
“A very common mistake people do is lack of research on the breed to adopt in their homes and lives. Many opt for a dog primarily on aesthetics, however it is important to become educated about the breed’s requirements, temperament, need for exercise, etc. Asking experiences from owners is useful. Ensure you are willing to dedicate 10 to 15 years of your life to this family member and to invest time in your dog. Join a training educational scheme to create a better bond and experience for both of you. Get to know your dog, treat him as part of the family and never betray him.”
Rebecca to anyone who no longer wants his dog:
“If a dog is no longer wanted my main concern is to re-home him with someone who will appreciate him and give him the life he deserves. Please do not throw him out on the streets; seek help from myself, Animal Welfare or sanctuaries.”
Rebecca's advice if you have lost or found a dog:
“By law a dog should be microchipped and carrying an ID tag on his collar with the dog’s name and the owner’s contact details, even if the dog is kept indoors.
“If you have lost a dog, file a police report. Get the word out via Facebook, which works wonders with cross posting so share the story on as many pages as possible. Printed papers around the neighborhood also help. Sometimes, as unfair as it is, when a reward is given there are more chances of a dog being found due to a monetary incentive.
“If you have found a dog, check for a microchip via Animal Welfare, a vet or myself. If a dog is registered with his owners' details he will be reunited with his owner; if not then a police report must be filed and shelter for the dog must be found, either by the person who found him, a sanctuary, a rescuer or a fosterer. If the dog's owner doesn't claim him within 7 days, the dog can be re-homed.”
CONTACT: If you would like to contact Rebecca Geres you may do so on spotastraydogmalta@hotmail.com. For urgent cases you may contact her on 9906 2306.
DONATIONS: Should you wish to help Rebecca with a donation, you may do so at: Bon a Pet Treat, Vjal il-Ħelsien, Żebbuġ. Rebecca has a donation account there, c/o Irene; you may either leave food, bedding or supplies or make a payment in advance for any supplies (including medical) that Rebecca may need.
"My whole being revolves around saving the voiceless and the helpless,"
Rebecca left a cushy family business to follow a vocation in animal care: she studied a UK Diploma in Veterinary Assistance and is currently undergoing a UK Degree in Dog Psychology, Behavior and Training. Yet her connection with animals has its roots at a very young age.
"Growing up I had every pet imaginable: 10 hamsters, a pet rat, 11 rabbits, many rescued dogs and cats, birds, fish and a guinea pig. Bless my mother, who was also an animal lover but had to put up with my weekly requests for a new pet!"
All her pets resided in her bedroom, but that was not all. She spent her Lm5 (€12) weekly pocket money on dog and cat food to feed the strays in St. Julians where she lived. This did not make her very popular with the neighbours, "but the strays were happy and overweight!"
When social media took off and people in Malta began using it to network for all sorts of reasons, those who knew Rebecca would naturally tag her in posts about lost or abandoned dogs and cats. In between the time it took to tend to her job, studies, house, partner, social life and her own dogs, she also conducted rescues in her free time.
In November 2014 she created the Facebook page Spot a Stray Dog - Malta; the page reached 1,000 likes within the first 12 hours and has reached near 7,000 likes within 2½ months. Rebecca quickly realised there is a dire rescuing necessity.
"Although being a veterinary assistant was great I still didn't feel fulfilled. I left it to dedicate myself to this voluntary work; the satisfaction of saving a broken soul and nurturing it back to happiness and health, bonding and earning his trust, and giving him another chance at life is something indescribable and I wouldn't change it for the world."
Since November 1st, she has re-homed 31 dogs and reunited 13 lost dogs with their owners. The page also helps re-home unwanted pets. Seeing dogs happily settle into warm, comfortable homes or owners' reactions when she reunites them with their lost dogs she describes as a "priceless moment."
But this satisfying work does not come without its share of heartbreaks, such as finding a whole litter of 4 week old puppies left for dead, or an old dog with dermatitis on its paws from walking from Marsaxlokk to Ta' L-Ibraġġ. She is upset that dogs are abandoned due to old age or illness, such as sandfly, which is treatable and non-contagious, or pets kept outdoors with no shelter, food or water. Her own dog Macho was poisoned by a neighbor but luckily they managed to save him.
People post a picture of a stray dog on her page and Rebecca goes on location to capture him; some dogs simply hop into her car while it takes others weeks to gain her trust. With a microchip reader donated by the public, she checks him for a chip. If microchipped, the dog is returned to his owners. If not - and none of the people in the neighbourhood recognised him - she takes the dog in her care, gives him a good wash and groom and a hearty meal. The dog then gets a full veterinary check up including blood tests, and is medicated back to health if poorly.
"He will spend roughly 1 to 2 weeks with me in my home so that I can overview his temperament and character traits, then when it comes to re-homing I can assess who would be the best match for him. I encounter difficulties when it takes a long time to home a dog in my care as I would not be able to take on another case and the dog would get more attached to me, which is something I limit as much as I can."
For this reason Rebecca relies on rescue help - such as that from Animal Guardians Malta - and fosterers until a dog is found a forever home. She also relies on donations and sponsorship in order to carry on her work and she struggles with the expenses of dog food and bedding as well as veterinary expenses. Her lack of income from this work means she also struggles with personal expenses and she felt this particularly when her car was written off last December due to over heating from over use.
"I get roughly get 13 reports a day and I have trouble dealing with the guilt of the cases I wasn't able to see to right away. I get over 30 calls, 15 SMS and 200 Facebook messages and emails daily and it is a struggle to keep up with them."
Although working on a voluntary basis, Rebecca's typical day starts very early and ends very late: she follows up reports of stray spottings, spends time rehabilitating and walking the dogs in her care, cleaning her home and the dog's areas, and somehow also manages to allocate time for her studies and research.
"I constantly work on my mission and on ideas of how to better what I do. My main aim is to make a difference in Animal Welfare laws in Malta, and eventually to introduce and be part of an Animal Police Squad."
__________
Rebecca to anyone who would like to get a dog:
“A very common mistake people do is lack of research on the breed to adopt in their homes and lives. Many opt for a dog primarily on aesthetics, however it is important to become educated about the breed’s requirements, temperament, need for exercise, etc. Asking experiences from owners is useful. Ensure you are willing to dedicate 10 to 15 years of your life to this family member and to invest time in your dog. Join a training educational scheme to create a better bond and experience for both of you. Get to know your dog, treat him as part of the family and never betray him.”
Rebecca to anyone who no longer wants his dog:
“If a dog is no longer wanted my main concern is to re-home him with someone who will appreciate him and give him the life he deserves. Please do not throw him out on the streets; seek help from myself, Animal Welfare or sanctuaries.”
Rebecca's advice if you have lost or found a dog:
“By law a dog should be microchipped and carrying an ID tag on his collar with the dog’s name and the owner’s contact details, even if the dog is kept indoors.
“If you have lost a dog, file a police report. Get the word out via Facebook, which works wonders with cross posting so share the story on as many pages as possible. Printed papers around the neighborhood also help. Sometimes, as unfair as it is, when a reward is given there are more chances of a dog being found due to a monetary incentive.
“If you have found a dog, check for a microchip via Animal Welfare, a vet or myself. If a dog is registered with his owners' details he will be reunited with his owner; if not then a police report must be filed and shelter for the dog must be found, either by the person who found him, a sanctuary, a rescuer or a fosterer. If the dog's owner doesn't claim him within 7 days, the dog can be re-homed.”
CONTACT: If you would like to contact Rebecca Geres you may do so on spotastraydogmalta@hotmail.com. For urgent cases you may contact her on 9906 2306.
DONATIONS: Should you wish to help Rebecca with a donation, you may do so at: Bon a Pet Treat, Vjal il-Ħelsien, Żebbuġ. Rebecca has a donation account there, c/o Irene; you may either leave food, bedding or supplies or make a payment in advance for any supplies (including medical) that Rebecca may need.
