In September 2018 we welcomed our very first dog from Malta: Lino! ❤️ He was abandoned as a puppy with his five siblings in a closed box on the side of the road in Malta. Unfortunately, he had a weakened immune system. Despite this, we enjoyed 10 months, two vacations and lots of adventures together before he passed away at 15 months – presumably from a virus that spread to his lungs.  His immune system just wasn’t strong enough to fight the virus.

We were devastated. We always knew that rescued dogs could have a disease, we just weren’t prepared for our dear Lino to leave us at such a young age. There is never a perfect moment to say goodbye to a beloved pet.

Anton, a pointer mix from Malta, enriches our lives today. He helped us work through the grief phase and he brings joy to our life in his own unique way each day. We are very, very happy and grateful that this sunshine has found its way to us! ?

After Lino’s death and Anton’s adoption, my partner and I began volunteering at Hunderettung e.V. in Berlin. I worked for six years in non-profit organizations in finances, so I understand how to get things done in an NGO. At Hunderettung e.V., we mainly helped with fundraising, optimizing internal processes, and helping to build the website.

Sustainable animal welfare is essential to me, i.e., to provide help and fight the problem locally. I was also inspired by Svenja, one of the founders of Hunderettung Europa e.V.. She says that if you would like to help pets, you should get involved in your local association, or have the courage and start your own animal welfare association.

My first effort was hampered by the Covid-19 pandemic. I had trouble getting certified under § 11 TierSchG so that animals can be brought to Germany.

This obstacle did not stop us! Our seven founding members formed Lino e.V. before we could conduct adoptions. This way, we could start working on public relations, fundraising, finding our first volunteers, and eventually helping dogs in need.