The Foundation for Environmental Protection and Animal Rescue FOP - History of Activity of FOP Foundation and Current Situation
History of Activity of FOP Foundation and Current Situation
The Foundation for Environmental Protection was founded under the notarial act drawn up on 18 December 1995 in an institution of notary public by a notary Janusz Gorgos. In 2004 the name of the Foundation was completed with the words “and Animal Rescue FOP.”
The Foundation was established by Halina Litwinowicz, a graduate of the Faculty of Law at the University of Wrocław, a counsellor at law by profession.
The notarial act formalized earlier activity of the Founder, who began helping animals in 1985. Her activity included finding homeless dogs, supplying them with medical care, adapting to normal conditions and finding good homes for them. She also fed large groups of cats which lived in backyards near the premises of the Foundation. With time, the cats were sterilized, which solved the problem of their uncontrolled breeding.
These actions were continued under the FOP Foundation, but the scope of activity was enlarged, and modifications – caused by changing needs of animals – were introduced. For example, the cats living in the vicinity of the premises stopped requiring so much attention as their number naturally decreased, and help was transferred to hungry cats living further off, as the lady who used to feed them died. These cats were fed, medicated – if possible – and care was taken to ensure them access to cellars. Such activities have been carried until present.
In 2000, we added three more places in different parts of the city, where the Foundation started feeding cats two or three times a week. Now there are four places where volunteers give food to cats every day.
On average, we used to provide for 30 to 45 cats a year, and the FOP Foundation still takes care of a similar number of cats.
What is more, in its premises, the Foundation provides shelter for five to fifteen cats which require home care: disabled, sick or aging, as well as those which have a chance for adoption. And indeed, some of them have found their homes.
Since the beginning of her activity, the Founder also helped homeless and abused dogs and the same actions continued after forming the Foundation. All such dogs temporarily stayed in the premises of the FOP Foundation where they were fed, medicated and the females were sterilised. Later, some dogs were adapted to normal conditions by teaching them proper behaviours and good homes were found for them. Others, which did not have a chance for adoption, resided safely with the Founder until they passed away.
From the beginning of the activity of helping animals until now, 34 dogs and about 30 cats have found their homes.
Actions connected with the aims of the FOP Foundation changed according to new conditions, and thus in the years from 1998 to 2001 food was taken to five hungry homeless dogs living at a site in Grot Rowecki Street. First, the Foundation provided the animals with a doghouse and adapted a shed for them. Later, with the consent of the owner, the dogs were taken away and transferred to new owners – all except one senior female dog which is going to stay with the Foundation till the end of her life.
In the years from 1999 to 2007, the Foundation helped two dogs living in a business company premises in Karkonoska Street. One was cured of an old leg wound and received a new doghouse; for the other, the old doghouse was repaired. The Foundation supplied food for the animals every week. We also checked and took appropriate actions when the safeguarding company did not perform its duties towards the dogs properly.
At the beginning of 2007, both these dogs died. At the same time, two other dogs, which were also fed once a week by the Foundation, were taken away from a neighbouring business company. There was still another dog living at large close to the company dogs, fed by the inhabitants of the surrounding buildings. This smart but distrustful dog received food and was given a doghouse which he could use till his death in July 2008.
Since 2007, the FOP Foundation has been supporting two groups of homeless people in taking care of six (five since November) dogs – providing food for them for the whole week. Two female dogs have been sterilised and one has received a happy home.
In the years from 1997 to 1999, the Foundation was helping Ms Maria Bujak who alone and with heroism was running an animal shelter home in Nuna near Nasielsk, close to Warsaw. We used to send her small sums of money every quarter of the year and presented her with a ten-year-old Subaru car which earlier belonged to the Founder of the FOP Foundation. The car was packed with food and blankets for the animals and with clothes and shoes for their keeper.
Beginning from 2003, the FOP Foundation started transferring increasing sums of money on behalf of the shelter Last Chance near Rawa Mazowiecka, run with professionalism and self-denial by a well-known painter Bożena Wahl.
Within its financial abilities, the Foundation supported and still supports one, two and now even four so called cat feeders.
Until 2004 the activities connected with the aims of the Foundation were financed from private funds of its Founder. Since 2005 her share in covering costs of the activities has largely decreased; and in 1008 all the yearly expenditures of the Foundation could have been fully covered from the contributions of the donors.
The estimated costs of financing the activities of FOP Foundation are in the range of 18 -20 thousand zloty a year.
The aims of the Foundation are carried out by the Board. All the duties including daily feeding of dogs and cats (in the premises and outside), buying food, transporting it to four sites in the city, providing medical care, installing doghouses and shelters, ensuring access to cellars, finding new homes for dogs and cats, transporting them, as well as organisational and administrative work is performed by one member of the Board – the Founder. Sometimes other members of the Board help in some actions and organisational matters.
Two volunteers help feeding cats in two sites of the city. Also a volunteer professional bookkeeper takes care of the Foundation’s accounts.
The Shelter for Homeless Animals in Wrocław provides substantial aid to the Foundation by offering free medical care for dogs and cats, sometimes performing sterilisation and supplying after-treatment shelter for the animals.
The FOP Foundation does not employ third parties.
Wrocław, 20 January 2009