We for the animal

Cat shelter from Burgenland on the brink of closure

The cats of a lady in need of care are now being looked after by the association.

(Bild: Wir fürs Tier)

A flood of private drop-offs, abandoned four-legged friends, injured wild animals and sick strays are pushing "Wir fürs Tier" to its limits. Without donations, the association is now facing bankruptcy.

The food troughs are empty, as is the bank account - 3000 euros in veterinary costs from August alone still have to be paid. "We don't know what to do anymore," says Alice Siebenbrunner from the "Wir fürs Tier" association in Loipersdorf i. B., where 40 cats are currently waiting to be rehomed in the cat house - including many stray kittens that were rescued from catastrophic conditions and nursed back to health. Despite the law, people do not comply with the obligation to neuter all free-roaming cats and tomcats (!).

Swallows taken in
At the weekend, the association also took over the care of around 80 swallows weakened by the storms from all over southern and central Burgenland to Hartberg in Styria.

Donations are urgently needed.

(Bild: fotofraller.at)

Private donations: No one in the country is responsible 

And a new problem is emerging: More and more private donations. "The owner dies and nobody is there to look after the animals," says Siebenbrunner. Desperate neighbors or acquaintances then turn to private associations - because the state animal shelter, the Sonnenhof in Eisenstadt, is not responsible when asked.

A recent case at Diakonie was particularly tragic: a client had to move into a care home and was unable to take her four cats with her. Staff looked after the furry friends but were turned away by Sonnenhof - it was not an emergency and they were not responsible. The cats are now at the "Wir fürs Tier" cat shelter - one cat had to be put down due to kidney failure. "Here, too, we are facing horrendous costs," says Siebenbrunner, who does not receive any funding.

Animals can be taken in temporarily
When asked who is responsible in such cases, we receive the following answer from the state: "If the orphaned animals need to be cared for due to death or the animal owner's need for care, it is customary to first organize care in a private environment. The Sonnenhof team is happy to assist with private-to-private placements. Animals can be taken in temporarily if they are in need due to exceptional circumstances. This can only be done in urgent and justified individual cases, taking into account available free resources."

How you can help

Donate to "We for animals"

IBAN: AT68 5100 0902 1424 4900

Food donations to Föhrenstraße 48, 7410 Loipersdorf in Burgenland

Urgent request for donations for cat shelter
What is considered an emergency has unfortunately not been answered. So private associations will continue to look after orphaned animals. "I can't put them out on the street," says Siebenbrunner. Anyone who would like to help so that the cat house does not have to close can do so by donating money or food.