In November 2013, Riley was found in a Killing Station by Hungary Hearts Dog Rescue. He was about eight weeks old, wet and dirty, covered in his own wee and poo. 
While they managed to rescue all of Riley’s siblings from one of the worst Killing Stations in Hungary, they all contracted parvovirus. Riley and his sister Bessie survived, his other siblings died.
They took them to the vets in Hungary to be vaccinated and checked. Riley probably still didn’t know what was happening to him – he looks scared.
After he survived the horrible illness, he then went to stay at a foster home for a couple of months before he could be transported to the U.K. During that time, Aniko, his foster mother basically house-trained him. So when he finally arrived at his forever home in January this year, he fitted in immediately.
And this is Riley today – in the UK, safe in his environment and loved by his owners. His sister Bessie is also in the UK. 
But his is a story of a lucky escape from early death in one of the many Killing Stations in Hungary. There are people out there looking after other doggies in similar situation – but there are just too many dogs in need of a home.
May’s comment: Looking at Riley today it is hard to believe where he came from. It is through Riley’s story, that I learnt about Hilda of Hungarian Heart Dog Rescue. https://www.facebook.com/hilda.hilda.14203?fref=ts
It seems one of the repercussions of a worsening economy is more stray dogs. When people can’t afford to keep them, they are let out to stray and fend for themselves.
The Government pays dog catchers to round up strays but in the event they also round up dogs who have been let out to roam. Once rounded up, they are sent to Killing Stations. As there are also no funds to feed and keep the dogs healthy, the situation in these Killing Stations are dire. If a dog has not been claimed within 14 days, the Government pays to have them put to sleep. But they rather keep the money and would either starve the dogs the death or kill them in some horrendous way.
Along come people like Hilda who have set about their life’s mission to save as many of these dogs from Killing Stations as possible. And working with shelters so they can take keep these dogs safe and in better conditions.
Hilda was working as a translator for a Hungarian Rescue Foundation when she became emotionally involved and she then started to raise funds to help get dogs out of the Killing Stations. Most of her work are done through her Facebook Page – Hilda Hilda (Hungarian Heart Dog Rescue.)
She organises everything from getting dogs out of Killing Stations, to the local vet – getting them chipped, dewormed, vaccinated. They are sent to foster homes in Hungary during which they can assess the temperaments and nature of these dogs. She introduces them to potential adopters and getting the dogs over either to foster homes in the UK – a better chance for adoption when people can actually meet them or to their forever homes.
They work with UK charity Action Aid For Animals who transports dogs from Romania, so they would stop over in Hungary on the way to the UK.
Some people would say we should not encourage the importation of these dogs as it encourages them to breed more. As I’ve learnt from this rescue effort, they are not dog breeders, it’s just a culture where dogs are not cared for like they are here. They have no money to get them spayed or neutered so when the dogs wander the streets, things happen and there are more puppies without homes. The Government pays to round-up dogs. And there are people there who are surviving by rounding up as many dogs as they can and they are incentivised to kill them.
Rescues such as this is about saving a life that already exist. Puppy farming on the other hand is creating more than we need.
There’s always another dog to save – and we can’t save them all. All we can do is our bit. If everyone does their bit, the “bits” will become quite “big” and it can make an impact.
Hilda has ongoing dogs needing a home and needing funds to save some more. Go to her Facebook page and see what she is doing and what she has done. https://www.facebook.com/hilda.hilda.14203?fref=ts
4 Responses
Thank you so much for sharing Riley’s story and for raising the much needed awareness of these poor doggies. I wish I could save them all, but for now, I feel happy that I was able to save Riley and give him the loving family home he so deserves. I would encourage anyone thinking of getting a dog to consider a rescue one. I’m so glad we did.
Mya, Si, Fifi & Riley xXx
Yaaay for Riley!! Our Mummy and Daddy rescued us too and we are so lucky! We are siblings from the same litter and we got to stay together forever and for that we are so grateful! We are purebreds and were headed for a shelter at 8 months old because the people who bought us from the store did not want us anymore! So please adopt whenever you can! We will love you and be thankful everyday! And if you must have a certain “purebred” ask the shelters and they will find it for you!
Heartwarming to see Riley happy and loved.
So sad about the others……
Yes very heartwarming to see Riley happy and loved.
He is so look alike our Iriz!
🙂