Yarden

SPONSOR ME

Yarden arrived several years ago at the public non-kill shelter of Alba Iulia, in Transylvania, Romania. An elderly Shepherd, he had spent years forgotten behind the bars of the shelter.

We first met him during our very first visit to Romania in October 2025. He looked frail, timid and exhausted, as though he had lost all hope. His coat was dull and neglected, reflecting the difficult life he had endured. He lived beside another dog named Merlin, who had spent five years confined to a kennel of less than one square metre. We rescued Merlin shortly after that visit because we simply could not forget the sight of him. But even after Merlin was safe, I could not stop thinking about the old Shepherd next door, whose eyes seemed to have lost every spark of life.

When I returned to Romania at the end of November, I made a point of visiting Alba Iulia again. There, I met Yulia, who runs a small foster shelter where the dogs live together and roam freely. I asked whether she would be willing to assess the old Shepherd and, if all went well, take him into her care. She agreed.

When he was finally brought out of the shelter, he was terrified. It was obvious that no one had ever walked him on a lead before. After spending years imprisoned behind bars, he suddenly found himself outside for the very first time. Despite his fear, it was immediately clear that he was good with other dogs. After completing the required veterinary procedures, Yulia was able to bring him home.

She then asked me what I wanted to call him. I chose the name Yarden, a Hebrew name meaning rebirth. It felt like the perfect name for an old gentleman whose difficult past was finally giving way to a new beginning.

Yarden has now been with Yulia for eight months, and his transformation has been remarkable. The photographs she sent me on the very day he left the shelter already showed a different dog. At first, he struggled to understand his new life. He hid from Yulia and even escaped once, unable to believe he was truly free. But little by little, he realised that he no longer had to run or hide. He discovered warmth, regular meals, kindness and safety. He gradually learned to trust Yulia, accepted her affection, and today he even walks beautifully on a lead.

We hope that someone will open their home to this gentle old soul. He may need a little patience at first, but in return he will finally be able to enjoy the peaceful, loving retirement he has waited so many years to experience.

By sponsoring Yarden, you will help provide his food, veterinary care and everything he needs while he waits for his new beginning.