These are the results of the work of the charity organization in Starvopolye for six years. The journalists of the Stavropol news agency told about the work of the volunteers.Media after the meeting of animal rights activists with schoolchildren. Representatives of the Ark Foundation meet with teenagers more than once and talk about humanity and responsible attitude to our younger brothers, such actions have become a tradition for Stavropol volunteers.
The head of the foundation Irina Gazaryan jokingly calls herself a hereditary volunteer: "Grandparents, parents always picked up stray animals, treated them and found new owners. I think I started bringing kittens and puppies home at the same time as I was talking. Only then did websites and social networks appear, which made life much easier."
At a conscious age Irina herself transported animals around the region - potential owners lived in a variety of localities. For some time she actively volunteered in the first of the shelters that appeared in the city. And then Irina Gazaryan decided to realize her childhood dream - to open something of her own to help pets. The name originated in childhood: The Ark. Then there were acquaintances with volunteers not only from Russia, but also from abroad.
The rehabilitation center is located on the private territory of its creator Irina, her family has allocated a separate room with an area of 80 square meters for the tailed ones, where there is hot water and heating. They have equipped aviaries and cages for all the guests of the center.
"Initially, we planned to make a small center where we collected yard animals, sterilized them, kept them for a while and then released them back into their habitat. And then a lot of sick animals appeared, which you can't just let out on the street, they will die. Therefore, now we constantly keep in our center those who have managed to cure, mostly sick kittens or very old ones. We treat them, sterilize them and look for new owners for them," says Irina Gazaryan.
Now there are about forty pets in the rehabilitation center all the time, mostly cats, but there are also dogs. There are even birds. Since 2019 the Ark has been organizing special animal distribution exhibitions "Choose Me", where anyone can find a furry friend. In parallel with the work of the center, Irina collected documents and opened a charitable foundation.
"Neither alone nor with volunteers, we would not have pulled all the animals without support. Over time, people realized that not a single penny would go to the side, everything is transparent, we post reports every month. And it is very difficult to earn trust in this niche. As a volunteer organization, we have signed contracts with some clinics that treat our pets in installments or make discounts. The foundation exists thanks to donations, there is no other financial support," says Irina Gazaryan.
Volunteers on a voluntary basis take care of the fuzzies in the rehabilitation center. Every month volunteers take about 200-300 of our younger brothers off the streets. And in the last two years pets have been brought to the Ark not only from neighboring regions, but also from the front line.
Photos from Irina Gazaryan's personal archive.