Martina, Slobodanka, Isidora and Ivana are wonderful people. Because of them, and their tireless efforts over the last several years to build a rescue, myself and many people I know now have furry friends in their homes who are happy, healthy and grateful for a sofa snuggle.

But they need our help to keep going. Costs at the shelter are roughly:

• €1,700 per month, or €425 per week, on food alone

• €50 per dog, minimum, to keep them protected from parasites for the spring and summer months

• Maintenance cost for the fences and pens (around a crew of naughty puppies your structures don't seem to last very long!)

• An unpredictable and never-ending vet bill: The girls will take on anyone, no matter what care they need. Through bladder surgeries, broken legs, parvo... They are there.

I set up this fundraiser to support with ongoing monthly costs the girls are facing (we currently have around a quarter of the regular donations needed to keep going without the constant stress of knowing how you will pay your bills!) - can you spare £5 or £10 per month to keep a dog happy, and not hungry?

An update on the journey so far:

This fundraiser was initially started to support the girls at MISI's Rescue to build the shelter where they now take care of their dogs. Thanks to the outstanding efforts to far from the community, the premesis now exists, and importantly, keeps so many dogs from the streets, safe and as warm as can be - but the running costs to keep 80+ dogs homed at any one time are getting harder and harder.

It's been a journey since I first spoke with the girls at MISI's - and there are now well over 250 dogs off the streets of Eastern Europe, and in loving new homes in many countries across Europe - mainly the UK, Germany, Netherlands. Thinking about the work the ladies do to make this happen makes me pretty emotional. The constant battling with food and veterinary costs, new puppies turning up abandoned outside their homes and workplaces must be so tough - but they still do it with a smile on their faces because every dog means something to them, and is worth saving.

And that's why I want to help them, however I can...

**CURRENT NUMBER OF DOGS IN THE SHELTER: 77

**DOGS IN TOTAL: 123