A few weeks ago my partner and I visited Zarkovica Animal Shelter in Croatia. Situated on a hill overlooking the city of Dubrovnik, the animal shelter is home to over 300 dogs who roam the grounds.

With no help from the government, the shelter relies on donations to keep going. There's no running water or electricity so they rely on locals to deliver water and food for the dogs, and it is run by selfless volunteers.

The shelter is situated on a hill overlooking the bustling city of Dubrovnik below. It's subject to harsh conditions - the scorching heat of the sun in the summer, and violent thunderstorms in the autumn and winter. Only a few months ago the shelter was devastated by powerful winds, destroying most of the kennels and leaving the dogs without homes and shelter from the storm.

The team worked tirelessly to piece the shelter back together, but they're still working towards restoring it and need money, building supplies and volunteers to help out.

When I first walked through the shelter I felt so sad for these dogs, but as I spent more time getting to know the volunteers and learning more about the shelter's origins, my feelings changed to those of appreciation and positivity. The people here care so much and it really shows. The dogs are happy, cared for and loved. Visit here if you need your faith in humanity restored!

This is the part where I ask for your help to make a difference.

All of the dogs are regularly vaccinated, microchipped and neutered, however there are some dogs who are quite ill, with skin issues and other medical problems. Since the shelter depends entirely on donations, I'd ask you to consider donating to help these animals.

The donations go towards feeding the dogs, buying materials for new shelters and giving the dogs the medical care they need. If you could spare a few pounds to donate to the shelter I don't think you'd find anyone more grateful than the team of volunteers at Zarkovica.

So please donate, we all really appreciate anything you can give.

Thank you, Melissa

Visit the shelter's website: zarkovicaanimalshelter.com

See more of my photos from the shelter and more details on my website - melissakeizerphotography.com/dogs-of-dubrovnik