Volunteers of our university help not only at mass events. Recently, concerned students visited one of the animal shelters in Chelyabinsk.
"Khochu Domoy" ("I Want to Go Home") is the largest shelter in our city, housing 400 adult dogs and cats. For 13 years, the staff have been rescuing puppies and adult dogs and cats from the slaughterhouse. Now, animals from the street also end up in the shelter since “Khochu Domoy” is one of the few that takes in homeless fluffy creatures that people bring there.
"We had been planning an animal aid campaign for a long time. We started looking at shelters in Chelyabinsk and who needed the most support. We visited the VKontakte group of the "Khochu Domoy" shelter and literally in two days organized a campaign to collect aid at our university. We collected so much in just one week!" says Alina Rozikova, coordinator of social volunteering at the SUSU Dobro.Tsentr (Kindness Centre).
Volunteers brought dry and wet animal feed, blankets for warming the kennels, jackets, bowls, dishes, towels and other things in huge bags.
"Our university strives to help various organizations in the social aspect. Over the past year, three charity events were held not under the banner of Dobro.Tsentr. Such organizations as animal shelters do not have additional funding, but they play an incredibly important role! If we can help them continue to function so that dogs are not hungry and stay warm in winter, then why not?" continues Alina.
It is for the first time SUSU helps the "Khochu Domoy" shelter. However, there are especially concerned students.
"I have been volunteering for a very long time. For me, it means getting new emotions. Last year, I also came here with my group. They also brought food and clothes. There are a lot of dogs here that need to be fed and that need some help. Every month, I participate in various volunteer events, communicate with many volunteers in Chelyabinsk. It is very pleasant to see familiar faces at events more and more often," says Anastasiia Mikhaleva, a second-year student.
It should be noted that the SUSU Dobro.Tsentr unites all volunteers of South Ural State University and is part of the social franchise of the DOBRO.RF platform under the Association of Volunteer Centres.