Vetstudents helping dogs in Košice - Slovakia
About PawsRescueKE
The story of PawsRescueKE.
PawsRescueKE began with a small act of kindness that sparked something much bigger.
A couple of norwegian veterinary students, deeply moved by the number of homeless and suffering dogs in the villages of eastern Slovakia, decided to take action. After rescuing and rehoming their first dog, things naturally grew from there. One dog became several, and soon they were running larger rescue operations, building connections, and dreaming of long-term change.
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They founded PawsRescueKE with a clear goal: to make a lasting impact on animal welfare in the region. From the beginning, they understood that while rescue and adoption were important, long-term change would only come through prevention, so sterilization campaigns quickly became the top priority.
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Wishing to focus primarily on developing sterilization initiatives and carrying out other projects, all while balancing their studies, they began looking for someone to take over and carry the organization forward.
Having recently started assisting them on the ground, we, four french veterinary students, decided to continue what they had started.
Today, we officially lead PawsRescueKE, supported by a team of volunteers: students and non-students alike, both Slovak and international. Together, we’re working to give every dog a better life and to build a more compassionate future.
The stray dog situation.
Thousands of dogs live homeless, surviving on food scraps or searching through rubbish bins. Some are emaciated, injured or in poor health. Their living conditions are harsh and unsafe.
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Because dogs are not sterilized, females give birth to many litters each year. This makes the number of stray dogs grow quickly. We have already rescued many dogs and want to focus more on spaying and neutering to stop more puppies from being born into such a hard life.
Settlements, places where humans and dogs live together, lacking resources.
PawsRescueKE’s mission goes beyond rescuing dogs. It’s about building trust within villages, encouraging sterilization, and creating small but lasting changes through a positive, hands-on approach.
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Many local residents genuinely care and want to make a difference, even if they have limited resources. They support our work by helping us safely reach the dogs, making it possible for us to provide them with proper care and a chance at a better life.
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Our efforts focus on direct action, engaging with communities, raising awareness, and working side by side with locals to improve the lives of dogs and build a more compassionate approach to animal welfare in Slovakia.
From rescue to recovery.
After being rescued from the village, each dog is immediately placed in quarantine, where they receive essential treatments such as deworming and protection against external parasites. This initial step ensures both their safety and that of the other animals in our care.
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From the very first veterinary check-up, during which each dog is thoroughly examined, microchipped, and vaccinated, to the spaying or neutering that follows, every step is carried out exclusively by licensed veterinarians. These examinations allow us to accurately assess the dogs health status and address any issues that may require attention.
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It is important to emphasize that none of these medical interventions are performed by students. Our objective is not to use these dogs for training purposes, but to provide them with the highest standard of veterinary care.
We are fully committed to their well-being and recovery, ensuring they are healthy, safe, and ready to join their future families.
