How Oli Pero’s Passionate Leadership is Revolutionizing Animal Rescue and Advocacy in Shkodra
In this inspiring interview for Votra Magazine, we had the privilege of sitting down with Oli Pero, founder of the non-profit organization “Animals Need Me”, which is dedicated to rescuing and rehabilitating stray animals in Shkodra, Albania. Oli shared her journey, the challenges she has faced, and the impact her organization continues to make in the community. With a clear vision and an unrelenting passion for animal welfare, Oli’s leadership has set an example not just in Albania but also on an international scale. Through thoughtful and probing questions, Votra Magazine explores the mission, successes, and future goals of “Animals Need Me”, while gaining insights into the personal motivations behind this noble cause.
What is your organization’s main mission?
Oli Pero: Animals Need Me rescues, rehabilitates, and finds adoptive families for stray animals in the city of Shkodra with the help of staff, volunteers, and partnerships with similar organizations.
How did the idea for creating a non-profit organization for dogs in Albania come about?
Oli Pero: I have always loved animals and have tried to help them as much as I could. Since I was young, I dreamed of having the ability to shelter them so they wouldn’t roam the streets hopelessly. This dream crystallized with the awareness of the great need for help that the animals in the city of Shkodra had.
What long-term impact do you aim to achieve in the field of animal welfare in Albania?
Oli Pero: Animals Need Me aims to create a society where no animal is abandoned, neglected, or abused. The problem of stray animals is not just ours or that of animal lovers; it is a social problem stemming from people. As such, it requires institutional cooperation, public awareness of responsible ownership, and law enforcement. Certainly, this will require decades of work and effort, but in 12 years of activism, we see positive changes.
How do you define success in fulfilling your mission?
Oli Pero: There are several ways to measure that. I would mention the increase in the number of adopted, sterilized, and registered animals, the reduction of abandonments, the growth of organizations that protect them, and the encouragement of institutions to fulfill their duties.
What inspired you to choose the name of your organization?
Oli Pero: In fact, I did not choose the name; it was a girl who was part of the group at the time. The idea was to express the human connection with animals. Dogs and cats cannot live far from humans. We domesticated them thousands of years ago and made them our best friends. We cannot abandon them and leave them in the mud.
What are the main programs or services your organization offers to help stray or abused dogs?
Oli Pero: I can proudly say that our organization is the only one in Albania that conducts a complete service cycle to advance the cause of companion animal protection, including rescue, sheltering, sterilization, medical assistance, adoption, civic education, legal protection for abused cases, and lobbying among institutions.
Do you have specific initiatives for sterilization/neutering, and how do you ensure their effectiveness?
Oli Pero: Yes, sterilization is one of the pillars of our activity. Since 2012, we have conducted 35 campaigns resulting in the sterilization of about 4,400 dogs and cats. For a sterilization project to be highly effective, at least 70% of female dogs in a specific area must be sterilized. Often, success is sabotaged by high abandonment rates and the behavior of bringing dogs from other cities.
How do you identify and rescue dogs that need urgent help?
Oli Pero: In addition to the cases in need that we see ourselves, our organization receives about 35 messages or emails daily requesting help for cases in need. Given that our resources are extremely limited, we prioritize those that cannot survive on the streets, such as cases of accidents, poisoning, severe illness, or very young puppies or kittens separated from their mothers.
Can you describe the adoption process that your organization follows?
Oli Pero: Animals Need Me has a specific procedure for the adoption of our dogs and cats that includes three parts: filling out our questionnaire, visiting the shelter to meet the desired animal, and signing an adoption agreement. We always remain available for any questions and are ready to take the animal back in case the adoption doesn’t work out.
What rehabilitative and medical care do you provide for rescued dogs?
Oli Pero: Almost all (various treatments for skin and blood parasitic problems, hospitalization, surgeries for tumor removal, chemotherapy, sterilization, limb amputations, jaw repairs, etc.). While we develop fewer complicated bone surgeries, which have not proven very effective in improving the quality of life for dogs, despite their extremely high costs.
How does your organization raise awareness about animal welfare within the community?
Oli Pero: Since the day we were founded as a volunteer group, Animals Need Me has maintained a close relationship with the community, believing that we cannot succeed alone. We respond to every message from citizens, and when we are unable to provide concrete help, we offer advice or referrals. Fortunately, there are many animal lovers in Shkodra who care and set a positive example in their neighborhoods. We try to provide assistance with sterilization, food, and adoption for the animals they care for.
Do you have educational initiatives targeting schools or youth groups?
Oli Pero: From our beginnings, we have emphasized the importance of education by frequently speaking in the media, with interested groups, and in schools. Since 2023, we have a dedicated educational project through which we have conducted 48 meetings involving 800 students, from kindergartens to universities. Its two main pillars are: Responsible Ownership and Safe Interaction with Dogs. We are very pleased with the participation and hospitality we have received.
What role does the community play in supporting your mission?
Oli Pero: A key role. The community has the power to rescue, transport, shelter, adopt, or donate for animals in need. It can support or ignore an initiative, embrace or avoid a law. The community has the power to raise its voice on an issue, to vote, and to lobby. No initiative can gain momentum without the support or involvement of the community.
How do you encourage responsibility towards animals and their adoption?
Oli Pero: We are very careful with the messages we convey on our social media. Two of us have been trained at an academy in London and have attended many conferences around the globe to learn about animal welfare and ethical policies. I would start with being responsible ourselves as individuals and as an organization to set a good example. We are very transparent about the services provided to the animal before adoption and remain available for advice to adopters. We have also developed a guide with non-academic advice for new pet owners, as well as the “Animals Need Me” app, where they can register their pets and read tips.
In what ways do volunteers contribute to your organization’s efforts?
Oli Pero: Volunteers are the heart of Animals Need Me. Without them, nothing is possible. Our organization is very fortunate to be supported by animal lovers with big hearts and diverse expertise. They enrich Animals Need Me and are contributors to our growth. Volunteers rescue, shelter, treat, transport, assist in adoptions, donate, educate, lobby, and sacrifice their valuable time to advance this cause.
What are the biggest challenges facing dogs in Albania today?
Oli Pero: Dogs suffer from irresponsible ownership, with owners neglecting their needs and abandoning them on the streets at the first problem. On the streets, they endure hunger, trampling, mistreatment, diseases, and death. Those who are lucky are rescued and adopted into responsible families both within and outside Albania. Many others live a poor life in families or on the streets.
How does your organization address severe abuse or neglect cases?
Oli Pero: In several ways: through counseling or direct mediation with the owner, by reporting to the police, prosecutor, or responsible institution, or through media exposure and social networks.
How do you cope with the lack of funding and resources?
Oli Pero: A significant portion of Animals Need Me’s activities is financed by its members when donated financial resources are lacking. We are very invested in moving this initiative forward.
What measures do you take to ensure the safety and well-being of your team when dealing with aggressive or injured dogs?
Oli Pero: You have touched on a very important issue, as the safety of the team cannot be overlooked and is often taken for granted. However, the truth is that we face some of the most challenging cases daily. Years of experience and training have taught us how to avoid incidents. We also have tools such as anti-rabies gloves and bite-proof equipment, vehicles, anesthetic guns, and leashes for difficult cases.
Who are your main partners, and how do these collaborations help achieve your objectives?
Oli Pero: Our main partners include Pro Qen Albania, which has assisted us from the early years with infrastructure, food, medical care, sterilizations, and adoptions; Albtiefbau, which built our shelter housing 70 dogs; Veterinarian Clinic Putrat and Pet Point for discounted food and medications; Dog Coaching Center for valuable advice and training for our staff or dogs; Stumme Bruder and Pecaj Law Studio for the legal advancement of the initiative; Honey’s Pack of Hope and Dogs Trust Bosnia for our education project in schools and communities.
How do you collaborate with local authorities and international organizations for animal welfare?
Oli Pero: Local authorities are legally obligated to take measures for the sheltering, sterilization, and registration of street animals. We have shown great flexibility and have invested significant resources to support the drafting of humane policies in the Municipality of Shkodra. Local authorities need to mature in this direction. International organizations are very helpful, but I firmly believe that we should not always expect outsiders to solve problems in Albania. It’s time for us to grow and contribute meaningfully with the people and resources we have.
What are your main sources of funding?
Oli Pero: Donations from individuals, small grants from partner organizations, and funding from our members.
What types of donations (monetary, food, medications, etc.) are most useful to your organization?
Oli Pero: All are useful, and we welcome them as we have significant needs. Currently, we care for 260 animals in the shelter, and donations are insufficient to cover all their needs.
How do you engage the public to support your work?
Oli Pero: We publish on our social media, and sometimes citizens or the diaspora donate for a cause they care about. Citizens can also purchase food and valuable items for us through our app.
How can someone set up a monthly donation or adopt a dog from a distance?
Oli Pero: We welcome any donation, especially monthly ones as they help us better plan our work and services. Distance adoption allows us to provide monthly food for a dog we’ve been sheltering for years. Supporters can donate through PayPal, bank transfers, MoneyGram, or donation boxes in Shkodra.
How many dogs have found permanent families through your organization’s adoption services?
Oli Pero: We are very proud that through our work, our partners, and families, we have managed to adopt 1,500 dogs and cats in 12 years, both within and outside Albania.
What positive changes have you observed in community attitudes since you started your work?
Oli Pero: Twelve years ago, when the media published news focusing on the stray dog problem, 95% of commentators wanted the dogs to be eradicated, preferably killed. Today, this is extremely rare, and most people call for humane treatment. Many are interested in sterilizing their own or community animals, there has been an increase in veterinary clinics, shops selling pet products, and services for boarding and training. There is more media awareness. So, there has been progress, albeit slow.
How do you cope with the emotional challenges of running an animal rescue organization?
Oli Pero: By avoiding the “hero” syndrome as none of us is omnipotent. If we are not aware of our limitations or shortcomings, we risk harming ourselves, our volunteers, the organization, and the animals. I can say this work is extremely challenging emotionally, morally, physically, and financially. Besides individual responsibility, we must learn to rely on others and strive to.
What is the greatest lesson you have learned from working with animals in difficult situations?
Oli Pero: THAT LOVE FOR ANIMALS ISN’T ENOUGH. We must strive to learn and become professionally skilled in this work. Mistakes can be fatal for animals and severe for the community, the organization, or institutions. The issue of stray animals affects every citizen and deserves to be treated with dignity and seriousness, just like any other issue.
How would you describe yourself in three words?
Oli Pero: As a person who strives to be fair, learns quickly, and has the courage to work for her dreams. (That was more than three words.)
What are some core values that guide your life and work?
Oli Pero: Humanism, justice, truth (whatever that may be), courage, love for life, family, and friends.
Who has had the greatest influence on your life and why?
Oli Pero: My father for the gentleness and love with which he raised me, my husband for his unwavering respect and support, and my son for the motivation he gives me to be a better mother and person.
What is a passion or hobby outside of animal welfare that brings you joy?
Oli Pero: I am someone who has taken the best from life. I grew up with a love for literature, film, music, sports, travel, dancing, cooking, and I know the value of friendship.
Who has been your greatest support system during this journey?
Oli Pero: It cannot be just one, but I would start with Gent, my husband, who has never let me down; with the volunteers of Animals Need Me, without whom none of this would be possible; and I would close with my friends, each of whom, within their means, has supported and guided me. I thank them from the heart.
What advice would you give to someone thinking of starting an animal welfare organization in a difficult environment?
Oli Pero: Do it with sincerity, passion, humility, and thought.
What do you hope to achieve in the next 10 years, personally and professionally?
Oli Pero: To be honest, I think I have received a lot in all aspects, almost as much as I have given. I am aware of all the individual and organizational potential and will do my best to grow in a comprehensive and steady manner. In my little world, I would very much like to have the opportunity to rest and enjoy time with family and friends, as the time allocated in this world can be short.
This interview for Votra Magazine highlights the vital work being done by Animals Need Me and reveals aldo the passion and resilience that Oli Pero brings to the cause of animal welfare in Albania. Through her thoughtful reflections and strategic leadership, she has laid the groundwork for future progress, demonstrating how community involvement and dedication can drive real change. It is clear that Animals Need Me is making a lasting impact, and we are grateful to have had the opportunity to showcase Oli’s inspiring journey and commitment in this edition of Votra Magazine.