An animal sanctuary in the Polish city of Lublin is offering a “window of life” through which owners can leave unwanted small pets, which are then cared for and offered for adoption.
The term “window of life” (okno życia) is used in Poland for baby hatches, where people can safely abandon unwanted newborn babies. But now volunteer-run shelter, Hemma, which has operated in Lublin for four years, is offering a remote version for animals.
The organisation asks that owners call to make anonymous appointments for pick-ups. Hemma then sends a representative to take the animal and promises there will be “no questions asked”.
“We accept mainly rodents, mostly rats, because they are mostly bought in shops and they also breed fastest,” said Weronika Gawełczyk from Hemma.
She noted that they have also received guinea pigs, hamsters, gerbils, hedgehogs and chinchillas, but added that – despite what has been claimed in some media – cats are only accepted in “extreme” cases.
Gawełczyk says that many rodents are abandoned in the Lublin area. “Before we launched our window, we would find animals on the streets, left in bushes or rubbish bins. Now we do not need to seek them out as much,” she told Notes from Poland.
The sanctuary receives a few new pets each week and is currently fostering 51. However, there have also sporadically been larger drops, including one delivery of 50 rats in December.
Hemma often receives sick animals – suffering from pneumonia, tumours and worms – which are treated and quarantined before being offered for adoption.
Adoption is currently conducted remotely because of the pandemic, so representatives from the shelter check conditions offered by prospective owners through online or telephone calls.
During the pandemic, animal shelters in Poland have been hit by fewer donations and disruption to their work, as in-person visits have been limited over safety concerns. Some have warned that the numbers of new animal arrivals could be overwhelming for their services.
Hemma, whose shelter has been organised in “home conditions” up till now, and crowdfunded with online donations, is planning to register as a foundation. According to Gawełczyk, the organisation is the only one offering such a service for abandoned rodents.
Main image credit: nadia-szopinska/Pixabay (under Pixabay License)
Maria Wilczek is deputy editor of Notes from Poland. She is a regular writer for The Times, The Economist and Al Jazeera English, and has also featured in Foreign Policy, Politico Europe, The Spectator and Gazeta Wyborcza.
