Sava's Safe Haven is a non-profit Animal Welfare Association founded in 2012 by Sava family.
Welcome to Sava’s Safe Haven 🐶
We are a rescue shelter based in Romania looking after dogs (and some cats) of all shapes and sizes. In 2012, the Sava family, led by Oana Sava fundraised to buy a piece of land near Galati in Romania and began constructing the shelter with their bare hands. Initially, it was basic, offering rudimentary shelter from the harsh Romanian weather, but over the last 8 ye
ars, and following a huge amount of hard work the shelter has grown to be home to over 300 dogs and cats, adding facilities such as a playground, a veterinary area, recovery and quarantine rooms. Work is ongoing with the shelter constantly evolving and improving thanks to donations. Sadly there is a huge number of street dogs across Romania, some born there, others abandoned, but all with a story to tell of having been let down by people and the animal welfare system in Romania. Sava's Safe Haven is a registered charity, working closely with the local community to offer education on how to care for their animals and basic medical care including spay and neuter surgery for those who cannot afford it. We also rehome animals across Europe, focusing mainly on Germany and the UK as we have established local teams of volunteers in these countries who help us. There are also many dogs who cannot be rehomed, and who will live out their days at the shelter where Oana ensures they are safe and cared for. As you can imagine the cost of food, veterinary care, beds, and supplies along with shelter maintenance is very high. With no support from authorities or companies, the shelter relies solely on public donations to survive. For more information on adopting a dog from Sava's Safe Haven please see our website https://www.savasafehaven.com/
08/08/2025
🐾 International Cat Day 🤍
Today we celebrate the elegance, grace, and charm of cats all around the world. Every cat deserves a safe and loving home, and every responsible owner knows that adoption and spaying/neutering save lives.
At Sava’s Safe Haven, dozens of cats are waiting for their forever families. Maybe today, on their special day, you can give one of them a second chance.
We're sad to announce that one of our long-term residents, Sina, has crossed the rainbow bridge. 💔 She was born around February 14, 2017, and was brought to the shelter in a bag in the trunk of a car.
Sina, like many of our animals, never found her forever home. We take comfort in knowing that during her time with us, she was loved and cared for.
Run free, Sina.🌈
06/08/2025
Luna is now adopted 😁
06/08/2025
Isaccea port have been bombed yesterday. We are thinking of our friends . The explosion was seen from Galati
06/08/2025
The war is not over, and it’s becoming deeply worrying.
Yesterday, the city of Reni was bombed, and the images you see are taken from Galați.
The scale of the fire caused by the bombings was visible even from our city.
We have no words.
We pray for those people, we pray for peace. 🕊️
05/08/2025
💔 They all ran away from him… 💔
While the world turned its back, he sat quietly in a lonely corner of the neighborhood. Covered in ticks that drained every bit of strength from his fragile body, people chased him away instead of helping.
Ingo didn’t get the best start in life… but we want to show him that not all humans are cruel. Not all! ❤️
🐾 Ingo is a medium-sized boy, only about 7 months old. He is neutered, vaccinated, and ready for adoption.
Yes, he’s a little shy – and that’s okay. With patience, kindness, and love, he will shine in the right home. 🌟
Could you be the one to give him the chance he’s been waiting for? 🐶💙
04/08/2025
🚗 Emma loves car rides and enjoys travelling, but sadly, living in a shelter means her trips are only to the vet and back. 💔 She’s been with us for quite some time now… and nothing has been for her. No requests, no interest — and it breaks our hearts.
Emma is such a wonderful dog who deserves to explore the world with her own family, not just watch it pass by from a shelter kennel. 🐾💛
💟 Emma is looking for a home!
Currently in Romania but can travel to the UK, Germany, Belgium, France or Switzerland.
♀ S*x: Female
🐶 Size: Large, Husky mix
↔ Weight: 35 kg
↕ Height: 50 cm
🐱 Good with cats
🐕 Good with other dogs
🎂 Age: ~6 years
💖 Character: Friendly, gentle, easy to train, well with dogs
🎥 Video available on request
💉 Healthy, fully vaccinated & spayed
🩺 Health certificate, Brucella test & 4DX analysis done before adoption
📜 Adoption includes contract & full RBU
Emma has been waiting too long… maybe her forever family is reading this right now. 🐾❤️
04/08/2025
🐾🐾 Cody♥️
Cody's Story: Looking for a Home
💔 Heartbreakingly rejected, but full of hope. 💔
This is Cody, a sweet 10-month-old Yorkshire mix. His story is one of heartbreaking rejection—he was surrendered to our shelter because he wasn't "toy-size" enough for his previous owners. He was delivered like a package no longer wanted, confused and scared. But we know his story doesn't end there. We see a loving, playful dog who just needs a second chance, and we're determined to find him the forever home where he'll be cherished for who he is.
About Cody
Cody is a small boy with a big heart. He's a shy pup who needs a little time to warm up to new people, but once he trusts you, his true personality begins to shine. He is fully vaccinated, microchipped, and will be neutered before he goes to his new home.
While Cody is housed with other dogs of a similar age at the shelter, he can get a little grumpy around food. For this reason, we believe he would thrive either as the only dog in the home or with a resident dog that is more dominant and confident.
What Cody Needs in a Home
Cody is looking for an experienced owner who understands shy dogs and is willing to be patient as he adjusts. We believe that with the right guidance, he will blossom into an amazing companion. We strongly recommend that his new family enroll him in puppy classes. This will not only help him socialize with other dogs in a controlled environment but also provide the foundation for basic obedience training, which will build his confidence and strengthen his bond with you.
Can you give Cody the loving home he deserves and show him he is more than "good enough"?
If you're interested in opening your heart and home to Cody, please send us a private message to learn more about our adoption process.
🩺 Health certificate & Brucella and 4dx analysis done prior to adoption 🩸
🚗 Fully vaccinated, microchipped, spayed/neutered prior to adoption.
✅Full RBU, adoption fees and home check apply.
🙏🏼 Share our post to help our dogs find a forever home
Sava's Safe Haven rehomes to: UK, Germany, Luxembourg, Belgium, France and Switzerland.
Please share Cody's story so we can find his perfect match!
04/08/2025
Cody's Story: Looking for a Home
💔 Heartbreakingly rejected, but full of hope. 💔
This is Cody, a sweet 10-month-old Yorkshire mix. His story is one of heartbreaking rejection—he was surrendered to our shelter because he wasn't "toy-size" enough for his previous owners. He was delivered like a package no longer wanted, confused and scared. But we know his story doesn't end there. We see a loving, playful dog who just needs a second chance, and we're determined to find him the forever home where he'll be cherished for who he is.
About Cody
Cody is a small boy with a big heart. He's a shy pup who needs a little time to warm up to new people, but once he trusts you, his true personality begins to shine. He is fully vaccinated, microchipped, and will be neutered before he goes to his new home.
While Cody is housed with other dogs of a similar age at the shelter, he can get a little grumpy around food. For this reason, we believe he would thrive either as the only dog in the home or with a resident dog that is more dominant and confident.
What Cody Needs in a Home
Cody is looking for an experienced owner who understands shy dogs and is willing to be patient as he adjusts. We believe that with the right guidance, he will blossom into an amazing companion. We strongly recommend that his new family enroll him in puppy classes. This will not only help him socialize with other dogs in a controlled environment but also provide the foundation for basic obedience training, which will build his confidence and strengthen his bond with you.
Can you give Cody the loving home he deserves and show him he is more than "good enough"?
If you're interested in opening your heart and home to Cody, please send us a private message to learn more about our adoption process.
🩺 Health certificate & Brucella and 4dx analysis done prior to adoption 🩸
🚗 Fully vaccinated, microchipped, spayed/neutered prior to adoption.
✅Full RBU, adoption fees and home check apply.
🙏🏼 Share our post to help our dogs find a forever home
Sava's Safe Haven rehomes to: UK, Germany, Luxembourg, Belgium, France and Switzerland.
Today we celebrate not only your special day but also the incredible heart and dedication you pour into Sava’s Safe Haven every single day. ❤️🐾
Your love, compassion, and tireless work have given countless animals a second chance at life. We are so grateful for all you do, and we hope today brings you as much joy as you bring to the animals and people around you. 🐶🐱
From all of us — two-legged and four-legged friends alike — Happy Birthday, Oana! 🥳🎁
💌 Leave your birthday wishes for Oana in the comments below!
29/07/2025
We’re not being strict for no reason – every step protects our dogs & ensures the right forever home ❤️
🌍 Adopting a dog internationally is a big commitment, and for this reason our process is more complex than local adoptions. Over the years, we’ve learned from experience that careful screening protects both the dogs and the families who welcome them.
📜 Procedures & Rules – Based on Experience
Our adoption policy may feel strict, but it’s designed to prevent difficult situations. Sadly, we have faced “return cases” when adopters underestimated the needs of their new dog – for example, lack of a secure garden, very young children in the home, or mismatched lifestyles. These situations cause stress for both the animal and the adopter, and can even endanger the dog’s future. This is why we carefully match each dog to the right home.
👤 Adopter Vetting & Home Checks
Before we even discuss a specific dog, the adopter is vetted first – we carefully review applications to understand lifestyle, environment and suitability.
Next, a home check is carried out by one of our trusted volunteers. This visit allows us to assess safety and space, and we carry out further vetting during the home check before we agree to proceed with the adoption.
🩺 Health & Safety Before Travel
Every dog adopted internationally from us undergoes:
✅ Full veterinary check-up
✅ Deworming and vaccinations, neutering
✅ Comprehensive medical tests including:
• 4DX SNAP test (for heartworm, Lyme disease, Ehrlichia & Anaplasma)
• Leishmania test
• Brucellosis test
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Sava's Safe Haven has been built in 2012 thanks to wonderful people that trusted us that we can do that. They are now the people that made possible rescuing of over 1000 animals.
“ Starting from an agriculture land, without any facility ( as water and electricity) just muddy that was a really problem when was raining, without any sponsorship from any company or authorities, just few Facebook friends that I will never forget, even they are still here with me or they left Facebook, together we did Sava's Safe Haven..
Even so many people told me " I can't" or " You will not do, or you are a scam" I continued to do what I dreamed for. I gave up to my life, to my time and everything I have to built this refuge. I had hard days, health problems, moments when I thought they could not go on.
It was not easy! In first months we was needing to fight with mud, with carrying water to the shelter, having lanterns and electric generators. Can you believe that to build this shelter were used only generators?? And only 3 men??? From which Gabriel was the brain.. he did almost everything!
It passed a year to get water to shelter and almost 3 to get some Solar Panels to shelter to have electricity.
From an agriculture land, I turned into a shelter with kennels for over 270 dogs, with 3 playground, a quarantine room and a veterinary room. A room for rescued cats.
My wok is not finished, I daily work from morning to night in shelter, we always repair shelter and we always improve. Even today we can not afford to have employeers and together my family I care of all dogs and cats in shelter.
People thinks all these facilities was made because " we had enough funds" , that's not fair, everything was made because we had enough faith and love for animals and we always put animal welfare first of all.
Some days are a struggle to have enough funds for food, veterinary care. But this is in back! Because we always wanted to show you nice part of animal rescue, if even in back we are tired and nearly to give up on..
This month is about Sava's Safe Haven and everyone that helped us to built this shelter, name and reputation.. Rescuing over 1000 animals in these years!
Happy birthday to all animals in shelter and happy birthday for Sava's rehomed animals that may read this message from their adopter's sofa, thinking of us!
Please see our story on a Youtube video and share with your friends! We will be deeply grateful if more people will see our story.
Thank you very much for support us in our long journey! We are hoping you will continue support us in future in our various project to make Sava's Safe Haven one of the best shelters!
With gratitude
Oana Sava, president and founder of Sava's Safe Haven Romania. “
