The 10th edition of the charity campaign “Friendship Connects – Together for Animals” has started

Support GOPR rescue dogs!

The jubilee, tenth edition of the charity campaign “Friendship Connects – Together for Animals” has started at the beginning of October. This is the eighth time that the Maxi Zoo initiative has supported the rescue dogs of the Mountain Volunteer Search and Rescue (GOPR). So far, the chain’s customers have donated as much as PLN 831,000 to help the dog heroes.

The year 2024 is not only the anniversary of the campaign, in which animal lovers – Customers and employees of Maxi Zoo – participate with such commitment, it is also a jubilee year for GOPR rescue dogs. It is exactly 50 years since the first service dogs were introduced to search for people missing in avalanches in the Karkonosze Group. Since then, these dogs have been continuously supporting rescuers in search operations throughout Poland.

“Currently, GOPR employs and trains a total of 30 dogs. Since autumn 2023 alone, they have actively participated in over 80 search operations. Courage, endurance, excellent sense of smell and physical fitness make GOPR rescue dogs irreplaceable in operations carried out in dangerous and hard-to-reach places. Four-legged rescuers provide invaluable support during operations on avalanches, rubble, rockslides, as well as underground and in water reservoirs.” – says Patryk Czermak, Head of the GOPR Rescue Dogs Subcommittee. – “Regardless of weather conditions or difficult mountainous terrain, for 50 years GOPR dogs have been constantly saving human lives and helping to find those who are missing.

Statistics show that nearly 90% of search operations in which GOPR dogs participate end in success – with the victims being found.” – he adds. Every animal lover who appreciates this difficult work, wants to support the four-legged rescuers and express their gratitude for their efforts can do so by purchasing special bags with the campaign slogan in the Maxi Zoo chain of stores and online at maxizoo.pl. The cost of purchasing a bag is PLN 14.99. Additionally, pendants and bracelets from previous editions of the campaign are available in selected stationary stores, at a price of PLN 10 each. The income from the sale of these products will be donated to the GOPR Foundation and support for dogs that play a key role in saving human lives in difficult and extreme conditions.

The funds collected during “Przyjaźń Łączy – Wspólnie dla Zwierząt” campaign are allocated to a wide range of activities supporting GOPR rescue dogs. Thanks to the funds obtained, training equipment on training grounds, protective clothing, harnesses and dog vests were purchased and modernized. The money from the collection is used to provide specialist veterinary care, necessary not only after difficult rescue operations but also on a daily basis. Dog rescuers, just like our pets, need constant and professional care. This year, it was necessary to use specialist help several times. Thanks to the support of Maxi Zoo’s customers, we managed to perform a very expensive spinal surgery for a dog from the Karkonosze Group, perform tomography scans, purchase appropriate medications and perform necessary procedures. Providing appropriate training is equally important. This is extremely important because dog rescuers require constant, intensive training in order to effectively help people. In 2024, this amounted to a total of 900 hours, and the skills acquired during this time were successfully used not only in mountain operations but also in combating the effects of floods or even underground rescue operations in the mine.

The activities carried out by GOPR are possible thanks to appropriate support. “As part of the seven editions of “Przyjaźń Łączy – Wspólnie dla Zwierząt” campaign organized by Maxi Zoo, we managed to collect an impressive amount of PLN 831,000, which was donated in its entirety to GOPR rescue dogs.” – explains Wojciech Kamiński, Managing Director of Maxi Zoo Polska.– “During last year’s 9th edition, we collected PLN 150,000, including PLN 139,500 from the sale of pendants and PLN 10,500 from Maxi Zoo. We hope that this will allow us to further improve the qualifications of our four-legged heroes and provide them with the daily care they deserve.”
The “Friendship Connects – Together for Animals” campaign will last until the end of December 2024 or until stocks run out. By purchasing a bag, pendant or bracelet, everyone has a chance to become part of this noble initiative and support rescue dogs that provide help every day in the most difficult conditions.

The campaign regulations are available here.