'Tears in our eyes': Polish animal shelter calls for dogs to be given a warm home during harsh winter and response is overwhelming | The best thing on the internet

Staff at an animal shelter outside the Polish city of Krakow launched “Operation Frostbite” on Friday, when it became clear that Poland was facing an extremely severe freeze. Currently, temperatures in southern Poland, where Krakow is located, drop to -15 degrees Celsius. They have been measured down to -20°C.

The shelter had about 300 dogs on Friday, but it could not accommodate all of those animals. Many of the four-legged friends remained in outdoor cages. It was clear: they really needed to get away from there during this extreme cold snap. Hence the urgent call for shelter.

Last weekend, a heart-warming surprise followed for shelter staff. So many people who immediately came to the shelter to offer the dog a warm home at least temporarily! There was already a line before the shelter opened. And the animal friends continued to trickle in throughout the day. At one point, the police had to be called because traffic at the shelter was a mess.

The staff had to deal with overwhelming paperwork and make sure each dog was sent to the right family.

On Sunday evening, the shelter announced that thanks to numerous adoptions, all dogs from outside the kennels could be moved inside. No dog from their shelter will suffer from the cold. Immediately contact the dog shelter for help at other shelters experiencing similar problems.

Malgorzata Paletko, the shelter's deputy director, told TVN24 that at least 120 puppies were eventually given a new temporary or permanent home. On Saturday alone, 78 dogs received warm shelter.

“The line really seems endless,” Malgorzata says. The shelter hopes some families will decide to keep their new friend, even after catching a cold. “We are crossing our fingers that some of the animals will be able to stay with humans permanently. But just knowing that they are now receiving good care during this difficult time…we are so grateful and touched. We are standing here with tears in our eyes.”