Dead Cats on Sofas: Latest on Rostov Animal Shelter Tragedy

Volunteers who exposed the animal abuse at the «Forgotten Hearts» shelter still cannot recover from the horrors they witnessed there. Animal rights activists said that the shelter«s founder, Tatiana Makarova, periodically lived and ate in a house filled with hundreds of decaying animal corpses. Only those cats and dogs who managed to escape survived.

A 161.RU correspondent looked into what else has become known about «Forgotten Hearts» and how this will affect animal protection in the region.

On December 21, volunteers from Bataysk arrived at the Forgotten Hearts shelter near Rostov. It belonged to Tatiana Makarova — a well-known animal rights activist in the region. Makarova evacuated animals from Mariupol, rescued animals from the collapsed Rostov building on Narimanov Street, 72/5. What they saw at the shelter shocked the activists: it was piled with hundreds of corpses of cats, dogs, and birds. The animals died agonizing deaths from hunger and infections. According to volunteers, Makarova wanted to set the shelter on fire along with the corpses to hide her deeds.

‘I Can’t Wash the Smell of Death Off Me’

For the past week, volunteers have regularly come to «Forgotten Hearts» to search for surviving animals. Those dogs and cats who managed to escape from the shelter, and those whom Makarova released herself, survived. According to the latest estimates by activists, about 30 dogs and 45 cats survived.

‘All the animals are in extremely critical condition, they are emaciated. One dog had its belly cut open and stitched up with ordinary thread. That dog is in serious condition, we will operate on it,’ volunteer Alena Kravtsova told 161.RU.

Rostov animal rights activists are now being helped in capturing the animals by volunteers from Donetsk. They came to look for cats and dogs they had once handed over to Makarova.

‘She was well-known, people in other regions knew about her, trusted her with animals. They didn’t know she would starve them to death,’ animal rights activist and volunteer Alexandra Panteleeva shared in a conversation with 161.RU.

According to activists, animal autopsies show that most of them died from starvation. The dogs and cats were not vaccinated, not treated for infections. Neighbors told volunteers that sometimes they did not see Tatiana Makarova for weeks, while the animals were left alone in the shelter.

‘As I understand it, they were constantly dying. She took new ones, brought them there, abandoned them, and they died too,’ reflects Alexandra Panteleeva.

At the same time, Tatiana Makarova allegedly sometimes lived in the shelter itself. Wrappers from cheese snacks and sausages, tea were found there, and the refrigerator was full of food and unopened medicines for animals. Moreover, according to animal rights activists, Makarova found time for manicures and other cosmetic procedures.

‘You walk there over corpses. Moreover, there lies an old hide, about two years old, and on top lies an animal that just died. How is that possible?’ Panteleeva wonders.

Volunteers do not understand how Makarova could sleep and eat in this shelter, because the pervasive smell of corpses there induces a gag reflex.

‘I can’t come to my senses. I bathe every day, I can’t wash this smell of death off me, you understand? It haunts me, it’s impossible. When we left there with the animals, we were kicked out of one clinic, they said: “We cannot accept you because the stench from you is of corpses.” I had to throw away new boots because they were completely smeared with feces and particles of corpses,’ says Alexandra Panteleeva.

Alena Kravtsova describes what she saw as follows:

‘Dead cats are strewn on the sofas. Corpses everywhere. And many are already impossible to identify. They died for many months. Many months of agonizing death.’

‘I Wish Everyone Who Was There Never Sees Anything Worse’

Volunteers say that Makarova collected money from concerned people for the treatment of animals and her mother. She attributed cancer to her mother, although it later turned out there was no illness.

‘No one has canceled civic vigilance. Personally, I was very alarmed that she was everywhere. A kitten got hit by a car there, a dog got hit by a train there, soldiers found wounded animals there — and everywhere she was. Well, that’s strange. Where is she dragging them?’ Alexandra wonders.

Volunteers believe Makarova should have been arrested — they suspect she may flee.

The regional interior ministry told a 161.RU correspondent that a preventive measure for Makarova has not yet been chosen.

The activists themselves, who visited the shelter, still cannot recover from what they saw.

‘I sincerely wish everyone who was there never sees anything worse. Because even a person who doesn’t like animals would have cried there. It was impossible — to see kittens, puppies, who were dying of hunger,’ Panteleeva recalls with horror.

Alena Kravtsova also still cannot come to her senses.

‘I haven’t been drinking or eating, haven’t slept for six days now. I wake up from nightmares. I’ve already lost several kilograms. My psychological state is very severe,’ the volunteer admitted.

Animal rights activists fear that after the «Forgotten Hearts» story, people will stop helping volunteers.

‘A woman wrote to us who has been helping shelters for many years, she is a well-off person. After reading this story, she doesn’t know who to trust and decided not to help anymore. This will strongly damage the image of all volunteers. Not only in Rostov Region but throughout Russia. Now dog hunters are writing: “We knew it, she [Makarova] is one of us, did the right thing.” These are completely terrible people,’ says Alena.

Volunteers are cooperating with the police, helping with examinations and looking for people who transferred money to Makarova. They hope she will not be able to avoid punishment.

‘I will personally go to any lengths, I will put everything into punishing her. My dog died with her. I gave my dog to Tatiana for temporary keeping. When there was a week left before I would take the dog, she said it had a blood clot. Then I trusted her and didn’t ask any questions. Now I understand that this dog was tortured. Sorry, I’m crying because I can’t,’ Alena Kravtsova says in tears.

The police opened a hotline due to the «Forgotten Hearts» story. Law enforcement agencies ask those who communicated with Makarova, gave her animals or money to come forward.