Could you help fight the injustice of separating a dog from her carer?

HI, my name is Gabi and I'm raising funds to help with the legal fees my brother Roman Dabrowski has had to incur in his quest to keep his working partner in their retirement together. She is a beautiful yellow lab named Dandelion, or more affectionately… Dandy.

Dandy’s career was spent as a Trauma Dog with Toronto Victim Services, supporting vulnerable children and adults who had to testify in court as a result of being victims of abuse, human trafficking, and other horrendous crimes.

Thanks to Dandy, and Roman, victims were able to feel safe, maybe for the first time in months, thus enabling them to testify about their experience. Her calm and gentle presence is so reassuring. The warmth of her body is soothing. Her fur is soft and silky. Her beautiful eyes say she's there for them. In her magical way, she manages to create an instant bond with someone who has lost trust in so many others in their lives.

They worked and lived together for 6 years and Dandy is now retired. At 11 years old she’s a senior dog and currently lives with my brother Roman.

Here the story becomes difficult.. In 2024, Victim Services instituted legal action against Roman for the surrender of Dandy.

My heart has been so wounded throughout the past 2 years. I have never felt so helpless. Launching this campaign is the only thing I can think of doing to help Roman and Dandy in their quest to remain together. The funds will go towards the legal costs Roman has had to incur in this 2 year ordeal which continues, and anything extra will be donated to Animal Justice - Canada's national animal law advocacy organization. https://animaljustice.ca/

The details are….

Dandy retired on February 29, 2024 after a lifetime of service, and is enjoying a well-deserved rest just being a dog, living her best life with my brother. You may have seen the Victims Services Instagram post announcing the joint retirement of Dandy and Ro

The woman, who had given Dandy to Victim Services almost 10 years ago, and has NOT been her full-time caregiver for all those years, now wanted to take Dandy from Roman, despite their agreement otherwise.

Roman was forced into legal action, and found a lawyer specializing in animal welfare issues. He has been embroiled in this unique animal custody case for more than 2 years. His long-awaited retirement has been tainted by this situation. He has lived with uncertainty, and anxiety as he awaits the next steps in this drawn-out process, as the other party has not been responsive or willing to discuss the situation.

This situation has taken a significant toll on Roman's health, too. He has spent large sums of money to have counselling and take part in anxiety reducing treatments, while at the same time battling other health issues. Our entire family has been affected by this situation, worrying about Roman and Dandy and their future, and not knowing what to expect next, as Dandy is a member of our family, too.

Toronto Police Services officers, dog handlers, medical staff at the Toronto Sunnybrook Hospital and others, have attested to the importance of Dandy staying with Roman. Everyone who knows about this situation cannot believe for one moment that it makes any sense to take Dandy away from her home and family, where she has been lovingly cared for.

My brother Roman started volunteering with Victim Services over 15 years ago. He is a warm, compassionate and caring individual who has throughout his life, given generously to others around him; his family, his community, and his friends. When the opportunity came up to assume the Handler role for Dandy in Victim Services, he applied and was successful. It was a natural fit, because Roman has been a dog lover his whole life and had many dogs, and then with Dandy, a new love story began.

He welcomed her with love from day one. He and Dandy readily became a team and a family. Up at the crack of dawn, before their work day and weekends, Dandy brought her ball to Roman ready to get out to play ball with the person who she knew could always throw the ball perfectly. Roman cared for her physical needs with keen attention, including being isolated together during the pandemic and seeing her through leg surgery in 2023.

As a working team, they have been to court and police interviews countless times. I always recall Roman telling me how they would enter a room with police, lawyers, and social workers present, and Dandy would instinctively go directly to the victim.

Roman took her to police stations to visit officers who were dealing with difficult cases. They visited trauma victims at Sunnybrook hospital on a weekly basis, providing support and respite for patients that suffered severe injuries and trauma. She regularly met with police officers, the Chief of the Toronto Police Service and even the Premier of Ontario, Doug Ford!

All of this was possible because of the love and respect Roman has for Dandy, and the safe and loving home he created for her, which allowed her to do what she could do best. Now, that is being threatened, and not with Dandy's best interests at heart.

As you can see from the video above, this case has garnered the attention of national media.

If you've ever been a pet owner, if you've lost a pet, if you believe in animals as sentient beings, please consider donating to this campaign. Anything, no matter how small, will help. It will also demonstrate to Victim Services Toronto that the right thing to do is to let Dandy live out her remaining years with the person with whom she has shared most of her life, her best friend and trusted partner, Roman.