World Give Day

My favorite day of the year is coming up: World Give Day - May 4, 2012, where we can all prove that a little giving can change the world. After completing my own 365-day journey of personal dedication, I have had the honor of meeting people from all over the world who are doing so much to give back in their own way. I was asked by the team at World Give Day to write a story about how a small gift can make a big impact. That is 365give philosophy. You don't have to be Bill Gates or Oprah Winfrey and give away billions of dollars in your life, just a small gift/giving and make a huge impact.

My World Giving Day story is based on one such woman who saved a baby's life in Romania while there on a business trip.

Meet my sisters Karen Somers - a peripheral animal rescuer and Stella - whom she saved from Romania. You will see how much joy her one little gift has brought to a family and will now have a big impact on the lives of hundreds of dogs.

Little Stella is one of more than 2 million dogs that roam around Romania.

This one-month-old puppy crossed our path on a movie location outside Bucharest. At the end of a long cold night shoot, in a rainstorm, this sick puppy was the last one left, too weak to find shelter. We are abroad and don't know what to do.

Stella's experience is common in Romania, a country struggling to provide for its impoverished citizens at all levels. Night after night, thousands of dogs go hungry, left to fend for themselves in the heat, many of which will eventually freeze to death. The issue isn't just ethical, it's also mathematical. Each untamed bitch and her offspring in their lifetime and that of their pups can give birth to more than 67,000 dogs. Spay and Neuter programs, education and accommodation are in short supply to deal with this dilemma. So the US-based 501(3) nonprofit, Animal Rescue Romania (RAR), was founded by American animal activist Nancy Janes to help places that are in dire need of help. Nancy and her team have created an effective free spay and neuter program in Romania using highly skilled local veterinarians. They traveled from town to town, making up to 300 marches in a single weekend. Their efforts are paying off at the grassroots level, slowly transforming the way a generation will help “man’s best friend.”

Stella and I got lucky that night.

She was wrapped in a blanket and sneaked into my Romanian hotel room. After fostering with a local vet, she was vaccinated and flown home (20 hours in my lap) to California last November. Stella is an incredible dog. She woke up with joy and went to sleep peacefully. She brings laughter and sunshine wherever she goes. Stella inspired me to help out her family left in Romania.

On behalf of Stella, we are raising $10,000 to help Romania's animal rescue program.

You and your money will make a huge difference to a homeless dog in Romania. Donate what you can afford today to the Stella Foundation.