Board
Sadri Sopi
Founder and Chairman of Animals Kosovo
My name is Sadri Sopi. I have lived in the Netherlands for nearly 30 years. In Kosovo, I studied geography and history. In the Netherlands, I have held various jobs, including over 10 years in the purchasing legal external legal aid department at Arag Legal Assistance.
Besides my work, I have committed myself to helping people in Kosovo after the war. The fate of those in need, both humans and animals, has always deeply moved me. Just like people, animals also have the right to love and care. Whenever I regularly visit my family and friends in Kosovo, the situation of the animals there affects me deeply. It forms a stark contrast with the welfare of animals in the Netherlands.
For that reason, I reluctantly went to Kosovo. Previously, I visited 3-4 times a year, but lately only 1 or 2 times. However, I found no peace inside because I felt I was abandoning these animals. I told myself, "I have to do something." That is why I took this initiative, together with many friends from Kosovo, the Netherlands, and other countries, to establish a foundation aimed at helping animals.
I am proud of the people around me who gladly contribute to alleviating animal suffering, but your help is also welcome and greatly needed.
Gert Wim Bakker
General board member
Gert Wim joined the board in June 2025. We are very happy about this, as he gives our board a significant boost with his knowledge and expertise. He is co-owner of the Sterkliniek for companion animals Kerkewijk and a well-known resident of Veenendaal.
During the trip in May 2025, he joined us and wrote a short piece for us about his reasons for joining the board:
"Sadri means having a heart for animals to me; from birds to cats and dogs, we have come to know him at our clinic.
After an invitation to join a mission in Kosovo, I said yes and saw the dedicated core of veterinarians and volunteers embracing the Animals Kosovo Foundation. I wanted to join them to contribute my part to helping stray dogs."
Sarah Dekker
Ever since I was a child, I wanted only one thing: to become a veterinarian. After a challenging course of study, I graduated as a veterinarian in 2006 from the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine in Ghent. Immediately after graduating, I went to Kenya for a project of a foundation that supports orphaned children. Together with a local veterinarian, we set up facilities there to keep dairy cattle and chickens to provide variety in the diet. From 2006 onwards, I have been working at the veterinary practice in Wijchen, near Nijmegen. In 2016, I took over the practice and expanded it into the clinic it is today. We treat companion animals and horses at our practice.
I became an ambassador because I want to contribute to the welfare of animals in Kosovo with my experience and network. During a conversation with a Kosovar girl, the dire situation there quickly became clear to me, and I got in touch with Piet. I was impressed by what the foundation has already achieved and would like to help expand this further. I think it is very important that the problem is addressed on-site with the local population, and I want to support the local veterinarians where necessary. In addition, I want to promote awareness of animal welfare and education.
Noelle Xhemajli-Waleboer
General board member
“I came to Kosovo through my husband. It’s a beautiful country with fantastic nature. We have a holiday home there, and I enjoy sitting on my terrace at the foot of the mountain.
But... I also see the misery of the stray animals. Something you no longer see in the Netherlands and can hardly imagine here. All my life, I have been committed to animals, standing up for the vulnerable. I work passionately as a surgical assistant in the hospital, but for the animals, I dedicate myself with both passion AND love.
This is also true for the stray animals in Kosovo. I am glad to have found AniKos. By joining AniKos, I have gained the opportunity to make a difference and be part of a wonderful network of people who share the same passion and love!”
My goal: to see the number of stray animals decrease in a natural and humane way and to provide help to animals in need!
Would you like to help us?
You can help us with a donation. We urgently need funds to carry out our mission. Click the button next to this to go to the donation website.
Please note, you will be redirected to an external website.
Our ambassadors
Piet Hellemans
I am Piet Hellemans, a veterinarian since 2006 and a great animal lover. Besides my work as a veterinarian, I host several television programs such as Eigen Huis & Tuin (RTL4) and Samen voor Dieren (SBS6), and I write for various newspapers and magazines including De Telegraaf and MAX Magazine. Several times a year, I travel abroad to voluntarily neuter and spay street dogs and cats and provide other care when needed. Over the years, I have worked in Romania, Greece, Thailand, Brazil, and Curaçao, among others.
At the end of 2023, Sadri spoke to me about the miserable condition of the street animals in Kosovo and asked for my help. Sadri has a strong and extensive network in Kosovo, including many volunteers, veterinarians, veterinary institutions, and the government. In the Netherlands, I have a valuable network of foundations, companies, media, and volunteers who are eager to contribute to animal welfare. By combining our connections - and not least the tireless dedication of the many volunteers in Kosovo - I am convinced that the stray animal problem in Kosovo can be tackled and even solved. We are a young foundation, established in 2024, but we have already been able to make a significant impact for the animals in Kosovo and, hopefully with your help, we will do much more to address and resolve animal suffering there. I am a proud ambassador of Stichting Animals Kosovo.
At the end of 2023, Sadri spoke to me about the miserable condition of the street animals in Kosovo and asked for my help. Sadri has a strong and extensive network in Kosovo, including many volunteers, veterinarians, veterinary institutions, and the government. In the Netherlands, I have a valuable network of foundations, companies, media, and volunteers who are eager to contribute to animal welfare. By combining our connections - and not least the tireless dedication of the many volunteers in Kosovo - I am convinced that the stray animal problem in Kosovo can be tackled and even solved. We are a young foundation, established in 2024, but we have already been able to make a significant impact for the animals in Kosovo and, hopefully with your help, we will do much more to address and resolve animal suffering there. I am a proud ambassador of Stichting Animals Kosovo.
https://piethellemans.nl
Franca Borren
July 2026:
It is with deep sorrow that we have learned of the passing of our valued and beloved Franca.
We wish great strength to everyone who will miss her; we, too, will feel her absence for a long time to come.
We continue our journey without her in our team, yet she will never be forgotten and will travel with us to Kosovo in spirit.
Thank you, dear Franca. Rest in peace. You will remain in our hearts forever.
Martijn Koning
With great pride—and a slight preference for anything with four legs and a nose—I can call myself an ambassador for the Animals Kosovo Foundation. During my first visit to the team, I briefly thought I'd stepped into a movie: so many animals, so many stories… and thankfully, so many people working so hard to make it all better. I was immediately soled. (Not literally, mind you; they don't sell comedians here.)
As a comedian, I usually try to make people laugh, but for these animals, I also like to channel my serious side. And believe me: that side really exists. I hope my involvement helps generate more attention, support, and love for the fantastic work happening here.
So if you've ever wanted to follow, support, or admire me: this is your chance. Do it for the animals—they're much cuter than me.
Suze Steenbergen
"My mission is 'happy dogs,' wherever they may be. After years of working actively in Dutch shelters, I encountered stray dogs during a vacation in Thailand in 2000. It broke my heart to see that their days were spent just surviving. At that time, I vowed never to vacation in a country with stray animals again. That was a promise to myself, not to the dogs.
In 2006, this changed after a trip to Bosnia. Since then, my life has been entirely dedicated to unfortunate four-legged friends, both at home and abroad. From 2006 to 2020, I devoted myself to the animals in Bosnia through neutering and education projects and by supporting local initiatives." From 2019 to 2023, I was actively involved in a neutering project on Santo Antao, Cape Verde. Through the 50-50 shop, my husband Fred and I donate generous amounts to charities every month. We regularly take in dogs to help them acclimate before they are adopted. Helping animals is an essential part of my life, as is this call from Sadri and Animals Kosovo. Sadri came into my life through Piet Hellemans. I am now closely involved in the daily operations. Being an ambassador for Animals Kosovo is an honor for me. This foundation does exactly what I am passionate about: neutering projects. I hope to support them for a long time with my energy, time, and through the shop with proceeds for their wonderful work.”
In 2006, this changed after a trip to Bosnia. Since then, my life has been entirely dedicated to unfortunate four-legged friends, both at home and abroad. From 2006 to 2020, I devoted myself to the animals in Bosnia through neutering and education projects and by supporting local initiatives." From 2019 to 2023, I was actively involved in a neutering project on Santo Antao, Cape Verde. Through the 50-50 shop, my husband Fred and I donate generous amounts to charities every month. We regularly take in dogs to help them acclimate before they are adopted. Helping animals is an essential part of my life, as is this call from Sadri and Animals Kosovo. Sadri came into my life through Piet Hellemans. I am now closely involved in the daily operations. Being an ambassador for Animals Kosovo is an honor for me. This foundation does exactly what I am passionate about: neutering projects. I hope to support them for a long time with my energy, time, and through the shop with proceeds for their wonderful work.”
https://5050shopsdb.nl