When Jorma was first found, he had been chained outside his entire life. He was underweight from barely being fed, ill due to being outside no matter the weather, and shied away from any petting or hugs - humans had never touched him kindly. The rescuers who found this dog named him Jorma, and immediately took him to a safe place to be fed and looked after. It is with this help that Jorma finally has a chance to find a loving family to give him everything he has never had.

Jorma’s story is not unique, and not all animals are found in time. The European Union estimates that there are currently over 100 million abandoned and stray dogs and cats in the continent. These animals are often sick, underweight, and sadly from homes of abuse. Animal shelters across many countries have been working hard to rescue as many as possible, to find them safe and loving homes.

However, funding is often an issue. Many dogs and cats are still in dire need of assistance.

The Unicorn Pirates Studio, a Finnish gaming company, is organising Dog Jam - a charity game jam that will be specifically for raising money for abandoned dogs in Croatia. We are looking for more companies to join the challenge, and to help us use our influence for something good. All funds will be going directly to the Animal Friends shelter, which is currently struggling with over 700 dogs in an unprecedented animal rights crisis.

The Animal Friends shelter has been operating since 2001 in Cakovec. They rescue, protect, treat, and then rehome dogs as best as they can, but right now they need help to meet the current incredible demand. The dogs they rescue are often malnourished, abused, or suffer from numerous medical issues.

All donations raised by the Dog Jam will go directly to the rescue operations. This includes medical care, feeding costs, and rehoming efforts. Our goal is to raise at least €1000 to save and care for as many dogs as possible. Any help counts, and will mean a world of difference to those that cannot speak for themselves.

The Dog Jam will take place on the 1st March and will run until the 3rd March, 2019 in the Unicorn Pirates Studio in Etelä-Haaga. We hope to see you there.

Want to join in as a jammer? Donate just €5 if you want to take part. If you're here to just see what happens and to make dogs happy, you can still donate right here: https://gogetfunding.com/dog-jam. We'll be posting more information on our social media pages closer to the starting date about Animal Friends, their dogs, and some of their success stories - so follow along and be a part of the story.

If you want to go the extra mile, we are currently looking for more companies and individuals who want to join the challenge and use our influence for the power of good - we can do so much if we work together. If you're interested in finding out more, shoot us an email at marketing@unicornpirates.studio.