The world isn't perfect. Though everyone deserves love, care, and a sanctuary, not everyone gets these things. Some get these necessities, but even then it might still end someday. And no matter what we do, we can't fix these problems altogether. Despite the world's imperfections that are seemingly impossible to solve, some people still have the heart and the will to try and make it better.

This loving mother and son duo is among those few good-hearted people who have made it their life's goal to make the world a better place. Though good deeds, as many of us know, are difficult to quantify, Svetlana and Degan from Serbia have no trouble counting their own: after more than 20 years running their shelter, they've rescued more than a thousand dogs, and more than a hundred are actively living in their sanctuary.

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Image credits: vucjakshelter

Dejan and Svetlana started their charitable endeavors modestly: they began by just feeding the strays in Cumic, a village where they lived. The locals appreciated the kind acts that the mother-son duo did, and they began building a reputation, and along with it, a bigger network and more resources; in short, they started to expand, and increased the scope of their efforts.

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Image credits: vucjakshelter

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Image credits: vucjakshelter

Finally, in 1997, they established the Vucjak Shelter. Years went by, and Svetlana unfortunately passed. But Dejan decided to keep their mutual legacy going and worked to run the shelter all by himself. Yet it wasn't as easy as before, not only because he worked alone, but also because his shelter started housing hundreds if not thousands of animals at a time.

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Image credits: vucjakshelter

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Image credits: vucjakshelter

But the whole shelter business isn't just focused on domestic animals. In 2014, they secured land in Gledic Mountains and constructed a sanctuary for the wolves. Why the wolves, you might ask? Well, though the wolf is the national animal of Serbia, it faces extinction and is constantly in danger due to poachers. Dejan brings fresh meat whenever he can and advocates for their protection.

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Image credits: vucjakshelter

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Image credits: vucjakshelter

As you would suspect, running a shelter all by yourself is very hard, especially so when there are hundreds of animals to take care of, as it increases the costs of maintenance, and there's so much work ahead. For example, Dejan hopes to build winter shelter buildings and more dog houses in the near future. But the donations from kind-hearted people and organizations keep the shelter afloat, and let's hope that it stays that way for 20 more years!