Saving injured dog (photo)

A dog was walking on three legs. It looked at me with a quiet yelp. I was taught not to take neglected animals to my place - responsibility, expenses, hair everywhere. But this look just cut my heart like a saw.

"A car ran over it. There was such a blow..., - says the guard of the garage consumer co-operative where I met the dog walking on three legs. - It was lying on the road for some fifteen minutes after that. Then it rose up. The drivers, a guy and a girl, left. Still, the car was also damaged a lot...".

The dog was yelping, it was unclear what injuries it had. Probably a leg fracture and intestines blows. It will probably die.

"It will heal, it's just a dog. Get away!" - the guard chased the dog away. 

I rushed home to change and to make up a strategy for rescuing operation.

***

As I thought, there are not many places in Belarus where you can give an injured dog for care. There are two options - you can take it home or to the institution called "City Fauna" where they will look for the old or new owner of the three-leg dog for 10 days and if they fail, the dog will be sent to sleep.

I wrote about the dog in the social networks, and got some preliminary advice: help it. Thank you for that. I changed and returned to the garage co-operative. The dog had already cheated the guard and squeezed into a small hole between the metal stairs. We couldn't take it out. So I fed the dog and came back home.

The next morning, I brought breakfast to the freezing animal and took pictures of it. The guard Uncle Tolya who substituted the previous one brought a sweater to the injured dog. We covered the dog with a mat, put pieces of cardboard paper all over the stairs and covered the whole construction with cloth.

The three-leg victim refused to go out of her refuge, but eagerly ate porridge and bones. I thought it would survive.

***

When I got to work, I received letters and phone calls:

"How could you leave her there? Why didn’t you take her to a vet? This is a wolfhound, I would have taken her home but I already have one". 

So I sat there thinking how to take the dog from under the stairs and which vet clinic I should choose.

Then I got a call from Maryna - a volunteer of the civil association "Egida". She left all her businesses and said she was ready to help.

***

"Egida" is engaged in helping sick animals and raises the issue of the protection of their rights.

The organization is rather known, although there are about two dozen of active members. Plus volunteers. Caring people donate money for which the animals get food and care.

We pulled the three-leg dog from under the stairs, although the poor thing squealed all over the place. We put her to the back seat and took her to a vet. Maryna advised to go to a private clinic.

"The prices are not much different. There is equipment for x-rays, and the attitude to animals is good. In public hospitals, they use muscle relaxants as anesthesia: animals get motionless, but they still feel the pain ... "

On the way, I found out that my assistant was a student of international relations. She participates in such rescue operations almost on a daily basis.

"There might be an odd day off. We often receive calls with threats, like, take the animal, you are an organization, and few people understand that we do not receive salaries for this, this is just our personal desire to help. We do it in our free time - when we are free from work, studies, or family issues..." 

So we arrived to the clinic and stood in a queue after a white fluffy cat and a bull-dog.

The veterinary examination unexpectedly showed that there were no serious injuries apart from the paw, which hung motionless.

"A female wolfhound, aged 10-12 months, - the vet said. - Go to the x-ray".

It is worth mentioning that even though the conditions were favourable, the veterinary services were still expensive. Examination - Br 80K, two x-rays, which showed luxation, for Br 200. Putting a bone into joint again - Br 300K. Plus, anesthesia, medications etc. Br 600K - this is a successful visit to a vet clinic. However, in my case, Maryna's organization paid for the veterinary services.

Our dog didn't let the doctor to inject anesthesia.

"She fell asleep with a dose twice less than this cat's", - said the doctor and quickly put her bone into the joint again.

The next day, the animal was nearly jumping. As for her offenders, they will have to pay at least $100-200 to get their car repaired, most likely.

***

The owner who lost the dog was found the next day. He saw his pet's photo in the internet. We gave Beauty (that was her name) back to him after he showed us the dog's hunting passport.

A photo with Beauty for long memories

The man donated the sum which was spent on the wolfhound's treatment to the bank account of "Egida".

Beauty's story had a happy end. However, most animals are not that lucky. If they get into car accident and get injured, most of them die of cold or hunger. 

The state provides no aid for animals. The people's mentality in this regard is also simple - this is not my business. Defenseless dogs and cats suffer from careless owners who throw them away, or animal torturers, as no criminal responsibility is prescribed for torturing animals in our country.