The Story of Fiery Ognyana
Unfortunately, it is not unusual for an animal rescue organisation to find animals abandoned at its door or even thrown over the fence. However, finding a big black dog lying in a pool of blood was a shock for the staff and volunteers of Animal Rescue Sofia (Bulgaria) when they arrived at the shelter one morning.
They took the dog in immediately and she was given emergency treatment to save her life.
While she was with the vets, the management decided to check the shelter’s security cameras to find out what had happened. It was heart-breaking to watch on the film a car stopping, its door opening, and the dog being thrown out. The car left immediately, and as the poor dog panicked and ran after it, she was hit by another car. Even that didn’t make the dog’s owner turn back for her.
The vets found that her hips and pelvis were broken, and it was not sure she could ever walk again. Thankfully Animal Rescue Sofia saw her will to live and decided to give it a try. She needed a powerful name to help her defy the challenges ahead, so she was named Ognyana – fire and ice – and it worked, as the following morning she was up on her paws and wagging her tail!
Over the coming days and weeks, Ognyana improved both physically and psychologically. She developed a strong bond with one of the dog carers, who couldn’t help falling for her charm and ended up adopting her. Ognyana lives now happily in her new family with two other dogs.
A happy end for a tragic story!
We thank Animal Rescue Sofia for sharing this story with us. It is an excellent example of how our equipment donations really make a difference to animals in need.
HOW WE CAN HELP YOU
Currently, SNIP International donates humane catching and holding equipment only through the International Companion Animal Welfare Conference (ICAWC) and the International Training Programme. For more information about these events, please contact DogsTrust Worldwide. Link to DogsTrust Worldwide.