I am hearbroken to tell you that beautiful Oldie died on Wednesday night after a heart attack. Oldie was rescued from a river in Sarajevo last September, most likely put there deliberately to drown.

Thanks to donations he was put into the best pension in the city, and would have gone to England this June with a home recently promised by Blind Dog Rescue UK.
I know Almir Kuduz took special care of this lovely dog. He immediately contacted Arijana and Jelena after the heart attack. Oldie waited for them to arrive before he finally closed his eyes forever.

Almir wrote this yesterday:

“When I, and it was a few months ago, described this aloof and dear Grandpa, I never dreamed that the day would come that I would be the one to consecrate him back to the river.

Last night, at 21.40 Oldie’s heart stopped. The vet and the entire team gathered around him … but nothing could postpone the inevitable.

And in the final hours of his life, Oldie did something for which I will always remember him, and not just me. Arijana and Jelena will also remember. With foreboding that Oldie will die, the two of them came to be with him.

Oldie waited for them. He waited and then gave them the last half minute of his life. While we were all beside him, Oldie sent them one last long look,  rocked a little on his paws and sank to the floor.

So much more heart left for the end.

Oldie waited to give them the gift of that last look, his thank you for being rescued from the river Bosne, and for those who have taken care of him all these months and tried to find him a home.

Foster parents were never found … but home was here. Here Oldie had grass and flowers. He had people who loved him. Oldie had a home.

I will miss his dancing and tapping paws at the door of his compartment, while waiting to go for a walk.

And I will miss his grey muzzle and dark eyes. His peace and serenity. His clumsy attempts to play and curry favour, at least as much as his old bones would allow.

He went out where he will forever have a piece of grass and his eternal peace.

Rest Oldie, my good old man.”

Thank you to everyone who donated to keep Oldie off the streets and at King Pension so his last months could be spent in a safe and loving environment.

Please note that there are other rescues desperately seeking homes. We have a transport to the UK booked for mid June and need to find 5 more homes for our rescues to make the June transport successful. Please spread the word as much as possible and view all the dogs at http://awabosnia.org/.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

_____________________________________________

DONATIONS
Funds are needed not only to help individual rescues and to help us keep safe the 20 rescued dogs we are sponsoring but also to continue our advocacy work in Bosnia, uncovering the truth about what is happening there.

On our sister site, Animal Welfare Advocates for Bosnia, you can set up a monthly donation via PayPal, or if you want to make a one-off donation, please go to your PayPal account (or set one up, it’s very easy) and send the money to: donations@awabosnia.org as a ‘gift’. Click on the image below to be taken to PayPal’s home page.

Or if you want to use the customised PayPal form, click the link below. However, a transaction fee and a percentage (2- 5.4%) will be deducted by PayPal for any contribution made.

If you want your contribution to go to a specific dog or cause, please make a note in the PayPal comment box. If you wish to contribute via bank transfer or have other difficulties or questions, please go here.

______________________________________________

This site is dedicated to Vučko. Read his story and don’t let him have suffered and died in vain. Please help the stray dogs and cats in Bosnia-Herzegovina. The situation there is utterly dire, Vučko is but one amongst many horrifically abused animals. Go here to find out how to help them.  Money is needed for food, medicine and foster housing. Even just one dollar or one euro will help.