rescued dogs | IN MEMORY OF VUČKO

In memory of Lilly

Few weeks ago one of my beloved dogs died. Her name was Lilly. My parents and I saved her in April 2013. She was starved and part of her leg was missing. We found out that someone had cut off part of her leg with an axe and left her to die. Lilly had managed to come to the centre of Ilijas where we found her. Her condition was awful. Her leg was infected; she was completely starving, with terrible problems with fleas and stomach problems. Lilly’s leg was amputated since nothing could be done to save it.

For two years Lilly proved to me how wonderful and inspiring stray and tortured dogs can be. She lived my parents and I at our home with other dogs. Lilly was full of life, her spirit wasn’t broken. During that period I saved a lot of dogs including many puppies. Lilly was a mother to all of them, she played with them, taught them how to behave with older dogs, spent time with them. She was an alpha dog in my pack, always full of life and ready to help me with other dogs, to control and take care of them.

During all these years in rescue world I have seen so many cases of tortured animals, I have seen a lot of pain and suffering of innocent beings, I have seen what people can do to those who can’t defend themselves. Also, I have seen that every tortured animal has an unbreakable spirit that every tortured animal can be inspiration for many other animals and for people too. It is difficult to gain trust from tortured animals. During that process every rescuer has an opportunity to learn a lot about understanding and the adaptation of hurt souls and bodies. If we give our best, those animals can learn that there are good people and they can have a normal life without pain and stress. Seeing that an abused animals is recovered is wonderful and the best thing in the rescue process. Healing is difficult process, as well as understanding. Every animal has an individual personality and rescuers must find a way to help that personality to heal.

Thanks to Lilly I found out how an abused animal can help other animals, how she could teach other dogs to be careful, to be good and to recognise good and bad things, and how to become strong dogs with strong personality. Lilly gave her best to be “spirit” of my home, she gave me support with other dogs, and she became a wonderful leader of my pack.

Remember every saved animal must be helped not only to heal wounds on its body, but to heal wounds on its soul. Every saved animal can teach you more good things than all the people you meet in your life, because suffering in silence is the worst thing that exists in the world…

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DONATIONS

Funds are needed not only to help individual rescues but also to continue our advocacy work in Bosnia Herzegovina, 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 . 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.

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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.

Two dogs rescued last year from the streets of Sarajevo have made it overland via Hungary to their forever homes in England. They arrived on the 10th of February and are settling in beautifully.

Loppy

If you have been reading this blog you will remember the story of Loppy, found in Sarajevo by Ismir Musić last September. He’d found several dogs including a mother dog and her puppies in an abandoned yard near his home. One of the puppies was very weak and died shortly afterwards. Ismir tried to keep the others safe and with funds raised he provided food for the dogs. Unfortunately some of the dogs – including the mother and her remaining puppies – disappeared and it is possible some of the dogs died due to an outbreak of canine parvovirus. But Loppy stayed in the area, and survived the outbreak. Ismir was able to keep an eye on him.

Sheila Prestwich in Essex, England, found out about the situation from one of our Facebook groups and she took Loppy to her heart and committed to adopting him. With help from other donators Loppy was taken to King Pension in Sarajevo where he was given a full veterinary check up and all his vaccinations. Sheila fundraised for several months for his care in this pension and for Loppy’s eventual travel to England and now Loppy is finally with her, where he has plenty of playmates – Sheila’s two boys Jake (13 yrs) and Alfie (4 yrs), Supie the cocker spaniel and Chocolate their hamster. Loppy has never lived in someone’s house, but he’s adapting well and with Sheila’s love and dedication is already learning how to be housetrained.

Loppy’s first meal at Sheila’s: a roast chicken dinner

Loppy making friends with little Alfie

Sheila driving Loppy home

Billy

Billy was first seen at the end of November last year, see our blog post: A Day in the Life of an Animal Activist in Sarajevo.

Jelena Paunović was searching for a dog who had been sighted with a terrible injury: his lower jaw shot off. Sadly the dog was only found days later and by then it was too late, he had died. But while Jelena was looking she did as she always does: feed strays. A beautiful labrador type dog climbed into the car window and didn’t want to leave. She had to let him go, but Julie Henretty from Gloucestershire saw his photo on the blog and read his story and felt she had to do something for a dog who seemed to be determined to be rescued.

Julie contacted us and ‘Billy’ was found a few days later and taken to Ensar’s pension where he was prepared for travel to England.

Billy and Loppy travelled together, driven overland from Sarajevo to the Hungarian border by Jelena and Ensar, and from there taken to England by a friend. It seems probably Billy was deliberately abandoned by someone, as he is so friendly with people.

He is young, very energetic and and doing very well at Julie’s. He loves racing round in the snow throwing his tug toy up in the air and catching it. He has had his neutering operation on Tuesday, and is booked in for his first obedience class tomorrow.

Billy with Jelena, enroute from Sarajevo to the UK

Who can resist that smile?

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If you think you can adopt or sponsor a rescue from Bosnia-Herzegovina, then please visit our sister website http://awabosnia.org. Here you will see photographs and details of a number of animals desperately needing homes. We have arranged transport from Sarajevo to the UK which can proceed as soon as 10 dogs are approved for adoption. Countries other than the UK can also be considered. Please contact us for information.

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IN MEMORY OF VUČKO

raising awareness and funds to stop animal suffering in Sarajevo and Bosnia-Herzegovina

Tag Archives: rescued dogs

The spirit of a tortured dog

Some good news for a change, Loppy and Billy are home!