Stray Animals Emergencies Funding in Colombia

Dear donor and friend, you’re about to know the most famous and beloved stray of our village. Rocky, the star among the homeless, always so kind and friendly to everyone, that even an artist gave him a place on a mural, right in front of the sector he called his home. Some neighbors remember him since he was a puppy, 14 years ago!!! Nobody knows, if he was lost or abandoned, he just appeared out of a sudden, spending the nights under the stars in a pasture, and the days, begging bread in the bakery across the road. But that wasn’t that, because he also had an amazing social life!!! After breakfast at the bakery’s, he started walking through the streets of our village, being a leader and educator for other strays, greeting every human, receiving gratefully the petting, cheers, and some really delicious snacks. His unmistakable smile, his tail, waving in fast motion, and his kindness overload are his predominant attributes. He was the first participant to be spayed, when we started our spay/neuter project, about six years ago. A neighbor offered to take care of him during the postoperative period, giving him the best life ever. So she thought. But Rocky clearly was not the dog one can enclose in an apartment, and despite of his daily steaks, chicken breasts and vegetables, he fell into depression, wouldn’t eat and his smile faded away. He missed his life, the street, the freshly baked croissants. His big smile came back, as soon as we opened the door. First he calmed his thirst in a puddle, then he went straight to the bakery, claiming his bread he had so dearly missed. The years passed and Rocky grew old, his soul of a walker became tired, and his mind confused. The street was no longer safe for our stray champion, younger dogs tried to attack him and it was time for him to retire. With the help of your contributions to our project, we were able to remove quite a heavy subcutaneous tumor of his chest, and he recovered surprisingly fast. The adaptation to the shelter was uncomplicated and our senior dogs received him respectfully, eager to know his adventures and share their own stories with him. We frequently visit him, always with a bag full of fresh rolls!!!

Dear donor and friend, every shelter dog has their own tragedy, a sad history to tell. Our actual hero is Thorin Oakenshield, admired for his kindness, resilience and braveness. He was not just another abandoned dog, living in the mountain by his own. He was a peaceful warrior, burdened with a huge tumor in his crotch, trying to survive without doing any harm.
When we received him at the shelter, everyone was shocked, the volunteers, even the vet. None of us had ever seen such an enormous tumor before. He was starving, his physical condition was pretty bad and it was obvious, that he was in a terminal state of his life. We promised him to turn his last days, weeks or months into the best experience of his life, no matter the costs, no matter the efforts, no matter, if “it’s worth it”. Every decision we made, arose through love and empathy, led by the guidance of Thorin himself.The community supported us with an unexpected wave of financial aid for his surgery, which we organized to remove the tumor, knowing it was risky, but we wanted him to have a new body feeling, a lightness he has never felt before in years. During nearly four hours, two surgeons and an anesthesiologist took care of him, but they had to close, when he went into cardiac arrest. Our hero survived, though, the tumor weighed 4250 grams, and Thorin now was ready to start a new life and enjoy it. Recovery was not easy, but brave Thorin Oakenshield in his calm and balanced way, accepted the challenge and made the best of his last month on earth. He was friendly to everyone, humans and other dogs. He was always hungry and his amazing caretakers only served him gourmet dishes. He enjoyed being the privileged one, his private space in the office of the vets, the freedom to go out whenever he wanted, to feel the grass under his feet, the sun caressing his emaciated body. And though he was not really a fan of being groomed, he understood, that it was our way to show him our love and respect, and so he endured the procedure with dignity and stoicism. Then, the dreaded day arrived. Thorin Oakenshield lay down on the grass to sunbathe and have a nap, and never came back. But our hearts are connected forever.

“He lived happily, even after the end of his days” (Bilbo, Lord of the Rings)