In my introduceyourself post, I mentioned how important animals and their welfare are to me. However, until now I never posted on it.
My brother and I grew up with 7 cats, 3 dogs, 2 cows, 15 sheep.. etc etc. I cannot even remember the correct number and the other animals that were present during our childhood.
Albania is a country known for not being very developed. When countries are not developed/ innovative, it translates into a population that contributes mostly in agriculture. Inhabitants having their own land and making their living out of it.
However, while we were growing up, our parents decided to move to the capital. Tirana (the capital) is mostly concrete. So, no cows or sheep. Only domestic or stray animals. As anyone can understand, this was a drastic change in our lives. Coming from mud into concrete, was not easy. We were used to play in the hills behind our grandparents garden and get dirty. Meanwhile, in the city we played at the yard of the bank, in front of our building.
In order to ease a bit the change, our mother always adopted cats from the street. And this is how I also cultivated the desire to help animals. They were always part f the family, it did not matter if it was our cat or the neighborhood cat. We always treated them equal. Always cuddled and fed them the same as our cat.
In 2016, our cat fell from the balcony (8th floor) and unfortunately died. When I got back from work that day, I found both my parents pretty sad and my mother was actually smoking a cigarette (which, she never does) and crying.
They literally told me: Please, do not bring anymore animals in the house. We are now old and emotional and cannot handle loss.
I knew that bringing another cat would be a mistake for both parties. The cat might end again falling and they would be again sad. So, I decided to adopt a "small- sized" dog.
This is Nova. My new best friend and the most sincere love/ dedication I have received in my 30 years of life. She was found in Durres (40 min away from the city I llive), on the streets. The vet says she is a mixed terrier, but I am convinced she is a mixture of cat and sheep. And she has some personality confusion, judged on her behavior when she sees cats.
We traveled to pick her up and the lady was very happy someone came to adopt her. Her excitement was a bit weird, but I did not mind as I was very eager to meet my our new family member.
But, after entering the apartment I understood why she was so excited to "get rid" of Nova. She was hiding under a dining table and was the most scared thing I ever saw in my life. I tried to get closer andcuddle her, but she was very afraid.
For a long time, Nova felt safe only under my bed. So, we had to feed her for almost 6 months under my bed. When it was "pipi" time, I had to take her out in the balcony and stay there so she could feel safe enough to pee.
Basically, there was a lot of fear for everything. You cannot blame her after all. She was found on the street with babies dead in her belly because of the violence people demonstrated to her. Taking into consideration how much afraid of children and men she is, I believe it was mostly them hitting her.
We all worked a lot with her so she stabilizes her fears. For example, every night before going to sleep we would have a talk on how her life has changed and how different her circumstances are now. I know some will think this is crazy, but animals do understand and feel what you transmit to them.
We also went to the vet to see how old she is and get her health check ups on track. Nova might be around 5 years old judging from her teeth. She is not lazy, but does not move a lot because she is afraid. She gets scares when I do any unexpected move (meaning I get up to grab water...). The process has been frustrating and tiring, but mostly a JOY. From time to time I would get nervous when she was getting scared for nothing. I even thought that the hard work we were doing with her was not serving.
But, recently I have seen a great change in her. Now, we can go to the park and meet strangers. She flips her tail and gets down to get her cuddles. That is a huge step as she used to be afraid also from family members.
And now, she has friends. She plays and runs and from time to time she barks. She barked for the first time only a year after we got her.
When I see her, it breaks my heart to see how evil humans can be to animals. But the, I remind myself of the organization that picked her up from the streets, people like myself who help as much as they can, and all the others out there who love their animals as much as their best friends or family members.
The relationship you build with your dog is very special and I do not think it can be compared to any other one. Just think of the walks, the hikes and the talks :) Or that tail when you enter the house, or how they jump on you when they see you.
We will always have a friend to call when feeling down. We will always be able to get up and grab the food. But, they have only us :) Take care and do not abandon your 4paws friend!
Today I am grateful of the unconditional love my dog always has for me. I wish I could feel the same for everyone and everything that surrounds me!
Until next time,
Steem On!