One winter day in Bucharest, Romania, a woman stumbled upon a starving and shivering dog abandoned in a field.
The dog was emaciated and too weak to move or even stand up. Seeing the pooch’s distressing situation, the kind woman brought her home to give her a momentarily warm place to stay.
Unbeknownst to the woman, this was probably the first kindness the dog received after many years of abuse and suffering.
This is the story of Doris and how she finally escaped her tormenting reality.
Her Rescue
Source: Howl Of A Dog
Doris was left in the middle of a field in Romania on a cold winter day. If not for the kind woman who spotted her, Doris would’ve never known warmth again.
The woman brought Doris home and gave her blankets and a warm meal. The dog was so weak, she could barely move forward to reach the food bowl.
Source: Howl Of A Dog
Unfortunately, the woman’s house was under construction and could not give Doris long-term care. She had to contact a dog shelter for help.
When Howl Of A Dog, a dog rescue shelter in Romania, got her message, they immediately went to the woman’s house to help Doris.
A Heartbreaking Past
Source: Howl Of A Dog
The staff immediately had Doris checked by the vet. They found evidence of a grim past that Doris went through.
Not only was she underweight due to starvation, but there were also signs that she had an owner who abused her as a puppy mill dog. The shelter noted that one of the typical signs of over-breeding was the mammary glands having sagging folds of skin, which Doris has.
Source: Howl Of A Dog
With this alarming observation, the shelter gave Doris a thorough medical check-up and found more disturbing results.
They found that she had a severe uterine infection and required immediate spay surgery. Her blood tests also revealed that her kidneys were not functioning properly. Her liver was also enlarged.
On top of that, they found a tumor in her right ear flap, as well as some mammary tumors. She is also deaf, but the shelter is not sure whether it’s congenital or caused by an illness.
Source: Howl Of A Dog
Since they noticed her limp, they also checked her bones and found out she had age-related lumbar spine deterioration.
Seeing her medical results was overwhelming and heartbreaking for the staff.
Source: Howl Of A Dog
They suspect that Doris was discarded when she got sick and deemed no longer profitable by her owner. She probably never experienced genuine love and care in her eight years in this world.
A New Life
Source: Howl Of A Dog
Knowing the suffering she went through, the shelter made it their mission to give Doris a wonderful new life with them.
Slowly but surely, her health improved. Her kidneys are now properly working and she regained her strength and smile back.
Source: Howl Of A Dog
Despite her past, she remains sweet towards people. She loves asking for scratches and chicken rolls!
Doris’s story is a reminder that puppy mills should not be supported. We can only hope that no more dogs experience what Doris had to go through.
