I’m sure a lot of you will remember the story of Denisa, the poor girl who had been run over and left at the side of the road to die. Well, here we have a wonderful update from her family, plus the exciting news that she now has a new fur brother too. Denisa truly has found her happy ever after. Here is her story as told by her adoptive mum.
I’d always hoped to adopt a rescue dog, but I’d been waiting for the mythical perfect time to do it. A string of events, in 2018, brought home to me how short life is, and I decided to stop putting it off. Later that year my Dad bought me the book ‘Everybody Died, So I Got a Dog’ by Emily Dean, which made me laugh and weep because it was so relatable!
A heart-wrenching video of Denisa
A friend posted a heart-wrenching video of Denisa on Facebook. She had been knocked over and was found at the side of the road, desperately clinging to life. With the help of the amazing people from 1 Dog and her namesake, Denisa the vet, she had learnt to walk again and was now living with her foster family in the UK. I was immediately drawn to her because, after major back surgery, I’d relearnt to walk, and I felt I knew a tiny bit of the struggle and pain she’d experienced.
Denisa started to settle
The first time we met Denisa, with her wonderful foster family, she was nervous, but she seemed to accept us, and we knew we wanted to give her a forever home. The day we picked her up, I became anxious and was worried we wouldn’t be able to give her the care she needed. I suddenly started worrying that I wasn’t “grown-up” enough to own a dog despite being in my forties with a daughter about to start secondary school! However, I knew we could give her our love and commitment to help her grow stronger.
Denisa settled in with us immediately, and the highlight of her day was going on walks. Within months she was able to walk for miles, and she has since climbed many of the hills in North Wales and long stretches of the Pembrokeshire Coastal path. She is still very nervous of people she doesn’t know, especially men, but once she accepts you, she is the most loving, gentle, courageous and loyal friend.
Along came Sammy
Ever since adopting Denisa, I have followed the dogs needing homes. There have been so many I have wanted to adopt, but we didn’t feel quite ready to take on a second dog. Then, earlier this year, Sammy appeared. Like Denisa, he had been run over and was rebuilding his mobility and strength at Happy Tails. It felt like fate when Pippa, from 1 Dog, got in touch to ask if we were thinking of adopting another dog. It didn’t take long to persuade my family that we should foster Sammy to see how he and Denisa got on together.
Sammy arrived in November and is the most laid back, loveable and friendly little dog. He trusts everyone he meets and is at his happiest receiving a tummy tickle from anyone who is willing to give him one. Denisa was unsure of Sammy at first, but within the first week, after a number of growls to teach him not to touch her precious things, she accepted him. Needless to say, that within two weeks of fostering him we officially adopted him! We now take Sammy on three short walks a day to help build up his strength, and we’re hoping that one day he’ll be able to enjoy long walks as much as Denisa.
Denisa and Sammy bring so much joy (and chaos!) into our lives. Adopting a dog means you save their life and the life of another dog who can take their place and escape from horrific conditions. Homing a rescue dog takes patience, commitment and love but the joy you receive in return is invaluable, and often, in the end, it’s hard to know who has saved who!
Please click here to contact us if you would like more information on 1 Dog At A Time Rescue UK.
