Zhuzha: The little dog who refused to be lost
Some stories begin quietly. Zhuzha’s began on the side of a highway near Tatarbunar a place where life is harsh, cars never slow down, and stray dogs survive on instinct alone. She was just one small soul among many, unnoticed by most, living day to day in the dust and noise.
She gave birth there, too. Her puppies sadly never had a chance. It’s the kind of heartbreak stray dogs endure silently, without anyone to witness their grief. But someone did see Zhuzha and that moment changed everything.
Zhanna, a long-term volunteer partner, tells Zhuzha’s story.
A Rescue, a journey, and a disappearance
“I caught her and brought her to Odessa, determined to give her a chance at a safer life. She went to a German-run shelter for sterilisation, a place where she was supposed to be protected and cared for.
But Zhuzha had her own ideas about freedom. She slipped away vanished into a city she didn’t know. For six long months, she was a ghost. I searched, hoped, and tried not to imagine the worst. And then, one day, at a gas station on the edge of the city, I saw her. Thin, wary, but unmistakably her. My Zhuzha.
I fed her. Built her a little booth. Tried to give her a corner of safety in a world that had never offered her one. But not everyone wanted her there.
So, I brought her to a temporary shelter. A safe place at last.”
Your support made Zhuzha happy ending possible - thank you.
Zhuzha’s new family
“A family from the Czech Republic visited the shelter. They had recently lost their beloved dog a gentle soul who, by some miracle, looked just like Zhuzha. When they saw her, it wasn’t just interest. It was recognition. Love at first sight, the quiet kind that doesn’t need words. They adopted her.
And Zhuzha, the dog who once lived on a highway, who lost her puppies, who survived abandonment and fear… became tame, affectionate, and deeply loved.”
