Healing a broken spirit: Knopa’s path to recovery and safety

Sadly, it is not uncommon for animals to face human cruelty and brutality. It is unimaginable how heartless people can be. ROLDA has helped so many animals with horrible pasts. We have helped cats thrown from windows and dogs chained outside in the cold, hungry for days on end. We have helped abused animals kicked or hit until they are scared of everyone.

But something especially heartbreaking is when a stray is hit by a car and just left for dead. It’s as if some people have absolutely no compassion at all. This is Knopas’ story.

Knopa, a small caramel-coloured stray dog, was popular in her hometown. Caring locals often threw her scraps as they passed, and several became fond of her. This was the only human kindness Knopa received as a stray dog living alone on the streets.

One of these locals came looking for our help when Knopa was crippled by human cruelty. Knopa had been found on the side of the road. She was in an awful state and seemed unable to even stand on her hind legs.

Knopa had been hit by a car. They did not stop to help, as any semi-decent person would. The driver sped off, abandoning the tiny dog they had just hit with a vehicle hundreds of times her size. How could anyone be so heartless?

We immediately took Knopa into our care when we heard about the situation. We rushed her to a vet for examination, but they were unable to determine why Knopa could no longer walk. Her legs appeared fine, with no fractures or obvious problems. Finally, after an MRI, we discovered the true cause.

A large hernia has taken over several of Knopas’s vertebrae. She will need immediate surgery to save her life. The operation will be very costly, but with the look in Knopas’s eyes, we know we cannot let her down. We are a no-kill shelter for good reason. Every life matters. We will find a way.

The surgery is scheduled imminently, and hopefully, everything will go well. No dog should have to live like Knopa, alone on the streets of Ukraine fending for themselves.

Knopa has been betrayed before, but we will not let it happen again. She will live the rest of her life warm and safe, but most importantly, she will be surrounded by love.