Ninel and her Russian-based dog rescue often take in dogs and puppies in need of care, but some end up needing a little extra love and attention to recover from life on the streets.
When rescuers came across a litter of puppies sleeping in the snow, they knew they needed to step in and intervene if the dogs were going to survive to adulthood.
Among the puppies, they found one little white pooch that was struggling to walk. The mother dog was hugging it, and it was clear that the pup needed extra care if it was going to recover from life on the streets without medical care.
Ninel got a car to pick up the dogs and took the four healthy puppies and mom to the animal shelter. However, the fifth little pup with health issues would need to be transported 12 hours to Moscow for better care.
As the car drove away with its siblings, the little pup cried and cried, clearly distraught at being left behind.
According to Animal Shelters, Ninel and her team named the little pup Smiley and called a new car to transport him the extra distance to the veterinarian. Once there, it was determined he was suffering from rickets and worms.
They immediately began treatment on the puppy’s legs using casts and massage therapy. It took some time, but the little pup eventually got his walk back! Beyond that, he was growing and seemed to be thriving and happy.
A ruptured blood vessel did cause a little scare to Smiley’s foster mom, but he got into emergency surgery and ended up being just fine.
Now, Smiley and his entire family are living their best lives in separate forever homes. Sometimes, happily ever afters do come true, even when the start of the story is rough.
Watch the video below:
You can keep up with Ninel and her work on Instagram, @ninel7058.