Bobby the stray dog has been given a second chance at life after being found ‘paralysed and in pain’ by rescuers in the aftermath of the devastating earthquake in Syria
(IFAW)’s partner rescue organisation, , found the pup “lying in the mud at the side of a field” after the 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck on February 6.
The team named the Bobby, which is a local nickname for ‘dog’, and refused to leave him behind, taking him to their clinic for a warm bath, food and water.
Over the last two months, the charity has provided emergency funding to four animal rescue organisations across Turkey and northern Syria for earthquake response efforts.
Bobby was found lying in the mud in a field by himself after the earthquake
It has been reported that more than in Turkey and Syria were killed and a further 100,000 were injured following the two powerful earthquakes in February.
“When we came across the dog lying in the mud at the side of a field, we were very moved,” Dr Ahmad Yousef, House of Cats Ernesto vet, said.
“He was soaked to the skin and covered in mud. It was hard to even see what colour he was. Paralysed in his back legs and barely able to move, he struggled to sit up for us.
The paralysed pup was fed, washed and nursed back to health by determined rescuers
“It was hard to see him like this and so we took him back to Ernesto’s sanctuary and gave him pain relief, a warm bath and a meal.”
At the time, Bobby struggled to respond to treatment and physiotherapy as “his spine had been crushed”.
But he soon adapted to life at the clinic and particularly enjoyed his brushed-out blow dry.
The team researched how they could help Bobby walk again and tried to find a wheelchair for paralysed , but were unable to do so.
Instead, they found equipment and a local contractor to build a custom-made set of wheels for little Bobby.
Bobby soon settled into life at the sanctuary and bonded with his new friends
Today, the adorable pup has a new lease of life, and walks, runs and plays with other dogs at the sanctuary.
In the long term, they plan to order him a more durable canine wheelchair.
“He is now at the farm and we will give him back some dignity and mobility. He is a kind and gentle dog. He deserves this chance at least,” Dr Yousef said.
After developing a special bond, Ernesto has decided to make Bobby a permanent resident at the sanctuary – so he will live out his days with his new family.
