A few years ago, we went to the shelter to photograph dogs for PR. I had a list of names in hand—I’d never even seen these dogs in photos. I told the worker the name, and he walked the dog out.

One elderly staff member has forever been etched in my memory. Pasha (that was his name) was found abandoned on the street after a stroke. It turned out the old dog was no longer needed simply because he had reached the end of his life.

It took a long time to bring Pasha to us—he walked slowly, a little unsteadily—by that point, he’d already suffered two strokes, I think. He nuzzled his hands, sniffled, and then peered obediently into the camera—”Is my owner lost there?” I think he smiled a little and was definitely wagging his tail. He was very happy that we had come to see him today and paid attention to him.

I left and couldn’t stop thinking about what I’d seen. Sometimes I’d go to the shelter’s website, to Pasha’s page, and read about this boy’s fate. The owner didn’t come for a month, two, six months, a year… and he never came back. Pasha died…

I cried that day. From injustice and helplessness. I’d only known him for 10 minutes, while I was taking these photos, so someone would notice, come, and not let him live out his life in a shelter. I stroked his back and saw such faith and love in his eyes, distorted by the stroke, that I simultaneously hated all of humanity for having Pasha here.

It’s a typical story about dogs dying in a shelter. It’s terrifying and painful. Perhaps the last thing Pasha thought was that the person who betrayed him wouldn’t come for him. But he never did… Just like thousands of other dogs, they’ll never wait for those who abandoned them.

Please don’t be afraid to adopt dogs! Don’t be afraid to adopt elderly dogs, abandoned dogs, purebred dogs, or mixed-breed dogs. Friendship and love have no conditions. And if you ever looked into the eyes of a “Pasha,” you’d never forgive yourself for leaving and forgetting.

Every living heart needs love. And if you can give that love to someone who has lost it or never knew it, don’t think, “Maybe yes?” or “ Maybe not?”.

The wait can’t be a lifetime! Listen up, people! I beg you, adopt a pet from a shelter! Save at least one! They need a home so badly, they need it like air!

Contact number: 067-160-63-23 Lyudmila Melnikova.

Call us, come see us! We’ll find you a dog that suits your needs.

And we’ll deliver it throughout Odessa and the surrounding region.