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When blind Stela was found - Credit: Šape Smedereva A Blind Puppy Was Left Here To Die! Dear friends, Every day in Serbia, dogs and cats are abandoned in remote dumping grounds, fields, and along lonely roads, as if their lives no longer matter. Many of them step out of the car full of trust. Perhaps they think they are going for a walk. Perhaps they believe they are spending another day with the family they love. They wag their tails. They follow. They wait. But nobody comes back. Confused and frightened, they search for the people they trusted most. Hours turn into days. Hunger sets in. Thirst becomes unbearable. Rain falls. Temperatures rise. Some animals are injured. Others are elderly. Many are sick. For those who abandoned them, they have become inconvenient. Disposable. For us, they are lives worth fighting for. Our volunteers regularly search the forgotten places where unwanted animals are left behind. Sometimes we arrive just in time. Sometimes, heartbreakingly, we do not. The animals in this newsletter are just a few of the souls we have recently encountered. Their stories are different, but they all have one thing in common. Without intervention, none of them would have had a chance. These are some of the lives your compassion has helped us reach. VUČKO STELA Senior Beagle Female Every rescue requires food, veterinary care, medication, transport, and shelter. As more abandoned animals are discovered, the burden grows heavier with each passing week. Your support helps us continue reaching the places where these animals are forgotten. Together, we can give them safety, treatment, and the chance to experience kindness again. PLEASE DONATE Credit: Šape Smedereva STELA She is one of the lucky ones. Meet Stela. She was found hidden in bushes beside a railway track, completely alone. No food. No water. No shelter. The most heartbreaking part is that Stela is blind. Only a few steps separated her from disaster. On one side was a busy railway line. On the other was a road. At any moment, a train or vehicle could have ended her life. Stela is only a puppy. Instead of receiving love and protection, she was abandoned because her disability would require extra care, veterinary visits, and patience. Someone decided that helping her was simply too much effort. So they left her behind. When we first saw her, she approached cautiously, frightened and uncertain. Yet despite everything she had endured, she still wanted to trust. We knew we could not leave her there. Stela was brought to safety and examined by a veterinarian. Thankfully, tests for infectious and tick-borne diseases were negative. She now lives in a secure environment where she cannot injure herself and spends her days playing with other dogs who have become her companions. Most importantly, she is learning to trust again. She now gently nudges her head forward when someone reaches out to pet her. It is a small gesture, but for a dog who has already experienced abandonment, it means everything. Our next goal is to arrange a specialist examination with an ophthalmologist to determine whether Stela has any remaining vision and whether treatment options may exist. Whatever the outcome, one thing is certain. Stela will never be abandoned again. PLEASE DONATE Credit: Šape Smedereva SENIOR BEAGLE FEMALE Sadly, stories like hers are all too common. This elderly Beagle was discarded beside a road as though she were no longer worth caring for. When our volunteer found her, she was lying alone and motionless. The family she had trusted had disappeared, leaving her to face her final years without food, shelter, or comfort. Her body tells the story of a difficult life. Years of repeated breeding have left their mark. Enlarged mammary glands, visible tumors, and physical exhaustion speak of neglect and exploitation rather than care and compassion. But perhaps the saddest wounds are the ones we cannot see. In her eyes there is disappointment. Confusion. Heartbreak. We may never know everything she endured before she was abandoned, but we do know this: She will never be left alone again. She is now safe in our care and receiving the veterinary attention she desperately needs. After a lifetime of giving, she deserves more than abandonment at the side of a road. She deserves comfort. She deserves dignity. She deserves love. And we are determined to give her exactly that. PLEASE DONATE Credit: Šape Smedereva VUČKO Vučko was found at a dump site where he had been left to die. When we first saw him, he was exhausted and suffering. His body was covered with wounds. Large patches of fur were missing. Every sign pointed to a dog who had endured prolonged neglect. Yet despite everything, he greeted us with a wagging tail. We rushed him to a veterinarian, hoping there was still time. The news was devastating. Vučko had a fever, two tumors, elevated liver enzymes, Giardia, and was in extremely poor condition. He was estimated to be between eight and ten years old. An age when a dog should be resting comfortably in a loving home. Not fighting for survival. We refused to give up on him. Veterinary teams worked tirelessly to help him. Surgery was performed to remove the tumors, and intensive care followed. For a brief moment, we hoped he might overcome the odds. But despite everyone’s efforts, complications developed after surgery and Vučko’s body could no longer continue the fight. We lost him. His passing broke our hearts. Yet we take comfort in knowing that he did not die alone at a rubbish dump, forgotten by the world. Instead, he spent his final days surrounded by people who cared. People who fought for him. People who loved him. Vučko’s story did not have the ending we prayed for, but because of compassion and kindness, his last days were filled with dignity rather than abandonment. And that matters. Every day, more animals are being abandoned across Serbia. Some are frightened puppies like Stela. Some are elderly dogs who have given everything and been discarded when they became inconvenient. Some, like Vučko, arrive when it is almost too late. We cannot save them without help. But together, we can continue searching the forgotten places, rescuing those who still have a chance, and giving every animal we find the compassion they deserve. Thank you for standing with us and making this work possible. PLEASE DONATE With gratitude, Audrey Sam Global Partnerships and Donor Relations Lead Animals First Aid In partnership with Šape Smedereva Phone (US): +1 773 300 2544 Animals First Aid (AFA) is a dedicated nonprofit organization committed to saving and improving the lives of animals in urgent need. Through compassionate partnerships and global collaboration, we provide immediate care, shelter, and long-term solutions for abused, abandoned, and neglected animals. Every donation directly supports life-changing interventions, ensuring animals receive the love, safety, and healing they deserve. Animals First Aid is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization in the United States (EIN: 99-1042428), and donations are tax-deductible to the fullest extent permitted by law. Together, we can continue making a difference, one precious life at a time.

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