Like so many shelter dogs, Yuri has a sad past – maybe even worse than the others. When she was brought into the Cuyahoga County Animal Shelter, she had scars running on her back and on her legs too. She also had pneumonia and heartworms.
To top it off, the poor dog was pregnant.
Within a week, she gave birth to a large litter. Helping and caring for the new mom and her babies was Deputy Dog Warden Amanda Kopec from Valley View, Ohio. She knew that the dog was not doing well and needed all the help that she could get.
Foster
Despite all the love and care that was given to Yuri and her puppies, it seemed that they were not thriving at all. Their condition was getting worse every day. Yuri looked very sad, and Amanda thinks it is because the shelter life was not boding well for her. There were times when the kind lady would sit for hours next to the dog, coaxing her to eat.
When there were no signs of improvement, Amanda decided to foster the shelter dog and her puppies. But by then, it was too late. One by one, the puppies died from canine herpes. Both Amanda and Yuri were brokenhearted. But the tragedy made them even closer.
Shelter helper
Amanda decided to bring Yuri to the shelter’s playgroups to see if it would help her get over her heartbreak. She was quite reluctant at first because she didn’t know how the other dogs would react to her. As it turned out, she had nothing to worry about.
Yuri blossomed when she was surrounded by other dogs. Not only did she play with them, but she also taught the other dogs how to be a part of a playgroup. She would show them how to behave and be sociable. This helped the dogs to act properly and be more attractive to would-be adopters.
As time passed, Yuri has taken an unofficial role as a shelter helper. Together with Amanda, who decided to adopt Yuri, they helped the shelter dogs adjust. Eventually, their efforts were noticed, and they won 11,000 dollars for the shelter.
Source: Petco Love via Youtube