Abandoned, confused and looking for safety.
Santina arrived with us in a way we will never forget. One early afternoon, we noticed someone near the entrance with a dog. At first, it looked suspicious. Someone moving around quietly, looking unsure, with a frightened dog beside them. We went over to speak to them, thinking the worst. But what we thought might be something unkind turned out to be the complete opposite. This man was a kind Samaritan. He had heard the cries of a dog who had been abandoned inside a home after her owner was arrested and sent to prison. Santina had been left behind, alone, confused, and waiting for someone who was never coming back. We do not know exactly how long she had been there, how many days she cried and how long she survived on whatever was left in that house. But we do know that one kind person heard her, cared enough to help, and brought her to safety.
When Santina arrived, she was terrified. She had spent an unknown amount of time completely alone, wondering where her family had gone, trying to understand why nobody was coming back for her. She was scared, confused, and overwhelmed by everything around her. We took her straight to our vet where she had a full health check and has been spayed. We also discovered that she had never been microchipped. Santina is around 5 to 6 years old, andnd the fact that she had no microchip tells us it’s likely that she had never been properly registered, never had the security of identification, and possibly never had the routine care every dog deserves: vaccines, regular check-ups and protection.
She arrived riddled with worms and carrying the emotional weight of fear, confusion, and abandonment. But despite everything, Santina is gentle. She’s nervous and becomes overwhelmed easily around other dogs. However, she isn’t aggressive, just trying to protect herself. After being left alone, she is frightened of being abandoned again, and our cage environment is simply too much for her. She does not understand why she is here or why life changed so suddenly. And every day, she has been desperately looking for the stability of a forever home. With people, Santina is sweet and affectionate. She enjoys walks, cuddles, training, and spending time with our volunteers. She’s desperate for connection, reassurance safety.
All Santina needs is patience, kindness and a calm home where she can finally breathe, decompress, and learn that she will never be left behind again. We are incredibly grateful that Santina is now being fostered by one of our volunteers with the view to adopting her! Sponsor her today to stay tuned to hear more of her story and help us rescue other dogs like her.
