«Come quickly, the dog is in bad shape, it is not clear how long he will live,» these were the words of the residents of a cottage village who went to the animal shelter.
They had already grown accustomed to the dog, which was near their cottage both winter and summer. It is possible that once upon a time the dog was brought to the cottage to become a guard, and then the poor animal was forgotten about. Or maybe the dog never had owners. Now it is no longer possible to find out the truth.
The dog behaved peacefully and did not disturb the locals. He only ran near the nearest dump to find at least some food. The people in the village simply did not notice the dog. He was not beaten or mocked, but no one cared for him either. The poor animal was not even fed with leftovers.
And so it went for many years. The dog had already reached old age. By doggie standards, he was an old dog. And then one day people found the dog lying there in a helpless state. His paw was twisted, flies were circling over his body, and the animal was lying there unmoving.
At first the local people who found the dog thought he was already dead. However, the dog suddenly opened its eyes and made some weak movements.
No one helped the helpless poor fellow. However, it is worth noting that at least one woman called the animal shelter.
They came for the dog the same day. When shelter staff reached out to him, the dog bared his teeth and became wary. Perhaps the attention of the humans was simply unaccustomed to him.
The dog was between life and death for a couple of days, and then he recovered. He was taken to the shelter.
The dog was unsociable; he shunned even other dogs, let alone people. He even took his food all by himself. The volunteers did not touch the dog. They understood that the dog was old and unlikely to change his habits.
One evening Hans (the dog’s nickname) was lying down and getting ready for bed. Suddenly one of the volunteers returned to the shelter after a long absence. She had been gone for over two months.
«Oh, we have a newcomer here. What’s your name, my sweet one? »
After these words the woman held out her hands to the dog. The dog looked at her with a perplexed look. He is used to the fact that no one approaches him, much less holds out his hands.
«Are you really not going to hit me?» — Hans thought. He didn’t growl at the volunteer or grind his teeth.
The man’s hand stroked the dog with tenderness. After each stroking, Hans became more affectionate; he began to trust the humans. The dog realized that they could not only hurt, but also love.
The next time the dog surprised all the shelter staff. He did not take one step away from the woman who showed him attention. The dog liked the stroking even more than the feeding hours.
And a few days later the dog was led into his own home. Affection and kindness are a great power. Not only the dog became attached to the woman, but she also became attached to him. So Hans found a loving mistress.
