Christina would often take her dog Bracken for a walk in Sea Caves; and while she drove in her car, her beloved labrador would run alongside. But one day he kept running off and then coming back to the car. After doing this several times Christina and her husband Rob followed him and saw him standing over an uncovered manhole. Looking down into the hole they could see a large dog, they thought to be an Irish Wolfhound. They went back to the car to get a tow rope hoping to be able to reach the dog and bring him out to safety but having tried several times they realised that it was not going to work.
So, they called the Fire Brigade who arrived within ten minutes of their call. One of the fireman told them don’t worry I will go down and get him which concerned Christina and Rob as they had no idea how the poor dog would react. The fireman reassured them saying I have a rottweiler at home so I know how to handle large dogs and down he went.
Slowly he manged the reach the dog and reassuring him brought him out of the manhole. They soon realised that the poor dog had been shot multiple times in the face and needed urgent medical attention. Christina said she would take him straight to our clinic in Paphos a thirty-minute drive away. Making him as comfortable as she could in their car and knowing time was of the essence, she became concerned as to how her husband and Bracken would get home. Immediately the fireman told her, don’t worry it is not a problem we will take them home in the fire engine!! As Christina drove off, she saw them both sat in the fire engine heading for home.
At the clinic Nelson was immediately seen by the vet and was found to have over 60 pellets in his head and sadly lost the sight in one eye. Clearly, he had not fallen down the manhole but had been dumped there and left to die.
Now safe Nelson began his road to recovery. Sharing on social media, Nelson’s story found its way to Russia and a loving family saw him and were so touched by his story they decided that they would like to become Nelson’s “forever after.”
So Nelson made his journey to Russia and his new owners have kept the charity informed of his progress. They told us ‘Nelson has already happily settled into his new home, likes wearing a new blue collar, loves going for walks and eating and is enjoying running around a garden full of grass. Most of all, he is thriving in the love he had been too long deprived of’.
