Admittedly, our posts about AKI Partner Save Animals-Armenia are infrequent, and although we keep in close contact, Nune is not one to talk much about everything she does to help Yerevan's dogs. "I do more than I show," Nune said to me yesterday--how true that is.
In this AKI Blog post, we'll show you a little of what Nune does.
You may know that most of the dogs at the Save Animals-Armenia shelter are older, larger, mixed breed dogs, who came from difficult circumstances. Permanent homes are not easy to find. Many of the shelter dogs spend most of their lives with SA-A. The video below shows an overview of the shelter and some of the residents.
For example, there's Gerda. Completely blind. Gerda has lived at the SA-A shelter for almost 12 years. Nune saw her when she was around 2 years old, already blind, and living on the street. She knew Gerda couldn't manage long as a street dog, and took her to the shelter, where she has happily and safely lived ever since. (Gerda is in the video clip below).
Wolfy, the little shelter dog with heart problems, loves getting hugs from Nune. Wolfy gets special food to help manage her health conditions.
Wolfy is enjoying her special diet in the video below.....
You may remember Hatiko, https://www.animal-kind.org/armenia -at the bottom of that page, there's a short video about Hatiko and how she came to the SA-A shelter. Hatiko is rather old now (picture below) and has difficulties with her legs, probably arthritis. She gets a special diet also, which Nune prepares for her daily (a bit of chicken helps Hatiko keep up her good appetite).
Since the number of dogs at the SA-A shelter has declined, mainly due to the old age of so many residents, Nune spends more time feeding and caring for dogs (and some cats) living on the streets of Yerevan. She coordinates with the municipality to get the dogs spayed and neutered.
Nune feeds these three street dogs daily . They live where Nune's parents live (2 pictures below).
They look really healthy and pretty comfortable.....
This is a newly arrived (dumped?) dog near the SA-A shelter, who Nune has been feeding (to be spayed soon by the municipality).
Even with all she does, the many dogs she continues to help, and her many accomplishments, Nune still said, "Every day in depression to see how my dogs are getting old and in pain....." (Two sweet older shelter dogs are pictured below).
But sometimes there is good news. Some months back, a mama dog and her puppies were dumped outside Nune's shelter . Several other dogs already live right there-they stay close to the shelter, where they know that Nune will feed them. The dogs started fighting with the newcomers, Nune heard the commotion, and went out to see what was going on. It took her a long time to safely get everyone separated and to get mama and 3 puppies into the security of the shelter.
Nune posted about the puppies, and eventually someone in Los Angeles, California, heard their story and wanted to adopt two of them. It took some effort, but they eventually reached LA and their new home (2nd picture below)! The mama and her other puppy are at a new home too, in Yerevan, pictured below.
Two celebrities from Armenia, now in Los Angeles.......