A Tense Moment
Everyone watched anxiously as Monica approached the animal. It was a tense sight. The other employees knew that Kayne could still inflict a lot of harm despite his weakened state.
Showing no fear, Monica bent down and began touching the dog. When he was touched for the first time, the sounds were horrific. Everyone was soon left in tears over the tragic situation.
Craiova
Romania is a beautiful country renowned for its rich cultural heritage, stunning natural sights, and friendly people. The eastern European nation is also a relatively large country and contains a diverse array of residents from all walks of life.
The region of Craiova in Bucharest has become an economic hub and a tourist mecca. Despite its many perks, Craiova, unfortunately, also has a darker reputation too.
The Cruelty Capital
While there are always ongoing efforts to improve things, Craiova has developed an unenviable reputation as “The European Capital of Canine Cruelty.” Although due to the high number of abuse cases against street dogs, the places tasked with changing them aren’t much better.
In that regard, animal shelters in Craiova were infamous for their brutal treatment of shelter animals. Despite this, one Craiovan shelter is doing its best to make a difference.
Breasta Animal Shelter
The Breasta Animal Shelter in Craiova stands out amid the less than flattering reputation of other shelters there. With a staff of passionate and dedicated animal lovers, Breasta has a place for 512 rescue animals.
The shelter does its best to house, treat, and secure adoptions for as many abandoned and abused dogs as possible. The kinds of cases it sees are truly tragic, as the situation of one dog, in particular, illustrated perfectly.
Man’s Best Friend
Dogs are known as man’s best friend for a reason. While the expression may be archaically phrased, the reputation is well-founded. Dogs are among the most loving and loyal pets a person could ever have.
When they are cared for appropriately, dogs love human companionship as much as many humans adore theirs. So when the Breasta shelter rescued an abused dog that showed no signs of affectionate behavior, they knew something was seriously wrong.
Kayne
Kayne was an abandoned dog that was rescued and brought into Breasta in November 2015. His state was horrific. Physically, he was severely malnourished and suffering from terrible mange (a debilitating skin disorder caused by parasitic mites).
He had difficulty breathing, drooled excessively, and trembled so much it resembled seizures. This also indicated that he might be rabid. Knowing how dangerous this could be for anyone that came into contact with him, the staff knew they had to take special precautions.
Trying To Help
In the beginning, Kayne had to be placed in an isolated enclosure. Food and water were provided, but the poor dog was in so much physical and psychological distress that he barely touched anything.
The caretakers at the shelters did their best to try and comfort him from afar, but nothing seemed to be making any difference. When anyone entered the enclosure and tried to get close, Kayne’s reaction was startling.
A Tricky Situation
Kayne appeared to be some kind of German Shepherd cross-breed. He was fairly small, but it was difficult to estimate how large he was meant to be due to his stunted growth and starved body.
It was also difficult to predict how strong or dangerous he was. When anyone entered his enclosure, Kayne immediately retreated to the corner and began showing signs of not wanting to be touched at all.
They Were Afraid
As much as everyone at Breasta desperately wanted to help Kayne, they were afraid to get too close. The physical agony he felt made it difficult to do much for him. He also exhibited signs of deep trauma.
The psychological impact this had on him made it impossible to predict how he would react to human contact. The staff was therefore advised to be cautious around him. However, one caretaker at Breasta refused to listen.
Monica
Monica Mitreanu was a caretaker at Breasta who was deeply passionate about helping animals in need. When she saw Kayne and what he was going through, she became determined to help him somehow.
It broke her heart that Kayne couldn’t be held and petted like a normal dog. Despite everyone’s warnings and objections, she made the contentious decision to get into his enclosure and try petting him.
It Was Scary
Monica’s colleagues watched anxiously from outside the enclosure and recorded the encounter. She was convinced that Kayne had a particular reason for not wanting to be touched and felt that making physical contact was the only way to help him.
As she approached Kayne, he cowered in the corner. As soon as Monica’s hand made contact with the dog, the sounds that rang out were heart-wrenching, and everyone was shocked by what happened next.
A Tragic Scene
Kayne’s immediate reaction to being touched was to let out a volley of loud and shrill yelps of fear and agony. Unperturbed, Monica continued to gently pet him while speaking to him in a soothing voice.
Far from reacting in a dangerous or aggressive manner, the sounds Kayne made broke everyone’s heart further. Despite being resistant at first, remarkably, Kayne soon settled down and even went quiet. It was the first time he allowed anyone to pet him.
The Sad Truth
Monica stayed patient and slowly convinced Kayne that she was not a threat. To everyone’s surprise, Kayne became more docile and quiet. After some time, Monica stunned everyone more when she was able to carry Kayne and hold him close to her face.
No one could understand how she had done it all. Monica then explained to everyone what she had suspected. The truth about Kayne’s situation was even sadder than they imagined.
Unloveable
Whatever Kayne had experienced in the past left him psychologically scarred. Being so accustomed to cruelty and abuse, he had begun associating human contact with pain. When Monica first touched him, his cries were an expression of expecting to be hurt.
Kayne wasn’t anti-social or dangerous. The abuse he suffered had made him live in constant fear of being harmed. He believed himself unloveable and didn’t know what it felt like to be petted or shown affection like a normal dog.
Forever Home
Through Monica’s loving interventions, Kayne began to understand what being loved really was. He also began breaking his old associations and being a normal dog. With proper nutrition, medical treatment, and tons of love, Kayne soon put on lots of healthy weight, and his physical condition improved significantly.
Through Monica and Breasta’s help, Kayne’s story went viral, and he was eventually adopted by a loving U.K family that gave him a forever home. More importantly, he became a normal, fun-loving dog and now loves being snuggled and petted.