The onlookers were shocked as they watched the dog lay down on the fresh dirt. The dog's owner had just been buried, and it looked like it wasn't leaving his side. Her loyalty was touching, but it wasn't right for a dog to stay on a grave any longer.
When the family members tried to get her to move, they realized it wouldn’t budge. The dog began to growl, and everyone slowly backed away. Something was definitely wrong, and it wouldn’t take long until this situation took a dramatic turn.
Man’s Best Friend
The dog and her owner had been together for many years. When he passed away suddenly none of his children knew who would watch over the dog. They had many discussions on who would take over the dog, but none of them realized the dog had her own plans.
At the ceremony, the dog stood next to her owner’s tombstone. When the fresh dirt covered his grave she proceeded to lay down. The children tried to get her to move but eventually gave up. They had no idea what the dog was hiding or the extent she would go for the ones she loved.
One Month Later
After one month, the owner’s son came back to visit his father’s grave. He was shocked to walk into the cemetery and see his father’s dog laying on top of the grave. He didn’t know how the dog had stayed for so long or what it had done for food.
He decided to snap a photo of the dog’s devotion and share it with his social media. When he uploaded the picture people were quick to point out something he had missed. Why would these children not help take care of this four-legged family member?
What Was Wrong?
Would this dog continue to wait for her beloved owner to return for the rest of her life? In the picture the son uploaded, the dog had created a small hole for herself to sleep in. She had dug up an area next to the grave so her owner’s body was not disturbed. The community of New Belgrade began to argue.
Comments on social media also couldn’t get over the dog’s decision to do this one very specific action. The local community didn’t know if dogs should be allowed to permanently live in cemeteries. They also thought it was disrespectful the children of the deceased owner would not take care of his pet. One person noticed an important detail and immediately drove to the cemetery.
Who Is Vesna Mihajlowski?
Vesna Mihajlowski is an animal activist. She is active in the community and always fights to protect and stand up for animals. When she saw the images of the sweet dog refusing to leave her owners grave, she knew this was a bigger issue.
Vesna had a gut instinct that the dog needed help and was hiding a bigger secret. She decided to drive to the cemetery and see for herself what was happening. As she drove towards the dog, she had no idea the bigger problems she would reveal.
Gaining The Dogs Trust
Vesna found the dog exactly as she looked in the pictures. When she tried to approach the dog, the dog was very wary and it was clear she was having a tough time. The dog looked exhausted and with the cold winter temperatures, it was clear she couldn’t stay outside much longer.
Vesna’s heart broke seeing how the animal refused to leave her owners grave. She took this as a personal rescue mission and vowed to return and earn the dog’s trust. Vesna was about to get intertwined in a bigger family dilemma than she predicted.
Slowly Earning Trust
Vesna returned every day with water and food. Slowly the dog warmed up to her and then Vesna realized a shocking discovery! The dog was not alone! While the dog had dug a hole and everyone had assumed it was for her own warmth, the truth was even wilder.
When the dog came to take food from Vesna she realized in the hole was actually a litter of four puppies. They were so tiny that Vesna knew they were in danger living outside in the cold temperature. Vesna needed a solution and fast!
The Four-Legged Family Needed Protection
The mother dog had dug the hole to protect the puppies with her own body heat. She was sacrificing her own comfort to keep the four tiny puppies protected from the harsh Serbian winter. It was an act of bravery that filled Vesna with so much emotion.
It was easy to see that the adult dog was becoming weaker as the days passed. She was struggling with her energy levels and Vesna knew it couldn’t continue in this situation. The mother dog also had a strange way of accepting food that Vesna had never seen.
Feeding And Gaining Strength
Vesna continued to visit the dog family every day. She noticed the mom was still hesitant for Vesna to come close to her puppies. When Vesna held food in her hand, the mother dog would come and take the food in her mouth, but then she would do something incredible.
She took the food back to her puppies and fed them before herself. Vesna was dedicating hours of her day to sitting with the dog family and building trust. Time was running out, but Vesna refused to give up.
Finally A Little Closer
The adult dog after a couple of weeks finally let Vesna close to her puppies. She would have to be very careful and handle the pups slowly to make sure the adult dog wouldn’t get aggressive. It had taken weeks for Vesna to gain the dog’s trust, but it could all be gone in one chance.
Vesna slowly held the puppies and checked them for any medical issues. She couldn’t believe how these little furballs were spending their first months of life. Vesna decided she would make the ultimate sacrifice for this sweet four-legged family.
It Was Time To Bring Them Home
Vesna was getting attached to the sweet family. She had gained the adult dog’s trust and slowly spent more time handling the puppies. Vesna continued to bring more treats and water every day and then reached out to the original owner’s family.
Vesna had also the picture posted from the deceased owner’s son when he had visited his father’s grave a month later. Vesna sent him a private message on Facebook to let him know about the puppies. His response was so cold that Vesna almost dropped her phone out of her hands!
What Would The Family Say?
When the original owner’s son responded to Vesna, he wasn’t surprised about the puppies. When he had visited the grave he had seen the litter but he told Vesna he wasn’t interested in taking on the responsibility.
Vesna assumed the family would step up to take care of the dog family. Since the dog had meant so much to their father she assumed they would want his dog to be well taken care of. Instead, it looked like Vesna had to find a safe home for the dog and her puppies or they wouldn’t survive the winter.
The Downside To Working With Animals
Vesna was a well-known animal activist in Serbia. She was constantly seeing animals in terrible conditions. It was heartbreaking, but when she found solutions for the animals in her care it made everything worthwhile.
Vesna re-read the response from the deceased owner’s son. She couldn’t stop thinking about this brave dog doing everything possible to help her family. Vesna decided she had to make a big decision, and just hoped the adult dog would allow it to happen.
Vesna Decided To Adopt
Even if it wasn’t permanently Vesna knew she wanted to bring this family of dogs home with her. Vesna’s main concern was getting the dogs out of the cold winter climate and somewhere warm and safe. Would the adult dog let Vesna rescue her family and bring them all to safety?
The day of the move went smoothly. Vesna had spent almost a month and a half building a relationship with the adult dog. She was not upset or protective as Vesna picked up the pups and led the family to her car. Their new home would be ten times better, but would the Dog miss her original owner too much to stay?
Settling Into A New Life
At first, when the dog family moved into Vesna’s space, the mother dog was a little anxious. She would keep her puppies protected and was hesitant to let Vesna near them. After a few days, the mother dog warmed up and began to relax.
The dogs loved to spend time in Vesna’s garden. The watchful mother dog was always nearby but the puppies were growing fast and getting healthier by the day. It was incredible to think back to how Vesna had found this brave dog, and the transformation she had gone through.
In The Beginning
The adult dog was upset about losing her owner and when she first visited the cemetery it was because she was sad. Vesna will never know if the original owner knew his dog was pregnant but as the days passed the dog knew she would have to find a solution for her family.
When Vesna first met the dog, she was weak from hunger and the cold. She was doing everything in her power to protect her puppies. When Vesna looks at the dog now it feels like a new creature! What would the future hold for this amazing friendship?
Vesna Couldn’t Keep Everyone
While Vesna was busy getting everyone healthy, she also knew that she couldn’t keep five dogs. The adult dog was holding a special place in Vesna’s heart but she couldn’t handle the work of four puppies.
Vesna waited for the puppies to get all their shots and then shared an exciting update with the community. Would people be impressed with Vesna’s hard work or would they be shocked at the surprising outcome?
Ready For Adoption
Vesna shared with everyone on her social media that the puppies were ready to find them forever homes. She shared recent images of the cute furry faces and knew it wouldn’t be difficult to find permanent loving homes.
Her community was shocked at the change and the big reveal! They had never expected Vesna to be rescuing four adorable puppy’s ready for adoption. Vesna was quickly overwhelmed by messages but it was important to her that each puppy went to the right home. How would the mother handle her puppy’s leaving her?
Forever Homes And A Bright Future
The puppy’s all went to loving homes. Everyone was excited about getting a new puppy and Vesna made sure each new owner was prepared for the big responsibility of having a pet. Vesna would never forget how quickly one family turned on a life-long companion and she wanted to make sure the puppies wouldn’t have the same fate.
As the puppy’s all left, Vesna noticed the adult dog was a little sad. The pair had an incredible bond from the beginning of Vesna’s rescue mission. What could Vesna do to help the beautiful German-Shepherd heal her heart?
Vesna Was In Love
It was undeniable that Vesna had developed a close bond with the adult dog. She had been amazed at the dog’s perseverance and wanted to keep her on in her family. Vesna hadn’t been looking to adopt another dog, but after their shared experience she couldn’t imagine doing anything else.
It was a happy ending that the entire community celebrated. From living in a graveyard to starting a brand new life it was better than anyone could have imagined. Vesna already knows that she will give this dog the best possible life and loves the happy miracle that all started with a viral Facebook post.