An inconspicuous house with a garden near Radzymin, and behind the gate… a dog and cat paradise! A temporary haven for pets at a turning point in their lives, abandoned, lost, orphaned. And a hospice for the old and sick that no one wants anymore. Meet Skrzat and wonderful people who help us save animals.
Old, blind, deaf and… happy! Skrzat our 5000th Adopciak
The world collapsed when Skrzat was 12 years old. His master died and he, blind and deaf, ended up in a shelter in Opoczno, where he had to share a box with younger and stronger dogs. For such a dog, it was a death sentence: a spark was enough for a tragedy to happen. We couldn’t let that happen.
“Temporary home needed urgently!” Our volunteer, Magda, who works at this shelter, immediately knew who to call. “Lady Helenka, will you help us?” “Sure I will! Bring him!”, lady Helenka did not hesitate for a moment. Later that same day, Skrzat was on his way to a dog’s haven near Radzymin. He joined a clique of unwanted outcasts who got a new life there. Today, 11 dogs and 24 cats live on the property of lady Helenka and Jurek. Sometimes there are more, sometimes less, some leave, new ones come in. How many animals have they rescued so far? Hundreds? Thousands? They don’t remember, they don’t count. They have been doing it for 20 years.
“At the beginning, he barked all the time, day and night”, recalls lady Helenka. “Suddenly he was in an unknown place, he felt there were other dogs around, but he didn’t see them. He must have been terrified, poor thing. We put him in a kennel cage to make him feel safer. He took to it straight away, he still likes it today. He doesn’t bark any more, has calmed down and goes for walks in the garden on his own. He’s quite a lively grandpa.”
“At the beginning, he barked all the time, day and night”, recalls lady Helenka. “Suddenly he was in an unknown place, he felt there were other dogs around, but he didn’t see them. He must have been terrified, poor thing. We put him in a kennel cage to make him feel safer. He took to it straight away, he still likes it today. He doesn’t bark any more, has calmed down and goes for walks in the garden on his own. He’s quite a lively grandpa.”
The canine bunch is used to new dogs appearing in the house every now and then, so fights rarely occur, although care must be taken when feeding. Bowls are given out one by one. Sumo, Berni, Bodzio, Sparky, Zuzia… Skrzat eats in his cage, for safety. Most of them are outcasts that nobody wants – old, sick, disabled.
Sparky is the youngest, only 4 years old, but he was shot as a puppy and has
complete paresis of his hind legs. He drags his bottom behind him, can’t hold his faeces and has to have his bladder squeezed empty several times a day. “I feel pity for him”, says lady Helenka. “You can see how he would like to run with the others, he practically jumps forward. But his body doesn’t cooperate.” But you can see the will to live in his eyes, he seeks contact with humans, he demands stroking. Dogs like Sparky stay with lady Helenka permanently – unless someone happens to be willing and able to take care of a disabled dog. But this is rare.
Skrzat, too, can sleep calmly. After a few weeks, lady Helenka and her husband decided to adopt him. “This dog has already been through so much that I’m not going to mess with his head in his old age. He feels comfortable here, so I’ll let him stay here until the end of his days.”
From Warsaw to Radzymin, with no experience with dogs and an allergy to dander. Is it possible? It is!
“We escaped from Warsaw to the countryside 20 years ago. At that time, we got a female dog, Zorinka, and she was supposed to be the only one, as I’m allergic to dander. We never had a pet in the city”, recounts lady Helenka. “But soon we found an emaciated German shepherd outside a pharmacy in Radzymin. So we took him with us. Then others came by themselves, from the village, from the forest. I know a good doctor, she gave me a right medication for my allergy. And that’s how it is now, we always have a few, a dozen or so dogs and cats. Then we started cooperating with foundations. If a pet needs treatment or surgery, my credit card doesn’t always go far enough – sometimes there’s just not enough money. Then the foundation helps.
Behaviourists also help, because sometimes a dog is difficult. I remember once such a small terrier jumped at Barrie, a much bigger dog. I panicked at the time, I was afraid that the dog had gone crazy, that he would have to be put down. But a behaviourist came, explained everything, showed me how to work with such a dog. And it worked.
I’ve also learnt a lot over these 20 years, from foundations, behaviourists, vets. We have such a great doctor here in Radzymin, Aneta Wiktorowicz. I only have my animals treated by her, because she is a wise doctor, with a big heart, with empathy. We try to save each one until the end, but sometimes you have to make the most difficult decision. With old, sick dogs you know that death has to come and the most important thing is not to let them suffer. She helps with this, she knows when to do it. It’s better to do it one hour too early than two hours too late.”
“I treat them, feed them, pamper them and find them a good home. There are so many others waiting for their chance.”
Lady Helenka has been working with the Adopciaki.pl programme for 4 years. Most of the animals that come to her from the Foundation only stay for a while before adoption.
“I treat them, feed them, pamper them and find them a good home. There are so many others waiting for their chance”, she says. “Sure it’s hard to part, you get attached, it’s like giving up a child. But when I see afterwards that the animal is happy, that it has a good life, I’m happy too.
I remember when you brought me this dog girl, a big one, a St. Bernard type. It was winter, night, she was emaciated, frozen, freed from a chain. She had a 40-degree fever, her salivary glands were so swollen my hands could fit in them. She recovered with us, and then you found her such a nice family from Kielce, doctors, with a beautiful house, they already had a big dog. They send me pictures of Belunia to this day, how she smiles, how she lounges in their big garden. It’s uplifting when you see it. It’s a great thing, how you can help.”
A dog for a human or a human for a dog?
Usually, when we choose a dog or cat to adopt, we consider a number of criteria: if we like it, if it has the right character, size, sex, if it will get on with our children and other pets, if it will fit into our lifestyle. In the Adopciaki.pl programme, we encourage such rational and thought-through decisions to avoid disappointment and returns from adoption.
“Of course, you have to cry some tears every time. But if you want to help, you can’t feel sorry for yourself.”
But people like lady Helenka and Jurek think about it differently:
“It’s a question of attitude, whether you take a pet to meet your needs or just to help it. You may not even like it. It may not show gratitude, affection, anything. It may live in its own world, indifferent, withdrawn, a bit autistic. Seemingly without any use, just work and expenses. And you have to know whether you want to give or receive.
I have no expectations towards animals. I’m happy when I see that they are calm, warm, free of pain. And even if an animal doesn’t live long, even if it gets seriously ill and has to be helped to pass on, at least it has lived well at the end. And it leaves important and cared for, not alone in a shelter box or under a bush somewhere.
I remember such a dog with a huge tumour in his eye. He suffered terribly, and Dr. Wiktorowicz couldn’t relieve the pain because he had textbook drug resistance. Nothing helped. We were afraid he wouldn’t respond even to anaesthesia to be put down, but it worked, he passed away without suffering. I don’t want to think how much more he would have had to suffer if he hadn’t come to us. Of course, you have to cry some tears every time. But if you want to help, you can’t feel sorry for yourself.”
Don’t be afraid to adopt older dogs, they are great companions!
We know from experience that the older a dog gets, the less likely it is to be adopted. After the age of six or seven, the chances are almost zero. And yet, especially for small or medium-sized mixed breeds, this is only the middle of their life! Yes, they are no longer fluffy balls, but they have plenty of advantages.
“An older dog can be a great companion”, says Małgorzata Kiełtyka, behaviourist at Best Friends, who cooperates with the Adopciaki.pl programme – “First of all, its character is already formed. We know what it will grow into be because it has already grown. Which is not to say that an older dog won’t learn anything new – that’s a myth. I’ve had 10-year-old dogs on training courses who learn faster than 2-year-olds.
Another myth is that such a dog will not get attached to us. Often, the opposite is true. A young dog’s attention is more directed outwards, an older dog is more likely to seek support from a caretaker, no longer challenging the whole world. An older dog doesn’t need as much exercise and stimulation as a youngster too, although it can run until old age if it’s in good health. But it usually sleeps more and is less absorbing, which, with our busy lifestyles, might matter.”
“An older, calm dog is the best medicine for older people.”
“An older dog is the perfect solution for an elderly person”, adds lady Helenka. “Older people don’t have to race against the dog’s youth. They should walk, because it’s healthy, but slowly, carefully, so they don’t fall over. A young dog will run, jerk, fall under your feet and it’s easy to have an accident. An older one will walk more slowly, more calmly, so the owner will do the same.
Then the heartbeat calms down, the blood pressure stabilises, and unhurried walks improve the mood. This is pure health. With an older dog, you take the same medicines, you understand that its paw or spine might hurt, because your own hurts too. An older, calm dog is the best medicine for older people.”
Lady Helenka, thank you so much for your huge heart and your help in rescuing animals. We wish you only happy endings! And for Skrzat, we have a gift from our partner Purina: a year’s supply of their specialised food, PURINA PRO PLAN OPTIAGE, which helps senior dogs stay active longer. We wish the whole furry bunch good health and… bon appetit!
FIND OUT MORE ABOUT TAKING CARE OF A SENIOR DOG:
DO YOU WANT TO HELP ANIMALS TOGETHER WITH US?
Join us as a temporary home, donor or partner! Find out how you can do it: https://adopciaki.pl/wesprzyj-nas
SEE WHAT PURINA CARES ABOUT
Purina Poland has been a strategic partner of the Adopciaki.pl programme since 2015, helping us promote animal adoption, financing their maintenance in temporary homes and donating a supply of food matched to their individual needs. But Purina also cares about many other things that are important for the animals, their caretakers and the planet. Read more about their global commitments: https://www.purina.pl/purina-dba
