“He felt like in the box, he was safe.”
A few weeks ago, a tiny puppy found himself in a terrifying situation. Dropped off in a remote parking lot with a cardboard box as his only shelter, he didn’t know if anyone was coming to rescue him.
“There was nothing else [in the area],” Alexandra Sava, founder of Romanian dog rescue Sava’s Safe Haven, told The Dodo. “No villages, no people, no houses. [It was] in the middle of nowhere.”
Thankfully, drivers passing through the area noticed the dog and, realizing he needed help, posted his photo on social media. As soon as Sava saw the post, she rushed over to rescue the pup.
The dog had been surviving on his own for several days by the time Sava saw the post about him, so she wasn’t sure what condition he’d be in when she arrived. Thankfully, he was relatively healthy — but terrified.
“He felt like in the box, he was safe,” Sava said. “So when he saw me … he was running straight to his box and barking from inside because he was very afraid of people.”
Before long, though, the puppy trusted Sava enough to let her pick him up and put him in her car. As he’d been stuck outside in a soggy box in freezing weather, he was cold to the touch. Sava estimated he was only 3 months old.
Sava immediately drove him to the vet, where he got warmed up and received treatment for fleas and ticks. He spent a night at the clinic before being transferred to the shelter.
The Sava’s Safe Haven team decided to name him Petrisor. In the weeks since being rescued, Petrisor’s trust in humans has been growing.
“He’s starting day by day to be more friendly,” Sava said. “He adapts to the other dogs and he follows [them] around. But it’s difficult for him. I think he’s very disappointed in people.”
Even though one human let him down, he’s slowly learning that some humans have his back and want to take care of him.
“He always follows me to the food, to the water,” Sava said. “He always feels like he needs someone to protect him. Even though he will be a large-sized dog, he’s still a puppy and still needs someone to make him feel safe.”
Once Petrisor is neutered and fully vaccinated, he’ll be available for adoption. Sava’s Safe Haven is open to adopters outside of Romania.
“He’s looking for a home anywhere in the world,” Sava said.
After being left to fend for himself in the cold, Petrisor is looking forward to a lifetime of being pampered by his forever family.
