Cars Were Zooming Over Him: "I Had to Save This Puppy!"

When Yvette finished her day at a university in Bulgaria, she was weary from her studies but looking forward to spending the remainder of her day with friends. On the walk home, she was daydreaming about her plans when a car stopped at the side of the highway. This is never a good thing, and sure enough, the door opened and the driver threw a puppy into the road.

The car sped off and other cars approached and began passing right over the top of this tiny ball of black fur, wimpering in the road. It would be only a matter of seconds until tragedy struck. There simply wasn’t time to think, only to react.

“I felt instant fear,” Yvette said. “I had to stop the cars.”

Yvette quickly made her way onto the road, holding out her arms to stop the cars coming toward her. Drivers looked at her quizzically as they screeched to a stop. She knelt down just long enough to scoop up the puppy and then hurried back to the roadside with her heart pounding, and the puppy’s little heart doing the same.

The Bond Was Instant

“His little eyes were looking at me with such love as if he understood that I was his only hope in that crucial moment,” Yvette explained.

This is Yvette, the university student who saved sweet Nero.

Yvette named her little bundle Nero and carried him home in her arms. But the minute Yvette came through the door craddling the puppy, her mother insisited that the puppy couldn’t stay as the family was still grieving over the recent death of their pet. A hard message to swallow, but thankfully Yvette chose to follow her own internal compass and find a way.

Without a place to keep Nero, Yvette wasn’t sure what to do. It was a long shot, but Yvette had heard of a rescue group named Colonel Angels Bulgarian Street Dogs and she phoned them straight away. Though the rescue is actually some 120 miles away, Yvette had to try and she almost couldn’t believe her ears when the voice on the other end of the phone said, “Yes, we will help.”

She was absolutely breathless with gratitude at this incredible offer. After all, the state of animal welfare in Bulgaria is still in its infancy and finding a rescue team to help is truly against all odds.

The Journey is Just Beginning

Yvette was asked to take Nero to a good local vet where his health was checked and kept for a few days until a foster home could be found. And though she was in tears when she said goodbye to Nero, Yvette knew that his life course had been dramatically altered and that she had truly saved his life.

Now, Nero has joined the Colonel Angel’s rescue program. This morning when I got in touch with the group’s co-founder Candy Sasse, she truly sounded weary.

“Our doorbell dogs are forever being dumped and abandoned,” Candy explained. “I had to take three in last week alone. We also have four puppies to rehome in Smolyan and have been asked to take another four from a neighboring village.”

Safe at the vet office.

Candy told me that Nero is actually guaranteed a new home in Holland and will make the journey once sufficient funds have been raised to send him on his way. It costs about $300 to cover his veterinary care, temporary housing and to send him to his new home.

I told Candy to hold on while I send her funds. After all, Colonel Angel’s is one of the core partners of the Harmony Fund and we look after our own. Outstanding costs for the care of all the dogs currently in hand is near $6,000 and the Harmony Fund is aiming to deliver at least half of that through it’s “World’s Biggest Baby Shower for Animals” and more than a few prayers have been whispered to find a way to pay the rest.

Visit us here to see more of the work of Colonel Angel’s Bulgarian Street Dogs or to help.

After Weeks Running for His Life, Dog Finds Sanctuary on Church Lawn

Samaritan’s $1,000 Surprise Donation Leads to Incredible Rescue

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of
Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

sylvie a.

3:22AM PDT on May 21, 2013

Merci Yvette d'avoir fait preuve de compassion à l'égard de cette jolie petite boule de poils. Vous lui avez sauvé la vie. Que Dieu vous garde :)

3:22AM
send a green star

Cheryl H.

5:15AM PDT on May 20, 2013

Yvette is a beautiful girl, with a beautiful heart. Thank you for saving this dog.
Too bad Nero couldn't stay with her. Hopefully his forever family will be very good to him, and he will forget the trauma of being tossed out of a car. I wonder how big he will get when fully grown. So-called humans never cease to disappoint. How the hell can anyone throw a helpless animal into a road?

May 20
send a green star

Tatiana V.

6:27AM PDT on May 12, 2013

God Bless Yvette for saving poor little Nero and the Colonel Angels Bulgarian Street Dogs for the awesome work they do there...

May 12
send a green star

Lynn J.

4:02PM PDT on May 11, 2013

God bless you Yvette and thank you! : )

May 11
send a green star

Dave C.

7:27AM PDT on May 10, 2013

Nero & Yvette....to good health and long peaceful life for both of you....

May 10
send a green star

Fi T.

5:00AM PDT on May 10, 2013

Hope more people are saying something like this

Linda V.

12:58AM PDT on May 10, 2013

great story thank you yvette

Chris C.

11:17AM PDT on May 9, 2013

I simply didn't understand the mother..."her mother insisited that the puppy couldn’t stay as the family was still grieving over the recent death of their pet". So what would be better to honor the former pet than to save another life? What better reason to welcome a new puppy? But - there is no accounting for people or their weird ideas! So glad this beautiful baby will have a good home. I recently sent a donation to Harmony Fund for the dogs of Bulgaria - I put them in my will, too. They do SO much good for animals all over the world.