He Never Made It to the Vet
Today, a Kangal dog died before he could reach the vet.
He had been accepted on to our free clinical services for vulnerable dogs as an emergency case. But his body, weakened by neglect and suffering, simply couldn’t hold on.
He never made it to the clinic.
And yet, in the final hours of his short, difficult life, he knew something precious: warmth, food, safety, and love.
A Few Hours of Peace
When he was found, he was taken inside wrapped carefully in blankets and placed near a fire. His thin body, so long exposed to cold and hunger, finally began to feel warmth.
For the first time, he had a full belly, fresh water to drink, and the soft touch of a kind woman who stroked him gently & kindly.
Those moments, the comfort, the care, the love were likely the only kindness he ever knew.
He passed away before reaching the vet, but he didn’t die alone, cold, or unloved.
He left this world surrounded by compassion, something every animal deserves, but too few ever find.
A Programme on Hold, But Hearts That Can’t Turn Away
Our free clinical services for vulnerable dogs are currently suspended.
Resources are stretched thin, funding is scarce, and demand is overwhelming, we are heavily in the red. But when cases like this arise, how can we turn them away?
We can’t.
Because to us, every dog matters.
This Kangal’s story isn’t just a moment of heartbreak; it’s a reflection of a wider crisis. Across Turkey, countless dogs live and die without access to basic veterinary care. When they finally collapse, there’s often no one left to help except the small groups and individuals who refuse to give up on them.
The Cost of a Broken System
This dog’s death is not an isolated tragedy. It’s a symptom of systemic neglect, of a society that allows street animals to suffer invisibly until it’s too late.
He should have been seen sooner.
He should have had access to treatment, nourishment, and safety.
He should have had the chance to live the life his kind eyes deserved.
Instead, his brief comfort came only at the very end from a kind lady who wrapped him in warmth, gave him food, and let him feel, perhaps for the first time, that he mattered.
The Truth, Even When It Hurts
We know that reading stories like this is painful. It hurts us too. We share them not to cause distress, but because hiding these losses would be a betrayal of the truth and of the dogs who never got their chance.
Every life matters, and every story deserves to be told. When we show the reality, the heartbreak as well as the hope we honour them properly and remind the world why this work must continue. Silence protects no one; truth saves lives.
In His Memory
We will remember this young Kangal who we called Tommo not just for his suffering, but for the small, profound mercy of his final hours.
He left this world warm, fed, and loved.
We will carry his story forward as we fight to restore and expand our free clinical services, so that we can take more than just emergency cases.
Rest gently, beautiful boy.
We’re sorry we saw you too late.
You were loved.