When the puppy came to the shelter, there were only a few volunteers to look after her plus over 100 other dogs. They decided to call her Beauty because of her dark black coat and noble features.
As the years passed, “no matter how gorgeous she was back then, she just never got a chance to find a home,” Orfanidou shared in a video that was posted online in a bid to find her a home. “Eventually the shelter life got to her.” Beauty fell into a kind of “sleep.” Sick with leishmaniasis, a disease transmitted by parasites from sandfly bites, she gradually lost almost all of her beautiful fur and lost significant weight.
After falling ill, there was little that the ill-equipped shelter could do for her. “There are about 150 dogs living there, and only three volunteers, who struggle to make ends meet and who can only promote and rehome some dogs,” Orfanidou shared.
Beauty was taken away to ensure that none of the other dogs were infected. They attempted to treat the illness, which is often drug-resistant, yet it was unsuccessful. Besides the hair and weight loss, “her blood test results were screaming ‘sick,’” said Orfanidou.
Yet, beneath the surface of her ill body, as Orfanidou described, Beauty’s inner nature possessed “the elegance of a royal dog, the figure of a proud greyhound. and the wisdom of an old soul.” All she needed was a place where she could bloom. When she was finally matched with a foster mom named Zaira, who already had a full house of rescued dogs and cats waiting for adoption, everything changed.
“You would expect a dog that has no idea of life outside a shelter to have all sorts of behavioral issues,” Orfanidou explained. “Maybe it’s because she never belonged in a shelter and knew it.”
With the other happy dogs and cats at Zaira’s home and with lots of love, Beauty became like a puppy again, one that fetches toys and is carefree and happy. At which time, a second round of treatment for her illness was administered, and this time, her recovery was quick; her fur grew back, she gained weight, and her energy returned with a wild vengeance.
Living with Zaira, Beauty became like a puppy again that likes to cuddle on the couch, play with the cat, go for walks, steal your food, and enjoy juicy bones and treats.
Appealing to her many followers on social media, Orfanidou pleaded for someone to adopt Beauty and provided reasons for doing so: “for having her sit by your side and poke you every time she wants more cuddles; for having someone to keep you warm when you enjoy your lazy afternoons on the couch.”
Sadly, while Beauty’s spirit returned at the late age of 9, her leishmaniasis also returned. Yet this time, treatment would do her more harm than good, and foster mom Zaira vowed that she would not leave this world without a place to rest her head.
Zaira stayed with Beauty right until the end in April 2018 when she passed away. Though Beauty’s life was tragic, at least she spent her final years knowing only happiness and love.
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