Their smiling faces say all of it ❤️
For the previous 4 years or so, Buket Özgünlü has devoted her life to rescuing and caring for stray dogs via her nonprofit Paws Holding on to Life Association.
At her sanctuary in Turkey, Özgünlü cares for 560 dogs — most of whom have disabilities that make life on the streets unimaginable.
“They were all rescued,” Özgünlü advised The Dodo. “The majority of them are paralyzed. Some have been shot, beaten, abandoned. All of them have a past.”
But because of Özgünlü, all of them now have a future, too.
“Since my father is disabled, I give more priority to disabled dogs,” she stated. “They need us more. I try to take care of them as much as possible.”
Life on Paws Holding on to Life Association’s countryside sanctuary is a peaceable and pleased place for the pups, with loads of room to play and discover of their wheelchairs. But just lately, Özgünlü conceived of a brand new means so as to add much more enrichment to their lives — permitting them access to new sights and sounds.
Fashioning some barrels with wheels and stringing them in a line, Özgünlü constructed a “dog train.”
And with that, the pups might now experience in model:
“I’d actually been thinking about doing such a project for a long time,” Özgünlü stated. “I was very happy that I did.”
Seeing the pups’ joyful faces as they mosey via city of their customized canine prepare, they’re clearly pleased that she did it, too.
As thrilling because the dogs discover these these little adventures past their sanctuary’s borders, they aren’t alone in that feeling. Wherever the canine prepare travels, Özgünlü and her pups are met with smiles and waves from individuals seeing them passing by.
“Many people like it, and it makes me even happier,” Özgünlü stated.
The shining souls of all these former stray dogs, as soon as forgotten or ignored, are actually unimaginable to overlook.
In some methods, displaying such love and dedication to the happiness of needy dogs is a thankless process for Özgünlü and others so dedicated to that trigger — however the sight of their pleased faces and wagging tails is a reward all its personal.
“I know very well how much they need it,” Özgünlü stated.
