On the 11th of October 2012, a box of kittens was dumped on the doorstep of one of Bosnia-Herzegovina’s few private shelters. This shelter is run by a family of three, Fedin Gunić and his parents. Sadly, one of the feral dogs that roam around their land attacked one of the kittens....
The kitten, later named Lyra, had severe injuries, especially in her pelvic area where the dog’s jaws crushed her
. She was in very bad shape indeed... her intestines were poking out of her stomach, and she did not have the use of her hind legs. She was taken to the vet, and had stitches and medication, and Fedin took her home where he and his parents took care of the little kitten 24 hours a day, monitoring her and keeping her warm and making sure she had fluids and food. The right rear leg seemed to be beyond repair, hanging loose, but her left rear leg improved quickly. However she developed an abscess on her right leg and very high fevers. The abscess burst on its own (a good thing), but her high fevers continued until early November until she finally began to turn the corner. She began to have a lot more mobility although her right rear leg had no function. It cannot be treated, and it’s possible at some point the leg will have to be amputated. But she's very playful and can run remarkably fast using her three legs. She grew big and healthy, a lovely playful girl. But then, on June 2nd, after a short bout of constipation, she developed a re**al prolapse, where a large section of her colon was pushed out, probably due to megacolon caused by an obstruction to her bowel because of her original injury.The situation was critical, but it was a Sunday and no vets were able to help. Fedin's mother kept gently pushing the colon back, using sugar water on the pr*****ed re**um and massaging gently. If the circulation became blocked her life was in danger. She was carefully monitored all night until Fedin brought her to the vet. Amazingly, she did not need immediate surgery. The colon was staying inside. Lyra was put anti-biotics and on veterinary cat food for gastro-intestinal disorders, and it was recommended that she be kept on the diet for at least a month and then introduced to some ground beef and cooked liver and broth, and that she must never eat dry cat food again. The vet said Lyra will need a proper X-ray done (vet recommends Zagreb, Croatia) and after that corrective surgery. However, she has since been spayed, and nearly died due to how poorly she healed from the surgery, so it is clear she cannot have further surgery. This is a great pity, as her paralysed leg is often ulcerated, and needs constant care. It is a miracle she survived all this and is doing so well, but it has everything to do with the quality of care and love poured on her by the wonderful Gunić family, and they need help to continue her care. She’s had a number of bad moments and several operations, and must live on a special diet and veterinary supplements for her bowel for the rest of her life. The Gunić family have a private shelter for dogs and cats in the Kozarac and Prijedor municipality of Bosnia-Herzegovina (a place where some of the worst war crimes and crimes against humanity occurred in Europe since WW2.) For more information about them, go here: Safe Haven for Dogs and Cats: http://inmemoryofvucko.org/2013/01/06/safe-haven-for-dogs-and-cats-needs-your-help/
They have been helping and taking care of abandoned dogs for many years, and in 2004 they built a shelter that now provides foster care for almost 60 dogs and 40 cats. They do all this without having any material or financial benefit. They built the shelter using savings and bank loans, and have managed until recently to keep the shelter running on the small salary of Fedin’s mother as well as income from his father's shoe repair shop. But they are now financially exhausted. Donations are always needed for food for the animals in their care, for veterinary expenses and for upkeep of the shelter. Donations via PayPal to Fedin Gunić at: [email protected] or if you prefer, via Animal Welfare Advocates for Bosnia at [email protected] state "FOR LYRA"
