I sat bolt upright in the bed the moment I saw the first photo. I get a lot of dog messages from people requesting help but this was something at a whole different level.
I saw this at 6am and although we were overcrowded with dogs I knew we had to act fast…
Finding Alba
It was a complicated situation. Believe it or not we actually had to negotiate to get her as she was on private property. In situations like this all that matters is getting the dog out of there and getting it treated. Everything else can wait.
As soon as we rescued little Alba I knew she was so sick that she wouldn’t be suited to Happy Doggo land. We have great care there but this was a little girl at death’s door.
To be brutally honest I thought she would die and I didn’t want her to do so alone in a place she didn’t know. I thought she could die in peace with me and Hank.
I called her Alba as it means sunrise in Italian and Spanish and I desperately wished she could see the sun come up 2 or 3 times. That was 9 days ago.
Seeing The Good In People
I can say with absolute certainty that if I wasn’t helping the dogs I would not spend much time online. Everybody seems so angry and divided. What I find so amazing with dogs and with Alba in particular is how she brings people together with overwhelming kindness.
Someone sent me money to buy Alba more salmon. A little girl and her mum sent me a video message to play for Alba. Every post I share about her has well wishes from all over the world. Vets send detailed advice. People message me saying they can finally go sleep once they see Alba has survived another day. The Happy Doggo team all want to come and sit with her on their days off.
With so much doom and gloom around it’s amazing that a little sick and abused dog in Thailand trying to get back on her feet is what unites people in their kindness. Thats Alba for you.
Other Dogs In The Background
Nearly everything I’ve shared on my social media in the last 10 days has been Alba related. People can’t get enough info and that is totally understandable. She’s in my house but during that time we have also had other huge wins…
Donut - Was crushed under a car. She can now walk again
Matilda - Hit and run. 3 Surgeries and 2 months of physio to walk again
Rolo - Massive hit and run. we’ve rebuilt his leg with double operation
Millie - Prolapsed anus and lost an eye. Both fixed
Bobo - Nearly lost his leg after a serious injury. New operation a success
In January we will also fund the sterilising of 5000 dogs, feed 1000 dogs a day and have lots of adoption successes and wins for sick dogs at the vets.
I was telling Alba that although it is horrible the situation she is in she is helping raise awareness for all her other doggy friends. She is just one dog out of 1000s we help but she is showing what the suffering is actually like. We have to change that for all her friends.
The Mental Battle
Alba should really be in an emergency vet clinic but no such thing exists (yet!) on the island. Instead she is on my couch and she is shuttled to the vets when needed.
I find the mental stress a lot in these situations. To me a dog’s life feels every bit as important as a human life so the ups and downs take a toll.
The easiest thing would be to send Alba to a professional hospital or even have her say in a kennel but from that initial photo I could never do that. With such a hard battle ahead she needs every advantage on her side and I firmly believe a little couch in her own “home” is best for her.
For me personally it also helps me remember why I do this. There are unfortunately 100s of other Albas out there so her suffering beside me as I write this reminds me to work faster and think bigger to help them.
Will Alba Survive?
I’m genuinely not sure. As I write this I give her a totally unscientific 30% survival rate. That is just my gut feeling seeing her over the last 10 days and talking to all the vets and experts.
This photo is of her this evening on a little jaunt around outside the house. She is very perky and absolutely wants to live on to enjoy this new life she has found. The only question is if her body will allow her.
30% is a lot better than the 10% I thought initially and she is still standing tall getting ready to see her 10th sunrise tomorrow morning.
All we can do is take it one day at a time. We’ll take every day we get.
Alba has a living legacy that inspires kindness. She has people checking in on her progress. Sending kind messages. She brings out the best in people.
I would love nothing more than for Alba to live. I’ve watched her every tiny movement willing it to happen. The reality is though that live or die, Alba has had a life of meaning since she arrived. Dogs live in the moment and I can tell that although her body aches she is a happy dog. Somehow her tail won’t stop wagging.
Thank you for all the kind words and support. At the end of a long day, I often sit with her and read her some of the nice comments people send. I think it helps!
Have a lovely weekend. Myself and Alba will see you tomorrow!
Big Love
Niall
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Loving this story. First thing I do is check the updates to say she’s made it through another night…🥰
I'm thinking about Alba all the time at the moment. As always, I find it almost unbearable to think about how these little creatures end up in such a state at the hands of human beings, so I try not to. In a way, she seems to represent so much that's wrong with how we treat the world, and all its inhabitants human and non-human. So I'm grateful to hear that you've had so many kind and caring responses, and I wanted to thank you and the team for being there for her. We all desperately want her to thrive! 🤍