HELGA

RESERVED

Likely Bosnian Sheepdog with Barak, Afghan Hound and Russian Terrier influences.

Rescue Story

Helga was abandoned on the streets of Bosnia before being rescued by the Bark Ark shelter. Initially she coped well, but as the shelter became increasingly busy with new arrivals, her condition began to deteriorate. Hidden beneath her thick coat and among a sea of dogs all needing care, her weight loss wasn’t noticed as quickly as anyone would have wished.

Being a gentle soul, Helga struggled to compete for food and gradually became thinner and thinner. Once the extent of her condition became clear, shelter owner Bojan immediately alerted Paws2Freedom and moved her into foster care so she could receive the individual attention she desperately needed

Because her skin had become infected, Helga’s beautiful coat had to be shaved so treatment could begin. Underneath all that fur, everyone was shocked by just how emaciated she had become.

With good food, medical treatment and lots of TLC, Helga slowly regained her strength. Once healthy enough to travel, she made the journey to the UK and is now thriving in foster care, learning what life as a much-loved family dog is all about.

🐾 Helga Pupdates 🐾

ARRIVAL IN UK

What a big day I had today!

I went for a lovely walk this morning and heard Susan admit she’d fallen in love with me and I rather liked her too.

Because I arrived so terribly skinny, I had a vet check. The nice vet said I need to gain much more weight, so now I’m on a special feeding plan with nutritious food, cooked chicken, and sardines, which sounds pretty wonderful to me.

The lump on my back was thankfully only a cyst, and despite my worn teeth, the vet thinks I’m probably around 5 years old, maybe even a bit younger.

I also have a sore tip on my tail… apparently I wag it so much that sometimes it splits and bleeds a little. What can I say? I’m just a very happy girl.

Everyone said I was a brilliant car passenger and then I finally met my foster family… and I loved them straight away.

I met the other dogs and even the cat, and then at last… I relaxed. For the very first time in so very long I feel like I’m somewhere safe. Somewhere filled with kindness, love and the chance to finally leave the past behind.

Thank you to everyone who made this possible for me.

Love,

Helga 🐾

1 WEEK IN FOSTER

Well… I’ve officially survived my first week in foster.

I’m still being assessed at the moment, but if you’re interested in me, please chat to the lovely Paws2Freedom people.

The good news is… I’ve already put on some weight! I still have a long way to go, but apparently all the nutritious food, treats and second breakfasts are helping nicely.

Everyone says I’m a happy, calm girl and a very quick learner. I settled into the new routine surprisingly fast, although I did have one small moment of panic when left alone for a couple of hours… and unfortunately the cat flap did not survive the experience. Oops.

But I’m learning that my foster family always comes back, and I’m getting more confident every day.

I’ve only been out once so far for a vet weigh-in because everything is still very new to me, but I took it all in my stride like the good girl I am.

I’ve also met visitors and neighbours and everyone says I’m a very good girl. I really do love people and older children seem pretty wonderful too.

And my tail? Well… it simply will not stop wagging. Unfortunately, because I don’t have all my protective fluffy fur yet, the tip keeps splitting and bleeding. Foster mum keeps trying to bandage it for me… and the bandage stays on anywhere between a few seconds and slightly longer.

Oh, and the cat? I LOVE the cat. I’m very respectful too. If the cat is on the dog bed… then clearly it becomes the cat’s bed and I wait politely.

Honestly? I think this home-life thing might suit me very well.

Love,

Helga 🐾

🐾 Hi, I’m Helga🐾

Yes, I know, I look like a big, fluffy bear who might secretly raid the fridge at night (kidding of course! I am a very good girl). But really, I’m just a gentle, friendly girl with a heart as soft as my fur.

My story? Well, let’s just say I didn’t exactly start life on the red carpet. I was abandoned on the streets of Bosnia and had to figure things out the hard way. Luckily, the Bark Ark shelter scooped me up and gave me safety.

A bit more about me:

Size: Large. Approximately 60cm at the shoulder. Currently around 29kg and gaining weight, with an expected healthy weight of approximately 32kg.
Sex: Female
Age: Approximately 5 years
Neutered: Yes
Vaccinated: Yes
Microchipped: Yes

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Ideal Home

Cornwall/Devon only, please.
Helga is looking for a rural or semi-rural home in Cornwall or Devon with a secure garden large enough for a big, lanky girl to enjoy pottering about, sunbathing, exploring and generally enjoying life.

She would love another friendly dog for company, but would also enjoy being an only dog, as long as she could enjoy social interaction with other canine friends. Helga would be happiest with people who are home most of the time. Being with her humans is one of Helga’s favourite things, and she thrives on companionship and inclusion in everyday life. In her foster home Helga is seeking her foster mum’s company and loves being close to her whenever possible.

We are looking for a family with experience of rescue dogs who understand that Helga is still learning about the world and will need patience, guidance and ongoing training as she settles into her forever home. Her foster family found that Helga is very eager to please and describe her as a wonderfully easy dog who is a pleasure to live with.

In return, Helga promises unwavering loyalty, endless affection, and the kind of companionship that only comes from a dog who finally knows she is safe and loved.

Please click here to read our New Rescue Dog FAQs

Application and vetting processes apply.

Behaviour, Temperament, Unique Traits, Training Needs

Helga is a gentle, affectionate and sweet-natured girl who absolutely adores people. She has settled beautifully into foster care and enjoys being involved in family life. She loves meeting visitors and neighbours and has quickly become a favourite wherever she goes.

She enjoys her walks, walks nicely on harness and lead, and loves exploring the world through her nose. She has discovered toys and thoroughly enjoys playing with her favourite ball. She also enjoys being brushed and loves the attention that comes with it.

Helga forms strong bonds with her people and loves being close to them, often following her foster mum around the house to see what she’s doing.

She had very little formal training before arriving in the UK, so there are still things for her to learn. Her recall remains a work in progress and she is not currently allowed off lead outside secure areas. Any future off-lead exercise should take place in a secure field until her recall is more established.

The good news is that Helga is a quick learner, eager to please, and responds well to kind, consistent guidance.

Helga has been left for short periods, in the company of the other 2 dogs in her foster home. They share a dedicated room and wait without any problems until their people return.

She loves playing with other dogs, but is also a couch potato at times. A wonderful medium energy doggy.

Helga is goofy and clumsy at times. Full of joy and not quite aware of her size, haha! She will make you laugh and smile every single day with her antics and affectionate nature.

Helga is not particular high energy, but also not really low either. She has a zest for life and adventure, and she takes most new situations in her stride.

Any loud bangs or noises don’t seem to faze Helga, but she has not experienced fireworks while in foster. She is not bothered by traffic either.

Her fur will be long and fairly high maintenance, once fully grown back (see earlier photos) and Helga’s future adopters may decide to keep her fur shorter for ease. And doesn’t she look just soooo adorable as she is now!

Helga enjoys walks by the seaside, but has not been in the water yet.

In general, Helga is a very adaptable dog in new situations. She spent a few days in a different foster home as an only dog and loved her time there, too.

She is living with cats in her current foster home and took well to a new cat in her short term foster home, too.

Helga is an amazing girl and her future family will be very lucky to share their life with this beautiful lady.

Child Friendly

Yes, but due to her size and enthusiasm we feel Helga would be best suited to a home with older children. She can be a little unaware of her long legs and may accidentally knock over very young children. After her difficult start in life, she also deserves a home where she can be a significant focus

Dog Friendly

Yes. Helga loves the company of other dogs and would love to live with a friendly, confident canine companion who would enjoy playing with her. But she has also been tested briefly as an only dog in a different foster home and she did really well there too. The criteria would be for someone to be home for her most of the time as she is such a people focused dog. However, she has not been tested when left. While she is fine being left in the company of the dogs in her main foster home. Helga loves to make new doggy friends wherever she goes.

Cat Friendly

Yes. Helga is currently living successfully alongside a cat in foster care and has shown nothing but respect. In fact, if the cat is already occupying a dog bed, Helga politely waits for her turn. When briefly fostered in a different home, she took really well to the resident cat there too.

Livestock/Other

Not tested with livestock.

Health

Prior to travelling to the UK, Helga tested negative for:

• Heartworm
• Leishmania
• Anaplasmosis
• Lyme Disease
• Brucella Canis

She has also had a full UK veterinary check since arrival.

The vet confirmed that Helga arrived in an emaciated body condition and required significant weight gain. She is already making excellent progress, has gained weight steadily, and continues to improve week by week.

A lump on her back was investigated and diagnosed as a harmless cyst.

As with all imported rescue dogs, Helga will have a follow-up Brucella test 2-3 months after arrival in the UK. Her current foster mum will book Helga in for her UK Brucella-retest and we expect the results in early August.

We fully expect this to be negative. Prior to travel, Helga was tested through the trusted VetPro laboratory using both SAT and iELISA testing, mirroring the protocol commonly used in the UK.

Helga’s coat is steadily growing back after treatment for a skin infection, her dandruff is virtually non-existent now, her fur has taken on a beautiful shine, and she is looking healthier and more like herself every day.

One amusing side effect of feeling better was that her tail rarely stopped wagging. Unfortunately, because her protective coat had not fully grown back at the time, the tip occasionally split and bled from excessive happiness! This has now stopped, but you can still notice a little bit of bare skin at the tip of her tail.

Helga has been treated for an allergy and we have recently put her on AVA Adult Sensitive Fish based dry and wet food. She is currently receiving 4 meals per day to increase her weight further. This can be reduced once she has reached a healthy weight. She is doing really well on this food.

House Trained

Yes.