Serbian Man Rescues And Changes The Life Of A Sickly Puppy He Found Living In A Shoe On A Pile Of Trash

A story of resillinece!

Ansa

• Published in Animal Stories
• September 6, 2021

Goran Marinkovic enjoys carrying food with him whenever he is walking around in Kraljevo, Serbia. The food he carries with him is not for himself but for the stray dogs and cats he sees on his way.

He feeds around 100 such cats and dogs daily. He knows that there is no one else to care for them, so he has taken this responsibility upon himself.

On one of his walks, he came across a small stray puppy that he could not bring himself to leave behind.

“Passing a narrow pathway, I heard crying coming from the rocks,” Marinkovic shared.

“She was cold, hungry, and thirsty. I had food, so right away I gave her salami.” It was heart-wrenching for him to see her living in an old boot somewhere in the pile of trash.

Although the puppy was too young, Marinkovic was not successful in locating her mother anywhere near.

The puppy was quite playful.

When Marinkovic approached him, she lied down on his back to show him his belly. “She was exhausted,” Marinkovic told.

“She knew that I might be her only chance, so she lay down and surrendered to fate.”

Marinkovic took her to the vet.

He was not sure of her survival after living in such shabby conditions. But the puppy showed a lot of resilience and made it through.

Marinkovic named her Coco.

Marinkovic posted Coco's photos on Facebook.

He got an overwhelming response from people who wanted to adopt her. But Marinkovic could not just give her away to anyone.

He wanted to make that she find the best family and home. In order to do so, Marinkovic contacted his friend who was also a party in rescuing Coco.

This friend of his had a lot of connections with various international animal adoptions agencies. Together, they found her a home in Germany.

After getting all her vaccine shots, she went on to her new home and family in Germany. A year passes by and Coco receives a lot of love and cares at her new home.

She has completely transformed and you cannot tell if she is the same sickly puppy that Marinkovic rescued. She has now blossomed into an adorable fluffy dog who is full of adventures and excitement.

“[Coco] has a beautiful home and she is currently on vacation. I get pictures regularly — they’re at sea right now,” Marinkovic told.

“Every rescued dog from the street who finds a home is a victory for me.”

Marinkovic hopes that every stray dog in Serbia gets to be as lucky as Coco and finds a loving home.

People like him are the key to making this dream come true.

Ansa