Nosik’s Journey

We are devastated to share that Nosik had passed away. He left this world in the arms of his mom. He was surrounded by love and care and crossed the rainbow bridge in peace.

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Ophelia the cat that flew with Nosik and was adopted into the same family is doing well. 

 

September 15, 2020

 

Severe beating causes major brain injury  

After another drunken family argument, when Nosik tried to protect his Mama, Nosik was severely beaten by his owner. His leg was chopped off with an ax, his body -broken, his skull – crushed to pieces… He meant to kill Nosik and discarded his body in a ditch, bleeding, and motionless.

Discovered by a Good Samaritan, Nosik miraculously survived. I guess, he was not ready to go yet. Nosik was brought to the local (rural) clinic, where they did all they could to save him. Nosik will never be the same. His brain injury was too severe for normal functioning. He is blind and mostly deaf. He is unable to bark. He seems to be lost in a world of his own, stumbling around, looking for something. He is kind, and mellow, and loves human touch and good food. And, somehow, he is still able to love.

He has difficulty walking, but likes to be outside, and will try to dig or just walk in circles. He lives in a shelter, in an outdoor kennel, where he can orient himself and find shelter from rain and snow. The one being he loves is his kennel mate, called Witch, who has terminal cancer, and does not have much time left. Like most special dogs, Nosik is not loved or wanted by anyone. He is considered “a shelter idiot,” and there is no hope for him to belong…he is a misfit.

We think Nosik deserves better! We want him out of this shelter, examined by a good vet. He needs testing, including MRI, and a thorough exam to see what can be done to improve his functioning. He needs surgery to amputate his stump, which gives him much discomfort and pain (he keeps falling on it, injuring himself over and over). Our consulting vets are optimistic

that we can make a difference. We would like to transport him out of the shelter into a foster home, where he CAN belong, and be treated with love and respect. Hurt and almost destroyed by humans, he deserves to see the other side of humanity – the one that knows kindness and love.

 

September 17, 2020

We have scheduled an MRI for October 6th, the first available appointment. We put so much hope into this test as we truly hope we can find a correct treatment (something the shelter had no means for) to help Nosik to improve his life. Please keep him in your thoughts! And please share!

October 7th, 2020

Nosik went to his MRI appointment today. The trip took 4 hours one way but Nosik did very well. He was restless in the car but with a few stops for walking and stretching the legs, the road was not as difficult as anticipated. He handled anesthesia well and is now back to his headquarters to rest. The results will be reviewed by the doctor and we will update everyone as soon as we have it. We plan to transport Nosik to Moscow to a medical foster on October 12th. There, he will see a neurologist and a surgeon!

October 12, 2020

We just got the MRI results – but it is way too technical for us to understand and translate. We think the gist of it is: imaging consistent with old head trauma, no suspected malignancy, and possible damage/injury around his middle ear. 
We will have a neurology consult, where the doc will explain these findings and let us know treatment options.

In 5 hours Nosik will be on his way to Moscow and it is only up from here! 

October 13th, 2020

Good byе shelter! Goodbye kind people who did everything they could for him! Nosik is on his way to Moscow! The trip is long and will take about 15 hours. I pray it will be easy for him to handle.

Keep Nosik in your thoughts!

October 14th, 2020

Nosik had arrived to Rehab Center in Moscow at about 3am local time! 🇷🇺
Everyone who comes in contact with him says what a sweet boy he is!
He is now at the rehabilitation center resting. Thats what they write:
“The guy is wonderful. Potty strictly outside. He ate, drank water and I will comb him now. Then I will introduce him to the pride, let’s see how that goes”

October 23, 2020

Nosik went to a neurologist. The good news-the neurologist thought Nosik was mentally intact. Adequately reacting to people and dogs, reassuring voice, loves attention and touch. He may look like he is in his own world, but he is very much with us, in touch with reality and his surroundings. She did not see anything awful (except the expected consequences of a head injury). No neuro-surgery is indicated. She prescribed several meds to try to see if his balance and coordination improve. She believes that he is older than 6-7 years previously thought. Possibly 10 or even older. They can do an ultrasound to determine his age more precisely. Because of his age, she did not think amputation would be indicated for him, instead, she recommended a bandage, holding his stump closer to his body. She thought that would help with balance and walking. We will also consult a surgeon on this. Finally, the neurologist wants Nosik to take medication for a few weeks to see how he responds. This will help her determine if the transatlantic flight is something he can handle. We are hoping for the best! Overall, he does not have any terrible or terminal conditions. He is just Nosik. Meds: Gliatillin (long-term, but not life-long), vinpozetin (life-long), amprilan (5mg) – life-long. Last video is how they found him in November 2019

November 16th, 2020

I am so taken by people’s response to Nosik’s misfortune, I can’t stop my tears..
I want you to cry happy tears as well as I have wonderful news to report. Nosik found a family, here in the United States!.. We were confident in a past to entrust our rescues to people in this country and we strongly believe that this home will provide the best care possible for Nosik. We were worried his condition will prevent him to make the journey across the ocean BUT he was cleared to fly by our vet.
It is not going to be easy for Nosik- 11 hours in the crate but in the end, his mom will be waiting for him at JFK. She can’t wait to meet him, hug him, and give him the love he was deprived of so long! And so are we. All that is left to do is find a flight buddy to bring him over. Please pray for his safe journey. Keep him in your thoughts. And pray again. And we will keep you updated 💛

November 28, 2020

Our brave Nosik is doing well. The meds are working and his balance and coordination are improving! He learned how to climb stairs! 

More good news! ☺
We found a flight buddy and already booked a flight to JFK for December 27th! 
Nosik will be taking a buddy with him to the USA. A cat named Ophelia. This cat is also special! At birth, she was almost killed by her mother, who was abused and was sick while pregnant. 
As a result, Ophelia sustained brain damage and developed Ataxia, impaired coordination. She does not need any emergency medical treatment anymore and she will be coming to the USA with Nosik.

Both Nosik and Ophelia are being adopted into the same family! 

December 27

We have the best news for the holidays: with your help and blessings, Nosik and his friend, special needs kitten Ophelia, have landed at JFK last night. They both have a wonderful family waiting for them. For now, they will be with our wonderful local foster, Ulyana and her daughter, who will take the best care of them after their long journey. Welcome to the US, babies! You are home! And you will never be hurt or neglected again. Updates to follow.

January 2, 2021

Nosik is settling and adjusting to his foster home in the US. This was a long and stressful trip for our boy. He is still disoriented and quietly cries. Walking is difficult for him and his foster mom carries him outside to the grassy area so he does not hurt his leg. The head trauma is severe and Nosik needs help to eat and drink. His mom holds the water/food bowl for him so he is more comfortable.. He is loving tasty food and treats though and already gained some weight. Nosik is also good with his new friends (his doggie foster sibling and his kittie sister, special needs kitten Ophelia). He is super sweet with his foster Mama and his human little sister. He is getting lots of hugs, kisses, and pets, soft, warm beds, and time to explore and stretch at the back yard. Nosik cannot wait to see his Mama, who is coming for him in the next few weeks. Nosik went a long way from a shelter to a different continent and all this travel and stress was very difficult for him but we are trying to make him as comfortable as we possibly can. His foster mom thinks he is in pain because when she tries to massage him he cries.We need to show him to a vet and a neurologist to see what contributes to his current state.

If you can help us cover this expense we would be forever greatful.

Thank you for shares and prayers!