Ukrainian Border Guards Rescue Puppies Left to Freeze in Cellophane Bag

(MUKACHEVO, ZAKARPATTIA OBLAST) – A quiet squeak heard by border guards while reporting for duty saved three little lives, after someone had doomed the newborn puppies to a cold death by throwing them out into the winter in a cellophane bag.

The servicemen of the Mukachevo Border Guard Unit took the babies, warmed them up and began to nurse them. On the first day, they fed them with milk that was at the outpost, and later purchased a special lactose-free formula.

There were weeks of care and feeding every few hours ahead.

“We had to feed the babies, make sure they were clean, dry, and that everything was fine with them,” recalls Serhiy Savoshchenko, a dog handler at the Mukachevo Border Guard Unit.

Since it was winter outside, the puppies sometimes accompanied the border guard during his duty. When the situation allowed, Serhiy checked on the babies, fed them, and warmed them in his peacoat right in his uniform. This is how his little charges appeared in the unit.

When the puppies grew up, two were sheltered by Serhiy’s brothers. But the fate of the third one, a girl, remained uncertain. The border guard decided to take her with him to Kyiv to find her a caring family.

On the way to the capital, another important participant in this story joined the company: the service dog Norman. An experienced four-legged detective, who is used to working on the trail, this time travelled by train with Serhiy and the little furry one.

“Only when we were approaching Lviv, before the transfer, did he realise that there were three of us going,” the border guard says with a smile.

The puppy was supposed to stay in temporary custody in Kyiv, but fate had its way. Little Bela, once doomed to death, was so fond of Serhiy’s parents that she stayed to live with them. Now she has her own home, a cosy sofa and people who love her unconditionally.

“She was lucky. She got her own wonderful sofa, her own company, now she is happy on her own and pleases all of us with her wonderful character,” says Serhiy.

This report is based on footage and information released by the Press Service of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine (DPSU). The incident occurred in the vicinity of the Mukachevo Border Guard Unit in Zakarpattia Oblast.