The Firuchas
Even their names are Lucha, the airedale mom, and Firucha, the mixed daughter, in the street of La Soledad* in wich they lived are better known as Firucha 1 and Firucha 2, or just plainFiruchas.
*La Soledad means solitude in english
The St. of La Soledad* is our daily way to go in and out of the alley where we live. Its a narrow street with no sidewalks, really dirty and garbage all around since I can remember, big trucks parked all day long and an 80s VW van wich is practically a huge piece of junk.
Every time we passed by they were curled up because of the cold weather or the rain, when it was pouring they covered themselves under the old VW van or at least we liked to believe that because we couldnt see them anywhere. They were really dirty, with scabies and fleas.
We saw them like 4 times a day and were always there, laying down or looking for something to eat .There was no sign that someone fed them regularly.
One day I decided to buy some extra dog food wich I brought to them inside a supermarket plastic bag. When they saw me they aproached wagging their tales and started to devour the dog food until they ripped the bags off. From the first moment they were so sweet and grateful. I kept feding them and told the guy from the canine salon (Manuel) across the street to keep a plastic bucket full of fresh water for them. Manuel told us they used to belong to the next door neighbours and suddenly one day they left Lucha outside on the street, she had 2 litters on the street, 11 puppies wich most of them died, some were stolen or scaped from the abusing pedestrians. The only one left was Firucha. One regular night we noticed Firucha had a huge belly, she was preagnant of her second litter and the litter before that were of 10 puppies killed by passing cars in the middle of the street, Manuel said.
Without meditating much of the consequences or at a certain point about the lives of the puppies, we took Firucha to the local vet so she could be spayed, she had 8 puppies that had to be put to sleep. Lucha was also spayed to avoid the suffering of more puppies and found small tumors inside her vulva which were removed in case they were TVT (transmisible venerean tumor) which after a study at a hospital we found out she was TVT free!
We witnessed both of the surgeries and was a whole new and devastating experience which created a really strong bond between us. Sometimes I wondered that we didnt have the right to interfere in their lives and change them, even getting them to surgery, avoid that 8 more pups and who knows how much more they might have in the same or worst conditions they already were, it was the right decision. Or at least the decision that kept us in peace and gave us the chance to help the ones already alive.
The plan about 5 months ago was to help them to recover, to heal their surgery wounds in a clean and secure environment (our laundry room), with no cars that might hit them, and once they were healthy, to take them back to La Soledad. The unexperience and the uncertainty of no interfering too much in their lives made us think that they were used to live on the street and after all, thats where they used to belong.
The first couple of days of their recovery was only sleeping and a few vomits, we took them out to potty, walking so slowly that you could see the pain on every step. Firucha wasnt looking too good, her eyes were so sad, still swollen because of the surgery, she made tiny steps to go back to lay down.
As the days passed, they were out for longer periods of time and started to inspect every corner of the alley, they kept goint to potty on the concrete and drank water from the ponds that the last rain left, it was like the fresh water didnt taste so good, they started to eat from a plate instead of the ground. The third week came and Lucha started to feel better and tried to play and run, Firucha took a little longer.
The first time they saw a ball bownce they didnt know what to do, they barked at it and moved constantly but didnt knew what that round thing was, they followed it with their eyes and acted nervous. Something totally new for them, they had a hard time carrying the ball in their muzzles, or just followed the ball without really knowing that was about having fun. It happens the same at the yard, started running on concrete until they tried running over the grass, it was new for them until they saw the dogs of our neighbours running so happily and understood they could run from the joy of it and not to avoid a pedestrian kick or getting away of the child that wanted to tie a rope over their necks to pull his cart.
During the adaptation period both of them ran to the alleys door and scratched it, as if they wanted to go back to La Soledad. We were concerned they might felt punished and that their home was really the street and they wanted to go back, that they were used to be free all day long and mess around the streets. Maybe what we thought was the best for them wasnt meant to be.
One sunday, in which the street market settles on La Soledad, a car was entering the alley and they ran towards the market. We supposed they were fed by the left overs from the food vendors or catch a delicious bone from the butcher. Two hours later they cried outside to let them in again.
We thought the bond between Lucha and Firucha were so strong, that they missed and enjoyed being on the street, may be it was better for them to go back to La Soledad. If they were healthy, healed and wanted to be on the street, we were nobody to keep them away from it, but now we appeared on their lives.
The next weekend we walked them down the street (an old lady that kicked them out, wanted them back), they came back so happily, recognizing their dog friends and the few neighbours that liked them, we waited for them to get distracted to run away but when they notice we werent there, they ran towards us and came back home with us. The second time we tried to leave them we drove them to La Soledad, and got away in the car, they didnt see us, so they stayed the whole day there, we avoided the street that day but the next night a neighbour knocked on our door to let us know we had a visit, the minute they saw us they started jumping around like Ive never seen before, they looked like a couple of cute little ponys from a carrousel, like nothing had happened, just happy to meet us, wagging their tales! (ours too!)
The last try was just oppening the door and wont let them in, but they waited outside and followed the car like for a mile on a very busy avenue, so i brought them back and decided to find someone to adopt both of them was the best. Ocasionally Lucha sneaked through the door and scaped to the market, but Firucha wouldnt stop crying for her mommy! Even when shes not on her sight running on the yard, Firucha gets anxious and start looking for her all over. We tooked them some pics to post them on the internet to find people that wanted to help to find them a home, so they found somebody and we arrange to meet them at an animal hospital to check them up, finally they didnt have enough space and the vet found an allergic reaction to the surgery thread, they got back to surgery again to switch the thread with a thiner one. They were part of our family now.
They started to get along with Diamantina (our black lab) and to play with the neighbours dogs. Firucha loves to run so fast, shes so enegetic and love to play with tennis balls, she looks like a puppy that has a hard time trying to catch it, gets so excited when you play with her. On the other hand, Lucha is so mellow, runs a bit and gets back to you, loves being with you.
Since they got here they changed a lot, their attitude has changed, they even phisically changed, beautiful like butterflies on the grass, no more scabies, no more fleas, instead a great vitality to run in the yard. Their way of being thankful has been giving all their love back. We still think they are impressed of being treated good, and the only thing they want to do is to be with us, lay down next to us and do what we tell them to.
It has been 9 months since they became part of our lives and we believe our effort is worth it, interfering their lives has changed ours deeply. No creature at all should ever experience a life on the streets, they give theirselves completly to us so its our responsability to protect them and provide a worthy life. Weve been touched by this wonderful creatures wich more than learning from them, they have been our teachers. With them we had a new perspective, the importance of playing proved that love doesnt comes in small shares and as human beings we have a long way to go.
