When Dr. Courtney Katsur first encountered Lenny, the stray dog remained silent in her presence.
Dr. Katsur had no idea how long Lenny had endured life on the streets of war-torn Ukraine. However, she had firsthand experience with the dire consequences of the conflict, witnessing numerous dogs suffering from starvation and a desperate need for nourishment. By the time Lenny found his way to an animal shelter, he was injured and severely malnourished.
“When I first arrived, he was huddled near a heater,” Dr. Katsur shared with The Dodo. “He had undergone surgery, hadn’t moved for two days, and had lost trust in people.”
Dr. Katsur, just a few weeks before, had been monitoring the war from her home in Virginia. But as she watched videos and saw photographs of dogs wandering the war-ravaged streets, her heart went out to pet owners who had to leave their beloved animals behind and the dogs and cats left vulnerable after animal shelters were devastated.
Driven by a desire to make a difference, she made the decision to utilize her veterinary expertise on the front lines.
“I realized that I could help, you know?” Dr. Katsur explained. “I’ve never worked harder to go somewhere where nobody wanted to go.”
Over the course of her two-week journey, Dr. Katsur collaborated with the UK-based grassroots organization Breaking The Chains to provide food and medical care to animals. Her time in Ukraine was marked by numerous animal rescues, and each one left a deep imprint on her heart. “I cried when I had to leave them,” Dr. Katsur admitted.
But Lenny was a special case. His transformation in her presence was nothing short of remarkable.
Dr. Katsur, along with other volunteers, worked tirelessly to gain Lenny’s trust. Over time, they witnessed a remarkable change in him as he gradually warmed up to human companionship within the shelter compound.
“He would jump into my luggage,” Dr. Katsur recounted. “He’d jump onto my cot for snuggles, even though he used to shy away from human touch.”
Lenny’s profound change deeply touched Dr. Katsur.
“He underwent such a transformation,” Dr. Katsur marveled. “It was truly incredible.”
In fact, Lenny has earned the affectionate nickname “the compound dog” because he has grown to adore his life at the shelter, and he, in turn, is adored by everyone there.
“By the end, Lenny had the run of the place,” Dr. Katsur reminisced. “He was the kind of dog who was free to roam the entire compound.”
While Dr. Katsur is now back in the United States, raising funds and recruiting volunteers from afar, she has plans to return to Ukraine in September to continue her mission of saving more animals.
“Right now, I feel like we’ve only accomplished about 1% of what needs to be done,” Dr. Katsur noted.
Thanks to Dr. Katsur and Breaking The Chains, the shelter now boasts a full-time Ukrainian vet to care for Lenny and all the other animals in need.