by Denis Malafeyev wasn’t expecting to make a dramatic rescue of two dogs on Christmas day, but after receiving an urgent call, he knew he had to help.
He was told that there were two dogs on a set of train tracks and had been there for two days. The female dog was hurt, and the other dog was shielding her from the trains. He would lay on top of her and press their heads on the ground as the trains passed over their heads!
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Malafeyev was shocked by what he saw when he traveled to the small town of Tseglovka, Ukraine to rescue them.
When he saw the pair, he could tell it was a dangerous situation for everyone, especially the dogs.
He wrote on Facebook that when the uninjured dog (who he named “Panda”) heard the train driver’s signal, he went over to the female dog (he named “Lucy”) and lay down next to her, protecting her from danger.
Denis Malafeyev
Below is a short video clip of their perilous situation.
“Both animals lowered their heads and pressed them to the ground as the train passed,” Malafeyev explained.
Panda was reluctant to let anyone near Lucy. Malafeyev made several attempts to reach Lucy, but could not do so safely.
“Several attempts to remove the animal off the rails were in vain,” he said in his Facebook post.
But eventually, he was able to successfully reach Lucy and Panda followed after and he managed to get them in his car.
He took the dogs to the local animal shelter in hopes of finding the dogs’ owners or a new home.
On that very same day, Panda and Lucy’s owners were located and Malafeyev and the founder of a local NGO for the protection of animals visited their home to assess the situation.
They were satisfied with what they saw. The dogs’ family is friendly and welcomed their tips on better caring for their dogs. The family in return showed that the dogs were up-to-date on their vaccinations and vet checks.
They also showed that the dogs have a large fenced yard that the dogs have to roam outside and play in, with fresh hay bales to lie down on when outside.
Malafeyev was assured that Lucy lives in the house. He wrote, “Lucy lives in the house, in a warm room! (Boiler room) it’s really warm in here! The animals are on the mend!”
Malafeyev said the rescue is a reminder for people to speak up if they see animals in distress. He did not like that the dogs were in danger for two days, but he is thankful that someone did call him for help. He also is amazed by the courage and love that Panda showed for Lucy, saying Panda’s love and friendship is a lesson for us all.
