One Romanian strays fight for survival

Grace was a stray, living on the streets of Romania. As she tried to cross a busy highway, she was hit by a car who failed to stop to help her. She lay in the grass verge waiting for help for a week - no other cars, nor passers by stopped to help her.

Romania is a country that has seen a dramatic increase of stray cats and dogs since the 1980's. Even after the Government ordered a series of mass killings, numbers still failed to decrease. Some laws have been put in place in recent years but, much like the UK, most of society ignores them and authorities fail to enforce it. With an estimate of over 3 million strays, who people see as pests not fellow living beings, Grace was destined to finish her lonely unloved existence right there in that grass verge.

Many organisations from around the world are chipping in to help with the so called 'stray dog capitol of the world', but the amazing charities in the heart of the problem are the one's who are directly fighting for animals every single day. Today would be no different...

The team at Every Life Counts rescue found Grace who, at this point, wasn't moving and barely clinging to life. They quickly rushed her to the local vets to do all they could.

What rescuers had initially thought to be a nasty looking injury of some kind, vets later confirmed that what they were actually seeing was a kittens leg piercing through her stomach. Grace was pregnant! Vets determined she must have been lay there for a week as that is roughly how long her kittens had been decomposing inside her to cause the amount of damage it had. Grace's body was filled with toxins - they needed to get the kittens out fast and begin an emergency 4 hour operation to try and save her life.

She was still clinging to life - she wasn't ready to go anywhere just yet, but she had the fight of her life ahead of her.

The rescue team noted how much fight this one little cat had in her, and they made it their mission to fight for as long as she did. Over the next few days she needed round the clock care, and rescuers stayed by her side administering fluids and antibiotics every few hours, and she began making some good progress. However, a couple of weeks later she suddenly took a turn for the worst and the medicines were no longer working. As her wound became infected, and the toxins had began filling her body again, many looked on expecting the worst as she was rushed in for another emergency operation. Even though it was pretty clear this cat had a special fight inside her, everyone began to wonder is it enough when they have gone as far as they could with all available medicines but her body is losing the fight against it. Yet another emergency operation was her only chance, and again we all watched her hooked up to all kinds of machines looking lifeless. Within the week after her surgery, Grace began purring and trying her best to stand up for a stroke off rescue staff. Staff admitted they'd rather she relaxed and recovered properly, but she was sometimes hard to restrain - she was definitely a fighter!

A month had now passed since she was first found, and after a struggling rescue pumped all they had in to Grace's survival, she was ready to be put up for adoption.

Sara lives in Warrington, England, and had previously adopted a dog Called Lisa from Every Life Counts. As soon as she seen Grace's story online, she offered to give her a home straight away. From the beginning to the end Sara followed Grace's story, and offered to help out towards her rising vet bills in any way she could. Eventually, once Grace got the all clear, Sara got confirmation that she would be the one who gave Grace the home she'd always deserved but never had. Sadly though, this meant 1 last hurdle for Grace....she now had to get to England!

Transport was arranged and Grace travelled on the road for 3 days and nights solid across Europe, and eventually landed in the UK. Sara says she was petrified for those 3 days having visions of the van doors being opened and Grace escaping and being lost in Europe!

Sara lives with her fiancé, Ian, who didn't exactly have a say in Grace's adoption but she admits he did have his suspicions when he was asking what she was up to and enquiring why he was suddenly £200 down haha. Between them they have 13 rescue animals who all seem to get on ok, but Sara did admit her main worry was how Grace would adapt to such a large new family. It is of course still early days, but Grace seems to be settling ok, and has made friends with one of the resident cats especially called Smokey. Smokey was rescued from a bad online breeder, and had to be syringe fed as she was too young to leave her mum when she did. Grace is also enjoying some lap time, and it's been noted how much she likes her cuddles. Sara and Ian have said she will never lack for anything ever again, and will be greatly loved.

Grace is one amazing little cat who pulled off a miracle. This was all only possible thanks to the dedicated team at Every Life Counts, who will continue to rescue cats and dogs on the streets of Romania who can hopefully find their happy ending like Grace has. Thank you to the rescue team, and of course to Sara and Ian who have now put the icing on the cake for Grace, and have ensured she will live out her days happy, loved and in a safe home - something she had never known, but were sure she will become accustomed to very soon once she settles in fully.

*All early photo's of Grace courtesy of Ioana at Every Life Counts*