For two years, our volunteers in Izmail have tried to catch an elusive pair of wild sisters for sterilisation. They lived on the outskirts of the city – clever, cautious, impossible to approach. Even professional catchers couldn’t get within 50 metres. The plan was always simple: spay them, and allow them to live out their lives without the relentless cycle of pregnancy, loss, and danger.

But one of the sisters, now named Fox, disappeared last week – and when she resurfaced, she was in a desperate and life-threatening condition.

A Horrific Discovery

Fox had been caught in a hunter’s steel snare.

The trap had completely crushed her paw, yet the most heart-breaking damage was above the snare: the skin and muscle shredded away to the bone. In her panic and terror, she had tried to gnaw her own leg off to escape.

By the time volunteers reached her, the wound smelled of infection, and maggots had appeared. She was still dragging the heavy steel trap, limping as she tried to flee.

A Chaotic, High-Stress Rescue

Even injured, Fox remained wild, terrified, and incredibly fast.

As volunteers approached with a dart pipe, she tried to run followed by a pack of male dogs, because she was also in season. She disappeared into a large underground concrete pipe, the males rushing in after her, vanishing into darkness.

One end of the pipe lay inside a private industrial compound. One volunteer climbed the fence and began striking the concrete with a metal bar to scare the dogs out, while the other volunteers waited at the opposite end with nets and anaesthetic darts, praying Fox would not escape deeper into the dark.

One by one, the males bolted out.

Finally, Fox emerged – dragging the trap, terrified, panicked, and still trying to evade capture.

A dart was fired. Seconds felt like hours. She tried to whirl around and flee back into the pipe, but volunteers blocked the entrance with their bodies. After a tense struggle, she finally sank into sedation.

🎥 Watch the video of Fox’s dramatic capture and journey to safety 👇

Life-Saving Surgery

There was no way to save the leg.

To give Fox her best chance at a functional future, the limb was fully amputated, and she was sterilised at the same time. She received antibiotics, pain relief, and expert care – and was taken to recover in the quiet safety of our volunteer’s own home.

Learning to Feel Safe

For the first night, Fox slept in a heated crate.
When moved into an outdoor enclosure the next morning, she refused the kennel completely and hid deep in the bushes, pressing herself into the shadows, too frightened even to look at her carers.

She wouldn’t eat while anyone watched – only eating the offered soft food and chicken once the volunteers had walked away.

But each day, she is inching forward. A little less hiding. A little more observing. A little more trust.

Her Sister Is Still Out There

Fox’s sister, who has also evaded capture for two years, still remains at large.

We won’t give up.

Catching and spaying her means ending the cycle of pups born into danger, hunger and suffering. It means giving both sisters a future without the constant strain of surviving pregnancy after pregnancy in harsh, unforgiving conditions.

Fox’s Fight Is Not Over – But Her Chance Has Arrived

Fox survived something no animal should endure. She escaped a brutal trap, ran on a nearly severed limb, hid underground, and fought until she had nothing left.

Now, for the first time, she is safe.

She has warmth.
She has food.
She has care.
She has a second chance.

And with your support, we’ll continue to give dogs like Fox, and her sister, the future they all deserve.

💙💛 Thank you to all who helps us reach the forgotten animals of Ukraine.

👉 Donate here to help give more dogs like Fox a second chance: