June 2025

Dear readers,

It's time again for a few lines that will hopefully bring you back to Finca Noah in your thoughts. 

 

 

In the summer of 2023, we rescued two older dogs from the Natura Park killing centre. The emergency call for the two came at the last minute. As is so often the case, Farah, you can help, otherwise they will die!

Seeing two old dogs vegetating in small cages in the summer heat breaks our hearts every time. So without thinking twice, we agreed to let them out of hell. Oskar, 14 years old, and his best friend little Otto, 16 years old. One heart and one soul. They were together for life, had a home together, a family together. We don't know why they were relinquished to Natura Park, all that matters to us is that they were together and gave each other the support they needed to get through the whole thing. Together we are strong, even in the animal kingdom. They were not in a good condition when they arrived. Many rotten teeth that made eating a painful ordeal, which eventually led to them refusing to eat. They were just skin and bones. After the dental operation, they both quickly got well again. We lovingly nursed them up and quickly found out what they enjoyed. Oskar, the shepherd dog - husky mix, did run with us when we took him for a walk through the fields in the neighbourhood, but he actually felt most comfortable at home. Instead of long walks, Oskar loved to run round and round the yard after breakfast. If his friend Otto ran too far away, Oskar would immediately fetch him back. Oskar was like a big friend, brother and family to Otto. He lived the protective instinct 100%. There were times when Oskar's age showed. But when children came to visit or when Oskar saw my son Juan, his heart opened up. Suddenly you had the impression that he was 10 years younger. It's so nice to see how happy animals can be. We always try to read animals that have had an uncertain past. To give them what they love so that they can leave their bad experiences behind them. 

Oskar and Otto were with us for two years. Two wonderful years, with love, attention and a feeling of security we were able to give them. On 6 June we had to take Oskar to the vet as an emergency. He could no longer walk on his own, his hind legs just didn't want to. Our suspicion that he had osteoarthritis due to his age was not confirmed. The diagnosis was much worse. A cancerous tumour had burst. If we hadn't realised immediately that it was serious, Oskar would have bled to death inside. Nevertheless, the vet saw no chance of helping him with an operation or medication. After 16 years, Oskar had to close his eyes forever. Juan accompanied him on his last journey, which was an important gesture for both of them. We are sure that Oskar's last thoughts were with his friend Otto. And Oskar is certainly watching from above every day to see how his friend is doing. As I write these lines from the bottom of my heart, the tears come again. I think this story will touch many of you in a similar way. Otto no longer understands the world, he misses his friend Oskar. Now we are asked to help him through this difficult time of loss and grief.