Bronya’s story: What Older Dogs Deserve

This is Bronya. He is elderly. He is blind. And until very recently, he was living on the streets of Ukraine. Bronya could not see the danger coming. He could not defend himself. At this stage in his life, he should not have been fighting to survive. He should have been resting, safe and protected.

Instead, Bronya was attacked by other dogs. Younger, stronger dogs fighting over food and territory left him with a large, penetrating wound to his neck. Injured, frightened, and unable to escape, Bronya was left in a situation that could easily have, would probably have, cost him his life.

Thankfully, someone stopped to help. Passerby and animal lover Olga brought Bronya to the clinic, where he finally received the care he so desperately needed. It was there that vets also discovered he was suffering from liver problems, something that had gone unnoticed for far too long while he struggled to survive on the streets.

Bronya’s story is not unusual.

Across Ukraine and Romania, dogs wander the streets hungry and afraid, searching each day for food, shelter, and a place to feel safe. With so little to go around, fights break out, leaving many dogs injured and in pain. Those wounds are rarely treated, and what begins as something small can quickly become life-threatening. All the while, these dogs are exposed to harsh weather, illness, and constant danger.

For elderly dogs, this life is especially cruel. Their bodies are tired. Their senses fade. They can no longer run, compete, or defend themselves, yet they are still forced to face the same threats every day. Blind, sick, injured, or weakened dogs are left struggling to survive in a world that no longer shows them mercy.

Life on the streets is unforgiving. There is no safety, no rest, and no guarantee of another day. Without human help, many dogs suffer in silence until it is too late.

This is why intervention matters.

With support, dogs like Bronya can receive urgent medical care, relief from pain, and the chance to experience safety and kindness, sometimes for the first time in their lives. And when they really need it most. Without it, they are left to face hunger, injury, and fear alone.

Bronya should not have had to endure what he did. Neither should the many dogs still struggling to survive on the streets of Ukraine.

Your support reaches them through ROLDA and transforms their experience of this world.