(Originally posted on FB)
While walking along the waterfront from where I’m staying in Croatia over to the next town, we came upon three puppies who were wandering along a vacant area close to the port. They were super friendly and walked right up to us, tails wagging. At first we figured that they were with their mom or with somebody who was fishing by the beach. But the more we investigated, the fishier things looked. Plus the puppies looked a bit thin and thirsty.
Upon further investigation, we found another puppy under a parked van, dead. It was now clear that they had been left abandoned in this not-too-heavily-trafficked part of the town’s waterfront, on a particularly hot, dry day.
We went over to a nearby restaurant and told the guy working the bar about what we found. He at first didn’t seem willing to be bothered by it. But over the next few minutes, he offered to give me a box and some water to give them. We went back to gather the puppies and gave them the much needed water. I put them in the box, which they didn’t seem too hot for, but figured it was for a good reason. We decided to walk back towards where I was staying, literally asking every person we saw along the way if they knew who we can contact or if there was an animal shelter nearby.
A couple of guys working on a boat close by, got on their phones and located the nearest shelter. It was about 25 miles away. They gave me the name of the place and the town it was in.
We walked by a bar and some people sitting outside immediately noticed the puppies, but were not willing to help us find a way to get them there. We walked by an old guy who previously tried to get me into a restaurant, he couldn’t be bothered. As we walked up along the waterfront, most people gawked and gazed at us, and couldn’t understand what a couple of tourists were doing with three puppies in a box. But not a peep from anybody.
Walked by another restaurant, where two waiters were outside taking a smoke break. We told them the story and asked them if they can help. One of them said he knew a lady in town who coordinated and volunteered with the shelter. He told me he’d get her number, and tells me to wait. A few minutes later, he comes back with the number and tells me what to say and do. We head back to the apt building I’m staying at, and ask the owner lady if she can call the people for me. She doesn’t speak the lingo, and is a bit bothered by the fact that I brought three abandoned puppies to her place, but calls for her husband. He also doesn’t speak very good English, so he calls for his son.
In the meantime, a German family staying next door saw the puppies and the two kids come downstairs to have a look. The boy particularly comes to like the brown and black one (in the pictures). The mom comes down and talks to us, we tell the story. She talks to the kids and they ponder the idea of taking one of the puppies back home with them. I put my best sales skills to close the deal while the owner’s son calls the phone number.
He gets a hold of the lady, who then gets on the horn with a vet who’s working with the shelter who just happens to be in the neighboring town. She tells him he’ll be over in 10-15 minutes.
I’m still pitching the German family on adopting one of the pups. They seem all for it. The sticking point is that they have to fly him home. I overcome the objection. 
I tell her it will probably cost them about 40 euros for that and they’ll be able to take him into the cabin with them. No biggie. They now seem even keener on the idea.
While waiting, they give the puppies some leftover mortadela, which they devour in minutes. After what was probably their first meal in at least 1-2 days, they all go down for apparently much-needed naps.
The vet guy shows up about 20 minutes later, with pet carrier in hand. He tells the German family that he needs to check out the pups before they can take him, he gives them his contact info, and they tell him they will call him in the next day or two. I think we have closed the deal.
He tells me that the other two, provided they’re healthy, should have no problem getting homed as they’re young pups. I almost cry as we put them in the carrier to get hauled off. A rescue job well done in the name of my dear departed Lucy, who was saved by a total stranger about three years ago.
After he drove off, we went back to where the dead puppy was, and gave him as decent a burial as we can with our limited tools and resources.
I tell this story not to gloat about our good deed. I tell it because these helpless puppies could have been saved by any of what were easily dozens of people who walked by them or saw them over the time they had been left stranded on that waterfront gravel street. Surely other people saw them or noticed them, but couldn’t be bothered. Anybody could have done what we did, if not better.
It only took a couple of people who were willing to take just a few minutes out of their day to ascertain the situation and take action to save three very sweet, trusting puppies who deserved to be treated better than this. I’m only sorry that we didn’t get involved soon enough to save the one that died.
Interesting epilogue: The three people who took a moment to help us at whatever level they can each asked me about the puppies when I walked by them later. It was easy to see that they were maybe affected and/or bothered by what they had learned. I gave them all the good news, thanked each of them for their help and told them that they had made a difference.
It really doesn’t take that much effort or time to make a real difference, and even if it does, isn’t it worth it?
Don’t be a spectator. Get involved and pay it forward too. 
