A pregnant dog in Russia is being lauded for her acute alertness after she helped save four elderly patients from a blaze that broke out at a private hospice centre in Russia. The dog, however, suffered severe burns during the incident. Now, people around the city have joined hands to raise money to help with the dog’s medical treatment.

Earlier this month, a fire broke out at a private hospice centre in Leningrad region near St. Petersburg, Russia. The dog, Matilda, barked loudly to alert the four residents, who were evacuated in the nick of time from the burning wooden building by firefighters and taken away in ambulances.

Although the people were rescued due to Matilda’s quick response, by mistake the firefighters forgot about the pooch, who was left behind inside the burning structure and on a leash. “During the hustle and bustle, everyone forgot about the dog named Matilda, who was on a leash. Motya, as she is affectionately called, could not escape the fire, she was badly burned,” reported Russian media outlet SPB.

The caregivers are working hard to heal her severe burns while also caring for her pups. (Source: spbvasilek/vk.com)

Hours later, when a TV journalist’s broadcast showed the dog severely injured, winching in pain, Petersburg animal rights activists and volunteers Alexander Tsinkevich and Elena Kalinina rushed to the site and rescued it.They brought the injured dog to Sotnikov’s clinic and shelter, where upon examination they found the canine to be pregnant. A statement from the shelter said, “Matilda’s face, neck and abdomen were severely burned. Her muzzle remained completely naked, only burnt skin is visible. Her abdomen, in which the kids are, also looks creepy.”“She was checked over by a fertility specialist who looked at her for a very long time and carefully studied the puppies. They are all alive and developing well,” Daily Star reported.

The dog is expected to give birth next week. (Source: spbvasilek/vk.com)

With the help of people’s contribution, the shelter is posting regular updates about the dog’s progress saying she is ready to give birth any time next week. However, Matilda might not be able to feed her babies right away as her abdomen and nipples are heavily burnt.

After the fire, the hospice owner was not able to take care of the dog due to injury, local reports added. However, back at the clinic, vets and volunteers are helping the pooch recover fast.

Dog

A dog is a mammal in the order Carnivora.

The history of dogs is an old tale indeed. You could say as long as there has been civilisation, there have been records of humans and dogs. Dogs were domesticated from wolves around 15,000 years ago. New evidence suggests that dogs were first domesticated in East Asia, possibly China. Over time, the dog has developed into hundreds of breeds with a great degree of variation.

Dogs, like humans, are highly social animals and this similarity in their overall behavioural pattern accounts for their trainability, playfulnes and ability to fit into human households and social situations. This similarity has earned dogs a unique position in the realm of interspecies relationships.

The loyalty and devotion that dogs demonstrate as part of their natural instincts as pack animals closely mimics the human idea of love and friendship, leading many dog owners to view their pets as full-fledged family members.

The common name for the domestic dog is ‘Canis familiaris‘, a species of the dog family ‘Canidae‘. The dog is generally considered the ‘first’ domesticated animal.

Dogs can differ in appearance, function, temperament and size. Some small dogs can weigh as little as 1.5 pounds, whereas some larger dogs can weigh as much as 200 pounds. Depending on the country, there are about 138 officially recognised dog breeds, categorised into 7 different groups.

Dogs fill a variety of roles in human society and are often trained as working dogs. For dogs that do not have traditional jobs, a wide range of dog sports provide the opportunity to exhibit their natural skills.

It is estimated that for more than 12,000 years the dog has lived with humans as a hunting companion, protector and friend. A dog is one of the most popular pets in the world and has been referred to as ‘mans best friend’. Whether you are poor or rich, a dog will be faithful and loyal to you and love you to bits.

A pet dog will fit easily into family life and environment, they of course need caring for as any other pet – feeding, grooming, bathing and when ill, will need a visit to the vets. Dogs thrive on affection and will happily wag its tail when showered with love and attention. Dogs will also sit and sulk if they get told off for doing something wrong.