It seems that man's cruelty to other creatures knows no bounds. Six years ago, a woman in northern Israel saw something unimaginable. A car ahead of her suddenly opened a window and flung a young puppy out into the traffic. Before the woman could pull over to get to the dog, it was hit several times by passing cars.
An urgent call to Let The Animals Live in Tel Aviv was the first step as she frantically worked to save the puppy. Fortunately, the rescue agreed to take the pup in.
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The injured puppy, later named Ben-Ben by rescuers, was absolutely terrified—and who wouldn't be after such an experience? Shevach Appel, a spokesperson for the shelter, said, “He'd flinch whenever anyone held out their hand to pet him. He was very sore and sad.”
His hind legs had been totally crushed from being run over by the cars. Vets said they were completely paralyzed. Ben-Ben would never walk like a normal dog. But that didn't slow him down! Once he decided he could trust people, learning to walk in a wheelchair was a snap. He could now run around with the other dogs.
Ben-Ben spent two years in the shelter. People came and went, always choosing dogs that didn't have his problems. The main drawback to adopting Ben-Ben was that the paralysis meant he had no control over his bowels. And no one wanted to take on the responsibility of a dog that needed a diaper.
Noya Nardimon was one of the workers who took care of the dogs at Let The Animals Live. She had close connections with many of the dogs there, some even longer than Ben-Ben. Still, she decided to give him a forever home. “I remember falling in love with Ben-Ben the minute I saw him and he looked at me with those clever eyes of his,” Nardimon said. She knew that finding someone to adopt him with his special needs was more than a long shot, so she decided to make him her own.
Eventually, the specialist Nordimon took Ben-Ben to suggested amputating his back legs. The hope was that he would be able to move more freely without the dead weight from his useless legs dragging behind him. The results of the surgery were just what was needed for Ben-Ben to be able to get around better, both in the wheelchair and out.
Now Ben-Ben and his mom enjoy going on jaunts for hours on end through the streets of the city where they live. He loves nothing more than to greet new people everywhere he goes. He's not the only special needs furbaby Nordimon has taken into her home, either. There are several cats, who get along famously with him.
He also has a 10-year-old sister, adopted just like him. Together, they make a happy, warm and welcoming family. “I've raised a lot of dogs in my life but he is really the smartest, happiest dog I've ever known,” Nardimon said. “He has an endless joy for life, and when you think of everything he's been through, it's truly admirable."
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What do you think? Are you as disgusted with the cruelty evident in some people, but also awestruck by the caring, compassionate ones like Nardimon, as I am? If so, share this story. And if you're looking for a charity to donate money to this season, please consider Let The Animals Live.