Nikita

Nikita’s journey is nothing short of miraculous. When she arrived at the shelter in the dead of night, she was on the brink of death. Emaciated, every rib visible under her fragile skin, and completely overwhelmed by the thousands of ticks that had latched onto her body, she was barely hanging on. 

She was so weak, and her blood levels were dangerously low. Her teeth, or what remained of them, told another grim tale of neglect. She had only a few canines left; the rest were either broken or missing entirely. What had she gone through? What kind of life had left her so battered, so forgotten?

And yet, despite it all, her tail would wag—a sweet, almost unbelievable gesture of hope. Even after enduring unimaginable pain, Nikita’s spirit wasn’t completely crushed. She clung to that tiny bit of hope, showing love to those around her as if she knew deep down that kindness still existed in the world. It was her unwavering spirit that captured our hearts instantly. We could not give up on her—not after she had been failed for so long.

From the moment we took Nikita under our wing, we knew we had to act fast. We rushed her to the vet, where it became clear just how dire her condition was. Along with the severe malnutrition and anemia, Nikita was heartworm positive, had a painful ulcer in her eye, a mass in her stomach, a hole in her foot, and skin that had suffered untold damage. She was fighting for her life on multiple fronts, but Nikita wasn’t ready to give up, and neither were we.

After days of meticulous care, we removed every last tick from her body. Her journey began with small victories—her heart rate stabilizing, her HCT levels starting to rise, and her spirits lifting. Every day brought us a little closer to saving her life. 

In no time, only a matter of weeks, we saw the first signs of hope. Nikita’s HCT levels had more than doubled, and her eye ulcer had healed! These were monumental steps in the right direction, and we couldn’t have been more relieved. But we knew that her journey was far from over.

Just barely a week later marked a new challenge as Nikita began to decline again. Her immune system, weakened from years of neglect, was struggling to keep up. She developed dry eye and needed lifelong medication to manage it. She also battled another ulcer, a raging URI, and skin infections caused by her immune system’s inability to fight off infections. We treated her with new medications, a Cytopoint injection to relieve her itching, and continued giving her all the love and attention she deserved.

It was your outpouring of love and donations that kept us going and gave Nikita the fighting chance she needed. With your help, Nikita received every treatment, every test, and every dose of medication she required. And through it all, her sweet and gentle nature never wavered. Nikita, despite everything she’s been through, still loves with her whole heart. She adores Brody, the 8-year-old boy in her foster home, and sleeps curled up beside him every night, finding comfort in the safety and warmth she never had before.

By August 20th, Nikita was making incredible strides. Her eye ulcer had healed again, and she was now on two different prescription eye drops to help her produce tears—medication she’ll need for the rest of her life. Her skin was slowly healing, though it will take time, given the damage that years of neglect caused. With a new prescription shampoo and regular Cytopoint injections to combat her severe allergies, Nikita has found some relief. We are working tirelessly to get her fully healthy so she can start heartworm treatment and eventually be spayed. 

Her progress has been nothing short of miraculous, and it's all because of you. Thanks to your incredible generosity, Nikita has come so far from the desperate, defeated girl who walked into that shelter. She still has many hurdles to overcome, but now, she has a chance—a real chance—at the life she deserves. Every day, she grows stronger, and every day, she gets one step closer to a full recovery.

Nikita’s story is a testament to the power of love and compassion. We truly couldn’t have done this without you. You’ve given Nikita the chance to feel love, safety, and warmth. You’ve given her a bed to sleep in, regular meals, and, most importantly, the medical care that is slowly but surely saving her life. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for making this possible. We are so excited for this girl to continue on her recovery journey. You are truly Nikita’s heroes.