A dog in Ukraine which was subjected to a vile acid attack which left her blind has been rehomed in the UK.
Liam Stratton, a student who was studying in Dnipro, was volunteering at a local animal shelter when he came across mixed-breed Lucy.
Unable to get Lucy off his mind, Liam, a dentistry student from Glasgow, visited the shelter a number of times before finally adopting her in October 2021.
However, when war broke out in Ukraine Liam ,37, had to leave to return to the UK, leaving Lucy in foster care.
Liam said: “There were probably about 20-30 animals at the shelter being cared for, but Lucy looked like she needed the most help because she was fully blind.
“I wasn't even intending on adopting a dog in Ukraine but I'm a big dog lover and when I left the shelter, she was on my mind a lot.
“I went back to the shelter a couple of times to meet her properly and spend some time with her, and after falling in love with her, decided to adopt her.
“In March when the war started, we had to leave. I left Lucy back at the shelter as I wasn't sure if I could bring her back into the UK at the time and she went to stay with a foster carer.
After a few months, Lucy’s carer decided to leave Ukraine for the UK, so Liam helped ensure they got visas.
Liam then went to meet them in Berlin before travelling by train back to Calais, in a journey which took about five days.
He continued: "Generally, animals aren't treated very well over there; there's a lot of stray dogs on the street and I think Lucy was a stray before being attacked.
"Someone had apparently thrown acid over her, and she had to have both eyes removed as a result. She also has a scar on her neck.
"There was some guidance on pets from Ukraine by the UK government, so even though she had to go into quarantine, the costs were covered. Lucy spent about four months in isolation.
Liam, who’s had Lucy for about a year now, revealed she’s adapting to life in the UK tremendously, and acts like any other normal dog.
He continued: "She’s a very sweet dog and very gentle. She loves cuddles and attention. She's also very calm and is happy just chilling in her bed or sitting outside in the garden.
"She can still do lots of normal things such as walks and playing, but she has to be on the lead at all times. Understandably, she doesn’t like loud noises.
"My family all love her to bits as do the general public.
“When she's on her walk people often come up to me and ask about her eyes, but there's also been a really positive response online.
“A lot of people were interested to hear her story on TikTok which has helped me to raise £500 for the shelter where she was originally from."
