Nika Todua and Irina Liklikadze were strolling down a busy street in Rustavi, a city in Georgia's eastern European country, last October when they discovered a little lump of fur on the sidewalk. They got closer and discovered it was a little, defenseless dog.
The dog, who appeared to be approximately a month old, didn't move a muscle and appeared to be dead. When Todua and Liklikadze, both volunteers with the Animal Friends dog rescue organization, stroked the puppy, they felt her small body move with her faint breath.
"It was upsetting since she was so frail and going to die," Todua explained to The Dodo. "She was hungry, thirsty, and infested with worms... and she was really gentle."
Todua added that the rescuers snatched up the puppy before she was hit by a car, which is a regular destiny for pets in Rustavi. They tried to find the puppy's mother because she was too little and young to be on her own, but when they chatted with some locals, they learnt the puppy's tragic story.
"We were told that this small puppy's mother was struck by a vehicle," Todua explained. "We have no idea what became of her siblings and sisters."
The women brought the puppy home, began treating her malnutrition and parasites, and attempted to encourage her to eat some food. She weighed barely around half a pound at the time and sorely needed to gain weight.
They named her E.T. after the film of the same name because, in their perspective, she resembled an extraterrestrial rather than a puppy.
But, with each passing day, E.T. became stronger and healthier, and she began to resemble a dog rather than an extraterrestrial. And nine months later, E.T. had nearly doubled in height and weight, and she's now enjoying a totally different existence than she was when she first hit the streets.
"She stays with one of our organization's members," Todua explained. "She enjoys playing, going on walks, and eating. It's amusing, because she enjoys eating cucumber and pumpkin. She's a really content puppy."
Every year, Todua rescues and feeds a large number of stray dogs, but E.T.'s story has lingered with her.
"The most heartwarming and emotional aspect of this rescue was her transition from a sick and weak puppy to a cheerful dog," Todua remarked.
Where is she
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