Jenya’s story, as told by Rusudan, our team member:

My boyfriend and I wanted to go up on a mountain peak, we’d been planning and waiting for the right weather for weeks. One early morning, we set out, and parked our car by a busy, completely unpopulated highway. Suddenly, I see a shivering dog. I said one kind word to her, so she decided to follow us on the hike.

We soon realized that she was not turning back. Climbing on the peak would be dangerous for her. So, my boyfriend waved his walking stick at her to scare her off. The dog ran away terrified, and I started crying like a baby. But she clearly wanted human company very badly. She came back, and we gave in. We decided to do an easier hike instead, one that wouldn’t be dangerous for the dog. 

The terrain was still very steep and stoney. It was clearly very painful on the dog’s feet, she kept whimpering. But she stuck with us till the very end. She didn’t even want our soggy sandwitches, she wanetd to spend time with us. The whole way up, she was terrified of our walking sticks—she had clearly been beaten by humans before. It was excruciating to watch.

Finally, we came back to the car. She ran into traffic so badly that we realized it was very dangerous to leave her here. Plus, we’d already cried our eyes out multiple times. So, we brought her with us and sent her to a paid foster home. 

We named her Jenya after a kickass Ukrainian rock climber, Jenya Kazbekova (whose last name should be related to mount Kazbek, the mountain behind Jenya in one of the photos below!). 

A week later, I visited Jenya. She was over the moon to see a familiar person. She was already a completely different dog—much more trusting and goofy! She drowned me in kisses and hugs. I don’t think I’ve even been this emotional. 

Personality: Jenya is just starting to regain trust in humanity. She’s always careful and timid around people, as if she expects them to suddenly erupt. But once someone gains her trust, she starts showering them with hugs and kisses. She’s very well-behaved, and barely makes a sound. Obviously, she also loves to wander on hikes. She gets along well with other dogs, but she’s a bit intimidated by seeing so many new and large dogs in her new foster home. Which is why we want to put her up for adoption as quickly as possible. We think she’d be perfect for an apartment, and she’d happily accompany her humans to outdoor adventures. Anyone who meets her immediately falls in love with her sweet soul. We can only imagine what she’s been through, and we want to give her the best life!

Good with cats and kids? She is good with kids; She was briefly tested with a cat, and she didn’t even pay attention to it.