Our home has always been full of adopted souls. I’m a proud mom to three cats, two adopted girls… and one “non-adopted” dog, the odd one out.

Then came Mela.

She had survived Spartan conditions, if you could even call it that. Her former “owner” wanted a dog… until he didn’t. Out of sight, out of mind – Mela was left in a cold, dark shed. Her food? A dry crust of bread thrown in every now and then.

Thanks to an intervention by the police and Labradory.info, Mela was rescued just in time. Terrified, barely alive, with chemical burns on her hindquarters, she traveled across half of Poland to reach safety. What followed was a whirlwind of tests, needles, IVs, and visits to vet clinics – a flurry of people who, for the first time in her life, didn’t hit her. Who didn’t scream.

People who cared.

For the first time ever, Mela had her own food bowl. A walk.

A warm blanket to sleep under.

I had no idea what she’d been through.

It was around my birthday, and I decided I wanted to give one more dog a home. I searched and searched… until I found Labradory.info. A big dog? No problem. We had a big yard and already had one labrador.

I filled out the application. Some time later, the volunteers contacted me about a dog they thought would be a good match: a blonde lab named Mela.

Then I read her story – the “shed dog.”

When I finished reading, I was crying, heartbroken… and sure.

Mela had stolen my heart.

There were many other families who wanted to adopt her.

We had a home check from a lovely woman. But we were worried – Mela was 330 kilometers away. We feared that distance would be the deal-breaker.

But it wasn’t. We were chosen.

When we arrived to pick her up, my daughter was already waiting.

It was love at first sight – seeing her in real life only made it stronger.

Mela went wild. So did we.

The documents were ready. One signature, two… and Mela was ours.

Forever.

When we got home, introductions began. Sniffing. Tail wags.

A few hours later, our bed was occupied by two labradors and one pointer…

We had the dog bed.

The other dogs accepted her instantly – which shocked us.

We were prepared for a difficult adjustment. Instead, there was harmony from the start.

Mela, though two years old, acts like a puppy. She’s probably making up for a lost childhood.

She’s everywhere – repotting plants, borrowing kitchen towels to “clean the yard.”

And in the evenings? She climbs on our laps (yes, all 44 kg of her).

But the moment that gets us the most is that look during cuddles –

as if to say, “Wait… you mean this is real? You mean I’m safe now?”

Sadly, her past caught up with her.

One morning, she couldn’t stand up. We rushed to the vet – a herniated disc.

We began short leash walks to avoid strain.

Just as we got past that, something else struck.

Seizures. At first, it was unclear – epilepsy? A neurological disorder? A brain injury caused by her past?

Thanks to Labradory.info and the many kind people who supported us – thank you again from the bottom of my heart – we took Mela to a specialist clinic in Wrocław.

And then… good news.

It was epilepsy – not a tumor.

I cried from relief.

Since that visit, she’s been on treatment. And there have been no more seizures.

One of the most important things my husband and I wanted to teach our children was empathy and love for animals.

We did it. One hundred percent.

I’m sure our kids will someday rescue a soul in need.

And I wouldn’t be surprised if we do it again ourselves.