Sparrow is a pit bull and his long road to recovery started in May 2022 when Soha Al-Awadhi discovered him lying on the roadside.
Al-Awadhi is a volunteer at the Bahrain Animal Rescue Center. She told Newsweek: “I received a pin location and a short video of a dog walking at a distance accompanied by an urgent request for help from a woman who, although very concerned, genuinely apologized that she simply would not be able to afford vet bills or take the dog in.”
Picture of Sparrow, a pit bull, just after being rescued by Soha Al-Awadhi from Bahrain Animal Rescue Center, left, and a picture of Sparrow after receiving months of medical treatment. “This temperament is sweet and loving and a total cuddle bug,” Al-Awadhi told Newsweek. Soha Al-Awadhi
Despite housing 357 dogs at the rescue center, Al-Awadhi said she could not leave the animal in need and approached the location.
“I followed the pin, lowering my window and asking people if they had seen the dog in question and circling the area with eyes peeled and my heart sinking,” she said. After over half an hour of searching for the injured dog, Al-Awadhi said she was ready to give up when a child chased her down the street and said he had found the dog.
“And there, on the side of the road was Sparrow. Laying on his side, covered in dirt and barely breathing, I honestly thought I was too late,” she said.
Wrapping the injured pooch in a towel, she carried his body to the car and frantically drove to the nearest vet—sobbing as she drove.
“Sparrow was starving, anemic, and his wounds—which were about a week old—severely infected. He was given antibiotics and a pain killer, and the next day a decision was made to sedate and start cleaning the wounds,” recalled Al-Awadhi.
Sparrow where he was discovered on the roadside, seriously injured, left, and a picture of Sparrow now with his foster family awaiting movement to his new foster home in Canada, right. Soha Al-Awadhi
Bahrain Animal Rescue Center is the largest no-kill shelter on the island. With over 350 dogs and 150 cats in a space that should only safely accommodate half that number, they are overwhelmed.
But things are looking up for Sparrow. By September, he was ready to be discharged from the vet. However, his facial wound had still not fully healed and he could not be taken to the shelter because of the infection risk.
“Rory had been working with me to rehome two other dogs from Bahrain,” said Al-Awadhi. “When she heard Sparrow’s story, she did not hesitate for a moment to offer her help in rehoming him in Canada.”
“It’s been a long road for this boy, and it’s taken the hard work and dedication of many people along the way to get him to where he is—safe, loved, and out of the wretched life he was born into.”