The story of “Autumn” is similar to that of many street dogs who must wander the alleys and roads in search of scraps of food, dodge passing cars to avoid being hit, evade stones thrown by children, or hide from people to prevent someone from calling the municipality to capture them and send them to nameless, unknown shelters.
Yes, the “Autumn” in our story didn’t have a name back then. No one had even noticed her or reported that a dog in the streets of Hashtgerd needed rescue and medical care. We were initially contacted about another dog. Kasra, one of Vafa’s dedicated volunteers, went to find that dog, but it wasn’t there. Instead, he came across this dog, which was suffering from a severe case of mange. Kasra decided to bring her to the shelter. In May 2024, Autumn arrived at the shelter with her wounded, hairless body. After four months of treatment and sterilization, the plan was to release her back to where she had been found. However, at that time, the situation for stray dogs was worse than ever. Reports of widespread dog roundups were pouring in, making us hesitant about releasing her. Around this time, one of Vafa’s supporters in Montreal, Canada, decided to adopt a dog from the shelter. We introduced her to this gentle and kind dog, and she agreed to adopt her. She named her “Autumn,” symbolizing, in a way, the third stage of her life: once living on the streets, then in the shelter, and now beginning her third chapter. On January 19, 2025, Autumn flew to Montreal, where Yasaman, her kind adopter, welcomed her at the airport. Autumn has since become housemates with Simba, an 11-year-old dog, and Shadow, a 5-year-old rescue from Vietnam. Her new family says they are delighted with her. They describe her as polite, kind, and intelligent — a surprising demeanor for a dog who has spent much of her life on the streets and in a shelter. We hope that one day, all dogs can find a home and a loving family. Here’s to hoping for that day.
