Introducing the Dogsters: Maja and Her Two Dogs, Lava & Hela

Maja is one of our in-house veterinarians and writers with almost 10 years of clinical experience working with a wide range of species, but now focusing solely on emergency and critical care of small animals – dogs and cats.

She is also a proud owner of two young crossbreed dogs, Lava and a Greek rescue Hela, both female, and a male cat called Miki. She lives in Croatia and loves to travel and spend time outdoors. Meet her pooches!

Since I was a child, I’ve always had dogs. Each and every one of them was special to me and made a dent in my heart when they left. I was particularly heartbroken in 2020 after losing my beloved German Shepherd cross, who was my rock for 10 years, to cancer. After that, I was not ready for another dog for what seemed to be the longest time. Until one little bundle of fluff entered my life in spring 2021 and changed everything. Her name is Lava.

Meet Lava

Lava was only a puppy when she came into my life. And it was the toughest bond to form, as she seemed to be the very opposite of everything my old dog was and everything I expected and needed from her at the time. She was energetic, confident, independent, naughty, mischievous, just so full of energy, and one of the most stubborn dogs I’ve ever had the chance to meet.

For the longest time ever, we struggled to bond and it often felt like it just wasn’t meant to be. It was genuinely the strangest relationship I’ve ever experienced with a dog. After almost 4 years, I learned to read her every quirk, got to know her personality inside and out, and have come to love her for the dog that she is. I can’t imagine my life without her, but it has been a tough road to get here.

Meet Hela – Greek Rescue

Hela is a totally different story. I adopted her in 2022 after doing a cat TNR programme in Greece. We found her in a local village, tied to a tree, without food or water. She was skin and bone, and in a terrible health condition. I hadn’t intended to get a second dog at that time, as Lava was a handful, to say the least, but I couldn’t turn a blind eye to this poor suffering animal.

So she joined my home soon after and although we are still getting to know each other, she has started to come out of her shell, showing the gentle soul that she is, with some minor mischief still well hidden deep within. We have not yet come to trust each other fully, but she has found a place to call her home and has bonded amazingly with Lava and my cat Miki.

Now, they seem like two regular, calm dogs, but I can assure you that they’re anything but that. If you are curious to hear how one puppy can drive you crazy, how to gain trust from a fearful rescue dog, how to avoid breaking your arm while walking a dog (yep, been there, done that), and how to have a balanced multi-dog and cat household (actually not that one), stay tuned for our adventures (and epic failures).