Daria Pushkareva started off her career as a filmmaker but despite being proud of her job, the exhausting 15-hour working shifts often without days off forced her to change careers. She wanted a job that would reduce the intensity of her life and so, she chose photography. She invested all of her money into equipment and classes to perfect her skills.
Her efforts finally paid off as she became one of the top wedding photographers in Moscow, serving the elite businessmen and politicians who belonged to Russia’s wealthiest circle. But with just a few years in, she realized that she was still stuck in the same pit as before. She was still working long hours and she wasn’t getting any vacation simply because she was not allowing herself to get that much-needed rest.
That was the time that a childhood dream of hers to run a dog shelter suddenly came into mind. But since she didn’t have much time back then, she never pushed it and did what she could do best which was donating money and raising funds to find therapy and accommodation for dogs.
One day, she saw an article about a shelter puppy who did not have an eye and it needed $150 to book a consultation with an ophthalmologist. She met a volunteer and donated money for the treatment but unfortunately, no one could take the little puppy to the vet and get her checked. And a spark of an idea came upon her and her husband and moments later, they were off to take the furball themselves to the vet.
After that, the couple started rescuing and bringing in more dogs into their home. By the seventh time around, they wanted to get a dog who was in terrible condition that nobody would take it. They did find one, a 7-month-old puppy, and they took him home the same night. Unfortunately, the dog suffered from a craniocerebral trauma that caused him to act aggressively towards them and their six other dogs.
They went to dog specialists and behaviorists who either suggested they put him to sleep or give him away to someone outside the city who had space large enough for it to roam. The thought of giving him away didn’t settle right with Daria and so, she and her husband took out two loans and bought themselves a country house located 100 miles away from Moscow.
The couple moved in there with their dogs and built enclosures for them so that they could be able to run free and enjoy life. Though it wasn’t the same as her dream to run a dog shelter, Daria was already very happy to give a warm home to a couple of dogs. And four years later, their home is thriving and they have built a space large enough to take care of 200 animals which include dogs, foxes, raccoons, and many more.
It’s definitely difficult to maintain it but Daria wouldn’t have it any other way.
Source: Instagram via danka_pu