This Famous Photographer Left Her Career To Live In A Forest With 100 Sick Dogs
Sometimes, to find yourself, you have to get lost first. Daria Pushkareva had a successful working career in Moscow, but her “workaholic” outlook on life made her more miserable every day. However, all this began to change when Daria decided to devote her time and money to needy animals.
“I was in the top five of Moscow wedding photographers. My clients were mostly elite businessmen and politicians. Intelligent and cultivated people, who changed my perception of rich Russians for the better,” said Daria Pushkareva.
“Before becoming a photographer, I worked for six years in the film industry. I’ve contributed to creating films and series, and I’m very proud. My whole life in film production was something that left me exhausted, I worked 15-hour shifts with no days off for 2 weeks.”
“I became a photographer because I wanted to reduce the intensity of my life. I invested my money in photographic equipment and classes to perfect my skills. But I ended up the same way. Without a vacation, without giving me the rest I desperately needed. I locked myself into work and my only joy was to create impressive photos. I realized that I was addicted to work, I would always rather do or create something than relax.
“Then I remembered my childhood and when my classmates and I were talking about our future careers, I said I wanted to run a dog shelter. I grew up without a father and my mother worked very hard, so I never had a dog. It took me a long time to get one, when I was making movies I was very involved in helping animals. I donated my money and volunteered on forums, doing things like finding therapy for the dogs, housing and fundraising. I didn’t have any free time then, so this was the best I could do.”
“One day I read an article about a puppy without one eye. He needed 10,000 rubles ($150) to go to the ophthalmologist. I met a volunteer in person to give her the money for the dog’s treatment, and she thanked me, but told me they couldn’t take the dog to the vet because there was no one there to do it at the time”.
“I was there with my husband. We looked at each other and said we could do it. At that moment, everything seemed simple. The owner of the shelter put a ball of flea-eaten hair in my lap. Was that a puppy?”
Soon, the couple began rescuing one dog after another. “We wanted a seventh dog, one that was so unwell that no one would want to adopt it. We found one like that in Krasnodar. The dog was 7 months old and that same night he started to throw our other 6 dogs to the ground. The nightly fights were endless, and although we took him to a trainer, it was no use. He was howling, tearing up the floor and being aggressive. It turns out he had a head injury, which made him see mirages of all kinds, and he could have attacked at any time.”
“At that point, I was afraid to leave the house. The dog was attacking us, jumping on our necks and faces. The dog expert said it had to stop, suggesting we put it down, but my husband managed to put a muzzle on it.”
“We asked if we could give training another chance, but the specialist said that despite extensive training, any small thing could make him jump, any unexpected stressful situation. I asked him if there was anything I could do to make the dog happy, and he suggested that we give the dog away, to someone who lives out of town with a lot of space.”
“Said and done, we took out a couple of loans and bought ourselves a country house 100 miles from Moscow. We moved there with our dogs. We built 6 fences for our rescued dogs and started living a new and different life.”
“However, I would not consider our house a shelter. In the shelters there are volunteers and more people who contribute to the welfare of animals who are constantly coming in and out. We, on the other hand, have our dogs, love them and dedicate our lives to them. They are our family, they will stay with us and we will not give them to anyone.”
“We’ve said goodbye to our comfortable life and we’re fine with it. I feel free and I don’t waste my life, but I spend my time on something meaningful. I help these animals and I really enjoy it. If we gave them to someone else I would worry that they wouldn’t get enough space, food and love.”
“However, I would not consider our house a shelter. In the shelters there are volunteers and more people who contribute to the welfare of animals who are constantly coming in and out. We, on the other hand, have our dogs, love them and dedicate our lives to them. They are our family, they will stay with us and we will not give them to anyone.”
“We’ve said goodbye to our comfortable life and we’re fine with it. I feel free and I don’t waste my life, but I spend my time on something meaningful. I help these animals and I really enjoy it. If we gave them to someone else I would worry that they wouldn’t get enough space, food and love.”
