N. Raghuraman’s Column: Find a Trustworthy Person—and Surrender with Faith

He was a lean, black dog, hiding in the tall grass as bombs exploded around him. The blasts terrified him, but he kept crawling forward through the ruins of war-torn Ukraine. No one knew how long he had been wandering alone—until one cold November afternoon when he finally emerged from the wreckage near the Russia-Ukraine border.

There, two foreign fighters—a former Canadian soldier and his companion—had built a small hideout amid the devastation. When the frail dog approached them, his ribs showing and eyes filled with exhaustion, the soldiers hesitated. Animals could draw attention and endanger their position. Yet, something stopped them from driving him away.

When one of them gently touched the dog’s cheek, the animal rolled onto his back, belly up, paws moving in the air—a universal sign of trust. To anyone familiar with pets, this simple act meant: “I trust you.”

The Canadian soldier had been stationed at the front since March 2024. From that moment, the dog stayed with them, sleeping at the trench entrance and following them everywhere. When explosions roared, he would hide behind them, trembling—but never leaving. His loyalty said it all: “No matter what happens, I’m staying with you.”

The soldier didn’t realize it then, but this encounter was the start of a new mission. Soon, he helped rescue the dog from the war zone. The journey brought together a network of compassionate strangers—Canadian, Polish, Bulgarian, and others—united by a shared sense of humanity.

Through a series of selfless efforts, the dog eventually reached Canada. In his new home amid the snowy plains of Edmonton, he was named Donbas, after the region he came from. Despite his size, Donbas was gentle, calm, and full of gratitude.

Many had warned the soldier that saving the dog could risk his own life, but he refused to abandon a creature that had placed such pure faith in him. His mission as a soldier ended when an evacuation truck arrived, carrying him and Donbas to safety.

Their rescue story connected people from across borders—like filmmaker Patrick Lundin, Polish volunteer Justin Treslewicz, and Bulgarian animal rescuer Petya Petrova—each playing a part in bringing Donbas home. Eleven days later, a video of Donbas joyfully running through the snow arrived in their inboxes—a symbol of hope, trust, and survival.

The lesson? In moments of chaos or fear, be like Donbas. Identify the person you can truly trust—and surrender with faith. Sometimes, salvation begins not with strength, but with trust