Tender Queen

The story of Gerda, the most famous street dog in Yerevan, who suffers from cancer

“We saw a legend!” - eyewitnesses usually say this about Gerda, the most famous street dog in Yerevan. She is very big, very beautiful and very kind. As an Armenian landmark, it even has a mark on Yandex Maps. People who were lucky enough to meet Gerda give her five stars and write in “Reviews”: “Honey! The pride of our city!”, “Very cute dog. Waits for the green light to cross the street. Very civilized”, “10/10”, “It’s just a bulldozer in the world of dogs”...

In early January, a message appeared on Yandex Maps that Gerda “is now a homemade bun: no longer a landmark, but a beloved family member.” In other words, Gerda now has owners and a home. Meeting her on Mashtots Avenue, where she usually lay relaxed, became much more difficult. This is, whatever one may say, good news.

But there is also a bad thing: in December, doctors gave the four-legged Armenian legend a disappointing diagnosis - osteosarcoma. This is an aggressive, malignant bone tumor and the most common bone tumor in dogs, especially in older large breeds. It often affects the extremities: it causes severe pain, lameness, swelling and bone destruction, quickly metastasizes (often to the lungs) and requires complex treatment that includes surgery and chemotherapy. The prognosis for treatment, depending on the location and stage, is often unfavorable, but there are cases where, with proper therapy, dogs with this diagnosis managed to extend their life by five years.

The fact that Gerda fell ill was reported on social networks by animal rights activists Ovsanna Hovsepyan, who founded and heads the non-governmental organization (NGO) Dingo Team in Yerevan, and Armine Ambartsumyan, who remotely helps homeless animals in Armenia, since she has recently lived and worked in Montreal. Watching the video attached to the news, in which the huge, always quiet and thoughtful Gerda squeals loudly in pain when male volunteers try to help her stand on her paws, is painful.

By the way, Gerda was taken from the street and transported to their Yerevan house by Armine Ambartsumyan’s relatives - mother (her name is Gayane), father (Grachik) and sister Lusine. In addition to Gerda, seven dogs and seven cats now live with them.

Gerda knows the Ambartsumyan house well: when she was healthy and moved effortlessly, she came to spend the night with them almost every day for the last seven years. It all started with the friendship of this wonderful dog and Armine.

“It was in 2018,” says Armine Ambartsumyan. — My first dog died, I was experiencing a terrible depression: I bought meat, walked along the streets of Yerevan and treated every stray dog, as if I was looking for my Bina in their eyes. One day on Tumanyan Street I saw Gerda, who did not yet have this name. Next to her was an absolutely terrible man: he held her by the ears and shook her, and the big beautiful Gerda made heartbreaking sounds. I immediately rushed to protect the dog, I even had to fight with this man, a real nightmare! I managed to snatch Gerda from his hands, after which I bought her a khorovats and said: “This is from Bina for you.” Well, then she herself followed me to my house. We became friends. And Gerda began to come to spend the night in our yard every day.

- Did you call her Gerda? In honor of the heroine of Andersen's fairy tale?

“I gave the name, but Andersen had nothing to do with it. I studied Spanish, and I liked the sound of the Spanish word guerra, which means “war.” Gerda is very large, strong and strong-willed. I wanted to come up with a beautiful name for her that would reflect these virtues. But I didn’t want to call it “war.” And then I decided to slightly change the Spanish word I liked: this is how the name Gerda appeared.

I took Gerda to the park near Mashtots Avenue, next to the Margaryan Hospital, and took her under my wing. I then worked at the VivaCell company and, when I returned home from the office, I fed stray dogs - near the Opera, on Northern Avenue, on Pushkin and Saryan streets.

At the same time, I was looking for families for these dogs, often in other cities. To date, I have found homes in Canada for 253 dogs - now they live with wonderful families in Montreal, Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary and even on the island of Newfoundland! And I sent more than 50 dogs to other countries - Germany, France, Holland, Great Britain, USA.

Two and a half years ago I flew to Canada to visit “my” dogs. I liked this country so much that I decided to stay longer.

- Who did you leave Gerda with?

- For your family. They fed her and gave her Previcox, which I continued and continue to buy for Gerda after one accident. This happened four years ago: Gerda jumped unsuccessfully and tore the cruciate ligaments of the knee joint in both hind legs.

I treated her for a long time. I watched my diet. You know, it seems to me that if I had stayed in Yerevan, Gerda would be in much better shape now. I'll show you a photo and you'll see how slim she was. It was absolutely forbidden for her to gain weight! But, unfortunately, my family didn’t have time to watch her the way I did. I forbade people from treating her to donuts, pies, matnakash, pizza - whatever they fed her! Well then...

I believe that it was because of these treats that Gerda (and she cannot refuse food) gained excess weight. People, wishing Gerda good, did her harm.

— Were you also looking for a family for Gerda?

- Yes. Nothing worked out due to financial problems. Gerda is a very large dog; such dogs are not allowed into the cabin along with passengers. It was necessary to organize a flight for her as a cargo (cargo) delivery, that is, make a custom-made ventilated container that meets the standards of the International Air Transport Association (IATA): the dog in this container should be able to sit, lie, stand and turn around. With all the documents and tickets, the cost of such a delivery from Armenia to Canada would cost Gerda $4,000-$5,000. I didn't have that kind of money.

— May I know who and where you work?

— I am an economist by profession and work remotely as a project manager in a telecommunications company. Now in Montreal I have a second job: in a beauty salon I am a makeup and permanent tattoo artist. My sister Lusine and I have loved to draw since childhood, but only Lusine became a professional artist.

— Do you think there are dogs in Yerevan today that are as popular as Gerda’s?

— Gerda is beyond competition. In second place is the Stool. Most often you can meet her on Northern Avenue; she used to live near the Moskvichka store, which is now called Parma. Small and thick, in outline - a real stool! Kind, funny dog. From those whom I and my family members also feed. But we don't only feed homeless dogs. We periodically give anthelmintics, treat him against fleas, and take him for grooming in the spring or summer. This is very expensive, but necessary: ​​it is important to me that the dogs that I and my loved ones care for look well-groomed. To make them feel good, don’t itch. And so that people don’t tell them: “What a dirty dog, go away!” Now my relatives are doing this, I only earn money and send it.

— Do you call your loved ones every day?

“I call both Lusine and my parents every day. I'm up to date with all the news. I am immensely grateful to my family for their help with Gerda, as well as to Ovsanna Hovsepyan from Dingo Team. Ovsanna helps raise funds for Gerda’s treatment, looks for volunteers and supervises their work with Gerda every day: we constantly need help either transporting our giantess to the clinic or accompanying her on walks. I am very grateful to Ovsanna, doctors and all the volunteers!

I also talked with Ovsanna Hovsepyan.

— The results of Gerda’s latest tests showed that there are no metastases in her lungs. This means that she can live on painkillers and live a long time, says Ovsanna.

— What kind of pills does Gerda need?

“She constantly needs the drug Previcox, which is very expensive: a “portion” for a month costs 87,000 drams. But this is her chance to live without pain. Gerda also needs special dry food and pates for weight loss Monge Obesity. Now she really misses her long walks in the center of Yerevan, but she can’t walk for long yet. I hope that Gerda will lose weight and her walks will become longer again.

— Is it known what breeds of dogs were Gerda’s ancestors?

“She definitely has closest relatives among the Armenian Gamprs.” I find it difficult to say what other breeds were mixed in it.

— Previously, a small red dog always walked next to Gerda. Is this her friend?

- This is her friend, the little dog Fox. He continues to walk around the center of Yerevan, but visits Gerda every day, since he is also fed in the Ambartsumyan house.

— Ovsanna, which of the Yerevan dogs do you think is as famous as Gerda?

“No one can compare with Gerda’s popularity.”

Aisylu Kadyrova

PS On February 17, Gerda jan died. It happened suddenly.

I would like to believe that Gerda died without suffering. And the fact that she left a bright memory of herself is undeniable.