The Unusual Story of Čeda the Dog Will Touch Your Heart.

That social networks can be a very useful tool is confirmed by yesterday's event in Čačak. Naturally, in keeping with this portal, the main character is a dog named Čeda. A dog born under a lucky star! There are many groups and pages on Facebook devoted to rehoming abandoned dogs and cats, and to posting notices about lost pets. We are often in two minds about whether to post, whether there is any point, what the chances are of the pet being found, what the chances are of a “nobody's” dog becoming “somebody's”. Čeda the dog and his story restore our hope that there is a chance. You just have to persist. Never give up. Never think you are being a nuisance, and never let anyone convince you there is no chance. At the end of October last year, our fellow townswoman Ana posted a photo of a dog that had gone missing at the end of September. There were a few tips, but none of those dogs was Čeda. Ana persisted, she shared the appeal and the photo, and we saw Čeda's little face from happier days on our feeds at least twice a month. Čeda etched himself into our memory. And then, a few days ago, our fellow townswoman Jelena went to Vrnjačka Banja to collect a dog that Avenija MB had caught in Čačak. Naturally, she could not help “casting an eye” over the other sad-eyed friends behind the bars. One dog looked familiar to her. As if she had seen him somewhere. But the dog had been caught in Gornji Milanovac in mid-March. Jelena did not give up either. What followed was scrolling through her phone, looking for the photo, comparing, contacting Ana… Čeda finally came home! They say the reunion with his owner was priceless. And for us too, the Facebook crowd, the internet witnesses, our hearts danced, our day was brightened and began with a smile. What happened to Čeda during all these months, how he survived the cold winter, only he knows. And maybe one day he will manage to tell his owner everything. Thank you, Čeda, through your ordeal you taught us several important things. Dogs must be microchipped, not only because it is the owner's legal obligation, but also because when a dog gets lost there is a better chance that the people who find him will learn who the owner is. You should never give up, a dog should be posted on many pages, because you never know which road fate has led or driven him down. All of us two-legged creatures must set aside our disagreements, we must cast off our vanity, we must be together on as many pages and in as many groups as possible. To remember as many sad dog eyes as possible, and to recognise them one day in places where we least expected them.

Text: Dušanka Gavran Brajić