Zena The Warrior Queen

We first saw Zena on a trip to the market in Sumpango. She was not a pretty sight. The plastic string biting into her neck was evidence that she had once had a home – from which she had escaped by breaking the string. Unfortunately, she had not been able to remove the noose around her neck – and then she had begun to grow. The cord had worn a deep groove in her neck, and the knot of filthy string was choking her throat, making it extremely difficult for her to breath or eat. The first time we tried to capture her we only succeeded in providing some unusual entertainment for the good folk of Sumpango, who laughed their heads off watching Xenii chasing this disgusting little mutt around the market stalls. But on our next attempt we managed to get her – and still provide a source of amusement. With the aid of some tasty bits of chicken spiked with tranquilliser – and the God of Dogs whispering to Zena that it was all right for her to get into the AWARE cage – we eventually got her into the car and back to the Shelter, wasting no time to remove her garrotte under anaesthetic. That was a month ago, and now those chortling citizens of Sumpango would never know it was the same dog. From a cringing cur with a festering wound in her throat and a look of pain and fear in her eyes, she has transformed into the playful, portly love-bundle you see in the picture. She spends her days bouncing around the garden with her friends, never missing the chance to leap into someone’s arms and give them a great big cuddle. The people of Sumpango might be surprised to see the difference, but I am sure that the God of Dogs was determined all along that she would one day find her rightful place in a loving home.