Dog that provided comfort to victim of rocket attack stolen from home: "It brought us so much calm"
Over the past year, 20-year-old Veronica from Be’er Sheva has been coping with severe mental and physical challenges. After their home was destroyed by a rocket and she was later injured in a hit-and-run, their family dog became a vital source of support. Yesterday, the dog was stolen from their home, and Veronica and her mother have been searching for her nonstop.
Over the past year, 20-year-old Veronica from Be’er Sheva has learned what it means to cope with unusual mental and physical challenges. A series of difficult events shook her life and her mother’s life, but within all that darkness there was one steady point of light—their family dog. Yesterday (Sunday), that point of light disappeared when the dog was stolen from their home.
The family’s ordeal began in May of last year during the fighting. A missile that hit a building near them caused severe destruction.
"A missile hit us, a building next to us, and our home was destroyed," Veronica recalls.
The impact left her mother with complex medical and mental injuries: "My mother was left with severe hearing problems, she uses hearing aids, and she suffers from acute mental scars and anxiety, for which she is treated with medication."
If that trauma were not enough, about six months ago Veronica herself experienced another difficult incident when she was injured in a hit-and-run accident. "They hit my car and fled. I filed a complaint with the police, and it is still under investigation. I have been in rehabilitation for more than half a year now," she says.
Amid a sequence of crises and the ongoing physical and mental recovery, the dog became a lifeline for both of them.
"We brought her shortly after what happened, and she really brought us so much calm," Veronica explains. "She was our light, the only thing that kept us sane in this house. It helped my mother tremendously, and I cannot describe in words how much we need her now."
However, last night, the little peace that remained in the home was shattered when the dog was stolen. Since then, Veronica and her mother have been living in a nightmare and have not given up hope.
"I haven't slept at all since last night," Veronica says in pain. "We are looking for her nonstop; I went out running in a state of shock, without shoes, all over the neighborhood. We have posted notices everywhere and are trying to do everything to get her back. We are simply at a loss, and it is very hard for us."
