This is Banu Cengiz, a pharmacist from Turkey.
She’s also a dog lover — and it shows.
Banu Cengiz
Not only did Cengiz rescue her beloved pet from the streets years ago, she also maintains a cozy little oasis in front of her pharmacy for all the homeless dogs she’s unable to adopt herself.
Cengiz does it out of kindness, not for attention — but evidently word has spread among the local strays that she’s someone who truly cares.
Banu Cengiz
This week, Cengiz was at work like usual when she noticed a dog outside acting unlike the rest. Rather than, say, lounging in the beds she kindly provides to them, this pup was standing expectantly at the door.
“She was looking at me,” Cengiz told The Dodo. “I said, ‘Baby, is there a problem?'”
She welcomed the dog inside and realized there indeed was a problem: The poor pup was bleeding from a small cut on her paw.
She was asking for help — and as seen in this sweet video of what happened next, Cengiz was more than happy to provide it.
The pharmacist cleaned the pup’s wound with antiseptic and, when the bleeding stopped, gave her antibiotics. All the while, the dog appeared to understand Cengiz’s good intentions, acting like the perfect patient.
“When I was done, she laid down as if to thank me,” Cengiz said. “She was saying, ‘I trust you.'”
Banu Cengiz
For the remainder of the day, Cengiz’s pharmacy served as a little recovery area of sorts, giving the weary dog a chance to rest in peace.
Banu Cengiz
Cengiz gave the dog food and water, and use of a dog bed she keeps inside.
She’d come to the right place — and she knew it.
Banu Cengiz
By closing time, the furry patient appeared to be on the mend, her eyes and energies compelling her back to the street outside — sadly, the setting of life to which she seemed well-acquainted.
Cengiz had helped the dog more than most. Yet she still wished she could do more.
Banu Cengiz
“Unfortunately, I couldn’t take her home,” Cengiz said, no doubt a frequent lament for one so compassionate in a region where strays are far from uncommon. “I’ve been dealing with street animals for years. I feed them and heal them, and help them find homes when I can.”
In the meantime, the little refuge in front of her pharmacy serves as the next best thing. It’s Cengiz’s way of letting less-fortunate dogs, like her patient that day, know they’re still loved.
Banu Cengiz
“I do it because they feel. We need to help those who need it,” Cengiz said. “People should teach their children to love and respect animals and nature. Then we can all live together in a beautiful world.”