A Serbian woman recently announced her decision to sell her apartment and all material possessions so she can afford medical treatment for her dog. Tanja Jankovic, 35, from Jagodina city, wrote that her dog Leo is battling a life-threatening disease and she needs all the money she can get to save him.
“Please help me,” she wrote in the forums of a popular Serbian pet site. “A girl who is doing everything to save the life of a dog.” Vets say that the dog is suffering from aortic valve stenosis, which causes the narrowing of the aortic valve. When the valve doesn’t open properly, the heart has to work harder to pump blood through it. The only way to treat the condition is through surgery.
Tanja first wanted to sell her washing machine for about $150, which she believed was the only thing of value she owned. But she failed to find a buyer and also realised that she needed a lot more than that to pay for Leo’s treatment. Two medical trips to Belgrade cost her about 20,000 Serbian dinar ($190). So that’s when she decided to sell her apartment.
The sale of the apartment will cover both the cost of the surgery as well as long-term medication that Leo needs for the rest of his life. “It’s only a one-bedroom apartment,” she said. “But it will be enough to pay for the operation and we can always rent afterwards. The main thing is that I get Leo back the way she previously was, so full of life and happy.”
Tanja’s apartment listing has been widely shared on Facebook, and although it is yet to be sold, she has received donations from kind strangers worth over 3,900 dinars (, which is enough to start medical treatment. Now she’s requesting people to donate a lift to Belgrade, so she can get there to have the operation done.
Photos: Tanja Jankovic
