Coco was born in 2022 in the garden of the veterinary faculty in Ankara. You might think that being surrounded by veterinarians meant she had a safe and caring start to life—but unfortunately, that wasn’t the case.

Instead of receiving the protection she deserved, Coco was sent to a shelter after being neutered. And as many now know, shelters in Turkey are overcrowded and dangerous. While there, she was unnecessarily sterilized again and tragically contracted distemper, a deadly virus. Thankfully, an animal welfare group from the faculty stepped in just in time, got her out of the shelter, and provided her with the treatment she needed. Against all odds, Coco fought and survived without any lasting health issues.

She was briefly fostered, but when her foster home had to move, Coco...