--- title: "Against All Odds: Nova's Journey from Desert Survivor to Healing Hero" description: Nova's journey from a malnourished desert survivor to a thriving, hopeful dog showcases resilience, compassionate care, and the transformative power of proper nutrition and love. image: https://blog.mywunderdog.com/hubfs/Nova%20Featured%20Image.jpg --- [![logo](https://blog.mywunderdog.com/hs-fs/hubfs/logo.webp?height=44&name=logo.webp)](https://mywunderdog.com) - [Home](https://mywunderdog.com/home) - [Shop Now](https://mywunderdog.com/shop) - [Wundercat](https://resources.mywunderdog.com/wundercat) - [Wundercare](https://resources.mywunderdog.com/free-vet-consultation) - [Blog](https://blog.mywunderdog.com/insights) - [Help](https://knowledge.mywunderdog.com) [Sign In](https://mywunderdog.com/sign-in) [Get Your Taster Pack](https://mywunderdog.com/taster-pack) [![cart](https://blog.mywunderdog.com/hubfs/cart.svg)](https://mywunderdog.com/cart) [![logo](https://blog.mywunderdog.com/hs-fs/hubfs/logo.webp?height=32&name=logo.webp)](https://mywunderdog.com) - [Home](https://mywunderdog.com/home) - [Shop Now](https://mywunderdog.com/shop) - [Wundercat](https://resources.mywunderdog.com/wundercat) - [Wundercare](https://resources.mywunderdog.com/free-vet-consultation) - [Blog](https://blog.mywunderdog.com/insights) - [Help](https://knowledge.mywunderdog.com) [Sign In](https://mywunderdog.com/sign-in) [Get Your Taster Pack](https://mywunderdog.com/taster-pack) [![logo](https://blog.mywunderdog.com/hs-fs/hubfs/logo.webp?height=28&name=logo.webp)](https://mywunderdog.com) Real food for dogs. 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Delivered. ##### Navigation - [Home](https://mywunderdog.com/home) - [Shop Now](https://mywunderdog.com/shop) - [Wundercat](https://resources.mywunderdog.com/wundercat) - [Wundercare](https://resources.mywunderdog.com/free-vet-consultation) - [Blog](https://blog.mywunderdog.com/insights) - [Help](https://knowledge.mywunderdog.com) ##### Account [Get Your Taster Pack](https://mywunderdog.com/taster-pack) [Chat Support](https://wa.me/971502298869) ##### Contact Us [care@mywunderdog.com](mailto:care@mywunderdog.com) [+971 50 229 8869](tel:+971502298869) [Warehouse 5, D 65 Al Manara Road, Al Quoz, Dubai UAE](https://maps.app.goo.gl/e3SSPV7QXNBmVvv97) ![certified-wunderdog](https://blog.mywunderdog.com/hs-fs/hubfs/certified-wunderdog.webp?width=120&height=120&name=certified-wunderdog.webp) Wunderdog © 2025 | All Rights Reserved [Terms and Conditions](https://mywunderdog.com/terms-and-conditions) | [Privacy Policy](https://mywunderdog.com/privacy-policy) [Skip to content](https://blog.mywunderdog.com/insights/against-all-odds-novas-journey-from-desert-survivor-to-healing-hero#main-content) ![Recovered Saluki dog lying on green grass at RAKAWC shelter, looking happy and healthy after rehabilitation with Wunderdog meals](https://blog.mywunderdog.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Nova%20Featured%20Image.jpg?width=1920&height=930&name=Nova%20Featured%20Image.jpg) Fresh Dog Food Dog Nutrition & Health Shelter Dog # Against All Odds: Nova's Journey from Desert Survivor to Healing Hero ![Alaa Mneimneh](https://7528315.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hub/7528315/hubfs/raw_assets/public/mV0_d-cms-elevate-theme_hubspot/elevate/images/avatar-placeholder.jpg?width=48&height=48&name=avatar-placeholder.jpg) Alaa Mneimneh July 31, 2025 Alone in the Ras Al Khaimah desert, a 4-year-old Saluki named Nova was fighting to survive. Weighing just 9 kilos and fading fast, she somehow still believed someone would come, and this time, they did. ## The Rescue When the devoted team at [RAKAWC](https://rakawc.com/) found her, Nova was barely clinging to life. At the time, she weighed only 9 kilograms, was too weak to walk, and required urgent support to recover from malnourishment. Surgery was already on the horizon, but her body wasn’t ready for it. Severely malnourished and heartbreakingly frail, Nova needed more than shelter. She needed strength, stability, and a reason to keep going.  That’s when Wunderdog stepped in. Because when a dog is fighting to survive, nutrition isn’t just important. It is everything.  Nova began receiving carefully balanced, nutrient-rich meals, each one a small step toward rebuilding her broken body. Over time, her weight rose from 9 to 16 kilograms. But the greater journey was learning to trust again. To believe the food would keep coming. To understand that this care was real and lasting.  Nova has been on Wunderdog’s [Chicken with Banana ](https://mywunderdog.com/products/chicken-with-banana)recipe since day one and still eats it exclusively. She refuses to eat kibble, even when it is mixed in, and will not touch the bowl if it is added. At 1,652 Kcal/kg, this recipe is high in protein and energy to help Nova gain weight steadily. It is also rich in DHA from salmon oil and high in calcium and phosphorus, providing targeted support for cognitive function and skeletal health. Though she now eats three patties a day, efforts to increase her intake haven’t worked. She eats what she needs and nothing more.  ![Emaciated Saluki dog before rescue and rehabilitation, showing visible ribs and severe malnourishment at the shelter intake](https://144396614.fs1.hubspotusercontent-eu1.net/hub/144396614/hubfs/Nova%20Before.jpg?width=1200&length=1200&name=Nova%20Before.jpg) ## The Hidden Battle As Nova's body grew stronger, a devastating truth came to light. An old leg fracture, crudely held together with unsterilised screws, had become a constant source of pain. Infection had taken hold deep in the bone, and she needed urgent orthopaedic surgery to survive.   But Nova had something powerful on her side: consistent nutrition and a team that refused to give up on her. The care she had received had transformed her frail frame into one strong enough to withstand life-saving surgery. Where once she was too weak to fight, now she had the strength to heal.  ## A New Beginning The exceptional team at [Kare Veterinary Clinic](https://www.kareveterinaryclinic.com/), led by orthopaedic surgeon Dr. Heera, gave Nova what she needed most: a real chance to heal. Through complex surgery, they ended her pain and helped her walk comfortably again.  *“I found out they hadn’t used proper orthopaedic screws in her previous surgery. The screws had rusted and become badly infected. It caused her a lot of pain. It was a very hard and long surgery,”* said Dr. Heera.  Today, Nova runs freely. For the first time in far too long, she moves without discomfort, explores without fear, and greets each new day with renewed curiosity.  *“We’re really happy we could help Nova. I hope she’ll have a pain-free, infection-free, happy life,”* she added.  ## More Than Survival From starving in the desert to running free, Nova's journey embodies resilience, compassion, and the power of second chances. At Wunderdog, we believe every dog deserves just that, especially those the world has already failed.  Nova is physically healed. She runs with joy again, free from pain, strong, and steady on her feet. But emotional healing takes time. She remains shy and cautious, still learning that love can be trusted.   While Nova is physically stronger and more mobile, her recovery is not yet complete. She is still underweight, and due to limited shelter resources and facilities, it has not been possible to fully investigate why her progress has slowed. [![Smiling Saluki dog wearing blue Wunderdog bandana, resting at RAKAWC rescue centre after successful recovery and weight gain](https://144396614.fs1.hubspotusercontent-eu1.net/hub/144396614/hubfs/Nova%20After.jpg?width=1200&length=1200&name=Nova%20After.jpg)](https://rakawc.com/pages/adoption-services/10) ## A Home for Her Heart To us, she isn't just a rescue story. She is a Wunderdog and her story is one of extraordinary resilience. But even the strongest survivors deserve more than safety. They also deserve to belong.  Today, Nova is no longer fighting to survive. She’s ready to start living. She’s looking for a home that understands patience, sees beyond scars, and offers the quiet kind of love that helps a cautious soul bloom.  If you believe every dog deserves a second chance, not just at health, but at happiness, Nova is waiting. Her journey isn’t over. It just needs someone to walk the next chapter with her.  [Adopt Nova. Be her forever.](https://rakawc.com/pages/adoption-services/10) [Gift a meal. Raise a Wunderdog.](https://mywunderdog.com/products/rak-animal-welfare-centre) ## Share this post [mailto:https%3A%2F%2Fblog.mywunderdog.com%2Finsights%2Fagainst-all-odds-novas-journey-from-desert-survivor-to-healing-hero](mailto:https%3A%2F%2Fblog.mywunderdog.com%2Finsights%2Fagainst-all-odds-novas-journey-from-desert-survivor-to-healing-hero) ## Keep reading ### [![](https://blog.mywunderdog.com/hs-fs/hubfs/wundercat-cat-eating-from-bowl-fresh-food.jpg?width=1472&height=832&name=wundercat-cat-eating-from-bowl-fresh-food.jpg) Moisture-Rich Cat Food Wundercat Picky Cat What Your Cat's Food Refusal Is Actually Telling You](https://blog.mywunderdog.com/insights/what-your-cats-food-refusal-is-actually-telling-you) ### [![Jack Russell Terrier lying on a bed while being gently petted by its owner.](https://blog.mywunderdog.com/hs-fs/hubfs/dog-food-allergy-testing-accuracy-main-banner.jpg?width=1472&height=832&name=dog-food-allergy-testing-accuracy-main-banner.jpg) Food Allergies & Sensitivities Are Dog Allergy Tests Accurate? The Truth Most Dog Owners Never Hear](https://blog.mywunderdog.com/insights/are-dog-allergy-tests-accurate-the-truth-most-dog-owners-never-hear) ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "Alaa Mneimneh", "url" : "https://blog.mywunderdog.com/insights/author/alaa-mneimneh" }, "dateModified" : "2025-07-31T15:11:33.943Z", "datePublished" : "2025-07-31T15:06:26.000Z", "headline" : "Against All Odds: Nova's Journey from Desert Survivor to Healing Hero", "image" : [ "https://blog.mywunderdog.com/hubfs/Nova%20Featured%20Image.jpg" ], "mainEntityOfPage" : { "@id" : "https://blog.mywunderdog.com/insights/against-all-odds-novas-journey-from-desert-survivor-to-healing-hero", "@type" : "WebPage" }, "publisher" : { "@type" : "Organization", "logo" : { "@type" : "ImageObject", "url" : "https://blog.mywunderdog.com/hubfs/wunderdog-logo-1.png" }, "name" : "Wunderdog" } } ```