Donna. Ksami. Teddy.
To most they were nameless street dogs. They were young — ranging from around 10 months to a year and a half — and ran together as a goofy pack. They mostly kept to themselves — and out of harm’s way.

Then, late in the day of March 6, someone fed Donna, Ksami, and Teddy a meal laced with poison. 

There are heroes in this story. Bashkia —Saranda’s local government — is not among them.

• Hero number one, a tourist visiting from San Diego, saw Donna foaming at the mouth and spinning around like crazy. He quickly raised the alarm on social media.
• Others then raced to the scene and discovered Ksami and Teddy dead. One took Donna, writhing and seizing in agony, to a Saranda veterinary clinic. 
• Shortly after, Bashkia quickly collected the two dead dogs’ bodies, stuffed them in trash bags, drove them to a nearby landfill heaped with rubbish, and carelessly tossed them in the dead of night.

The next day, Bashkia issued a statement filled with half-truths. One example: 

The Directorate of Agriculture, Municipal Police have been in the field all night, until sending and burying [the dead dogs] at the place of corpses in Volloder.

After four days and nights with a town veterinarian, Donna, that tragic evening’s only survivor, is back with some of her local people — on the mend and on her way to a new family in England. 

Great thanks to the heroes of March 6, who saved Donna’s life and are ushering her toward a new one. Great sorrow for Ksami and Teddy, who filled Saranda’s streets with light and joy. Great shame on Bashkia Saranda, who have done next to nothing to apprehend the cowards doling out poison to innocent victims.

Say their names. Teddy. Ksami. Donna.