'Sweet and Loving' Dog Injured in Acid Attack Searching for Forever Home

Senior Life and Trends Reporter

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Just 14 months old, Omid the dog has had a heartbreaking start to live. A shepherd mix, she was rescued from the streets of Iran. Found disfigured and alone, she spent nearly a year finding her way to the Helen Woodward Animal Center, and now she's looking for a forever home.

In March, Helen Woodward Animal Center was notified of Omid's case when San Diego woman Moloud Rabieyousefi got in touch from Iran.

She had spent months financially supporting an Iranian woman who had taken in a severely injured puppy—Omid.

Omid had been seriously injured when people threw acid over her face. With no animal cruelty laws in Iran, there is nothing to protect animals, and desperate to get the dog to the U.S. where she could be cared for, Rabieyousefi started working with the CDC to get her to safety.

Omid the dog — Omid was found on the streets of Iran seriously injured after having acid thrown on her face. She is now at the Helen Woodward Animal Center where she is waiting to find her forever home. Helen Woodward Animal Center

She arrived at the Helen Woodward Animal Center in California in March, but is still waiting for her happy ending.

After a thorough exam, Dr. Todd Strubbe, a veterinary eye specialist at VCA Eye Clinic for Animals, agreed that he could perform a successful surgery to give Omid an eyelid again. After the acid attack her eye had been seriously burned and eyelid removed.

In April, Strubbe performed the surgery that was a great success.

"Omid has a smile for everyone she meets. She has known such cruelty, but she is the epitome of forgiveness, kindness and strength," Helen Woodward Adoption Services Director Kendall Schulz told Newsweek. "She deserves every possible bit of love and good fortune that comes her way. We can't wait until she has healed and we can begin the search for her forever family."

Despite her clean bill of health back in May, Omid still hasn't found her forever home.

Despite her loving nature, Omid does need a home that can understand her and help her to overcome any issues remaining from her traumatic start in life.

She would prefer a calm household with a yard and enough space to relax on her own if she feels overwhelmed.

Rescue dog Omid — Omid when he was on the streets, left, and more recently after surgery that has helped him regain the ability to blink, right. Helen Woodward Animal Center

Helen Woodward Animal Center explained that her perfect family would have previous dog experience, no family members under the age of 14 and no roommates, but she could live with other dogs if they got on well when the met.

"Omid in Farsi means hope. It's more of a masculine name, honestly. But it was because of the meaning, I think," explained Rabieyousefi who helped rescue the pup from her life on the streets. "This Iranian rescuer had hope for her. She had high, high hopes for her... [Omid has] been through a lot and I believe she deserves to have a loving family. That's all I ask for."

Schulz added that the "sweet and loving" dog deserves the best possible home and said: "Despite everything, she has a kiss and nuzzle for each new person she meets. Omid has been through so much but she knows her real life is just about to begin."

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