Photographer Daria Pushkareva Lives in a Forest With Animals in Need

All over the world, there are dedicated animal lovers willing to sacrifice their own comforts to care for creatures in need. These people go above and beyond to aid their animal friends, whether it means staying behind to tend to cats in war-torn Syria, spending Chinese New Year saving stray dogs, or, in the case of Daria Pushkareva, leaving a successful career in Russia’s capital city to live with ailing animals in a forest.

Pushkareva’s professional background is not animal-related. Prior to her job as an elite wedding photographer in Moscow, she worked in movie-making. In both cases, she developed a “workaholic” approach to her career, culminating in a desire to leave everything behind and start anew. That’s when she remembered her childhood fantasy: to open a dog shelter.

This choice in dream job was a bit peculiar, as Pushkareva struggled with a lifelong a fear of dogs. However, after she and her husband adopted their first puppy—a one-eyed “flea-bitten furball”—she was hooked. Soon, the couple took in multiple more shelter dogs, who all lived with them in their home in Moscow. However, after a doctor suggested that they give away one of their particularly problematic dogs to a family with more space, they made a life-changing decision to leave their city lives behind.

“Then and there, we took out two loans and bought a country house 160 km (100 miles) away from Moscow and moved there with our dogs,” Pushkareva told Bored Panda. “We built six enclosures for our rescue dogs and began living completely new and different lives.”

Now, their brood comprises over 100 animals. In addition to the dogs, these animals include creatures coveted for their fur, including raccoons, raccoon dogs, foxes, and arctic foxes. While their days are expectedly exhausting, Pushkareva explains that she and her husband live more fulfilling lives since going off-the-grid and dedicating themselves to their furry friends.

“I understand, there are few who might take in dogs that have attacked women or children, and even fewer might leave the city and move to the countryside to take care of them, but we’ve said goodbye to a comfortable life and are fine with it,” she says. “I finally feel that I’m not wasting my life but spending my time meaningfully. I’m helping these animals and am sincerely enjoying it.”

To follow Pushkareva’s animal adventures, check out her Instagram page.

Daria Pushkareva is a former photographer from Moscow.

After she developed a “workaholic” approach to her practice, she and her husband decided to leave it all behind and dedicate their life to helping dogs in need.

In order to make this dream come true, they moved out of the capital city into a forest, where they set up an animal sanctuary.

 

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Now, their brood includes over 100 animals, including foxes and raccoon dogs!

While caring for the creatures is a lot of work, Pushkareva notes that she finally feels fulfilled.

Daria Pushkareva: Instagram 
h/t: [Bright Side, Bored Panda]

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