Like most places in the world, there is an overpopulation of dogs in Turkey, with more dogs than people who have the interest and ability to adopt them.

Adding to the challenge is the cost of caring for a dog in Turkey, where inflation reached 75% last year, and the government’s new priority to eliminate street dogs.

You could say that Rasta was a handful or that she was a character – and she was – but she was so much more. She was friendly, fun, energetic, and loveable. Sparks of joy seemed to radiate from her body. In our universe, she was the sun.