аÄÃÅ¿ª½±½á¹û

Girl in the aqua- Photo by Caroline Hernandez on

Top 10 Interesting Facts about Oxana Malaya

Oksana Oleksandrivna Malaya, better known as Oxana Malaya, was born on 4th November 1983. She is a Ukrainian woman internationally known for her dog-imitating behaviour.

Malaya has been the subject of documentaries, interviews and tabloid headlines as a feral child who was “raised by dogs”.

1. Malaya was actually a normal child at birth

child at birth- Photo by Patricia Prudente on

Malaya was born in the village of Nova Blagovishchenka in Hornostaivka Raion, Kherson Oblast, of the Ukrainian SSR. According to doctors and medical records, she was a very normal child at birth.

2. When she was found at only age 7, she physically behaved like a dog

Dog running on beach- Photo by Oscar Sutton on

When Malaya was found by authorities, she was seven and a half years old but she could not talk, lacked many basic skills, and physically behaved like a dog.

This is because of the neglect she had been subjected to by her alcoholic father at age three, thus ending up living surrounded by dogs.

She adapted their behaviour, running around on all fours, barking, sleeping on the floor, and even eating and taking care of her hygiene like a dog. Malaya was removed from her parents’ custody by social services.

3. She was transferred to a home for mentally disabled children where she underwent specialized therapy for many years

A foster home- Author; JERRYE & ROY KLOTZ, M.D.-

Malaya was eventually transferred to the foster home for mentally-disabled children in Barabol (rural Ovidiopol Raion of Odessa Oblast).

She underwent years of specialized therapy and education to address her behavioural, social and educational issues.

Upon adulthood, Malaya was taught to subdue her dog-like behaviour. She learned to speak fluently and intelligibly and works at a farm milking cows, but remains somewhat intellectually impaired.

4. There is a documentary made about Oxana’s life and numerous articles about her written in the press

Photo by Matthew Guay on

In a Channel 4 documentary, and in the Portuguese SIC channel documentary, her doctors stated that it is unlikely that she will ever be completely rehabilitated into “normal” society.

In 2001, the Russian TV channel “NTV” made a documentary about her life. There have been multiple articles about her in the press.

5. Oxana Malaya gave an interview in 2013 and confessed she wanted to be treated like a normal human being

Press- Image by Engin Akyurt from

In 2013, Malaya gave an interview on Ukrainian national TV, on the talk-show Govorit Ukraina, where she talked about herself and answered questions.

During the show, Malaya said that she wants to be treated like a normal human being, and is offended when others call her a “dog-girl”.

She said that she wants her brothers to visit her more often and that the main dream in her life is to find her biological mother.

She also talked about her boyfriend, her life in the state foster home and her work with animals on the farm.

6. Her story has been used to argue that nurture plays a bigger role compared to nature

nature vs nurture- Author; Seifall5-

Oxana Malaya’s story is a pretty clear indicator that nurture plays a bigger role than nature.

At merely 3 years old, her alcoholic parents neglected her and left her outside one night.

Instinctively, she crawled to the closest thing that could provide her with warmth and shelter, which happened to be the dog kennel

7. Her parents never even noticed that she was missing in the first place

Missing Child (film) poster- Author; Luke Sabis-

Her parents hardly noticed that she was missing. She lived in the dog kennel, eating what scraps they had left.

Though she must have seen humans at a distance and seemed occasionally to have entered her old family house like a stray, they were no longer her species. All meaningful life for her was contained in the kennel.

In fact, she was only able to learn to talk again because she had some childish speech before she was abandoned.

At an orphanage school, they taught her to walk upright, to eat with her hands and, crucially, to communicate like a human being.

8. She was noticed five years later by a neighbour who notified the police

Photo by AJ Colores on

Slowly, Oxana became one of the packs and less like a human, and it wasn’t until 5 years later that a neighbour notified the police that dogs were raising a little girl.

By the time she was rescued, she had lost all ability to speak and was running on all fours, like a dog.

Once a child misses the chance to learn how to speak by age 5, it becomes nearly impossible for them to grow up with the abilities of human language.

9. Ironically, now as a grownup, she doesn’t spend much time with her own pet dog

Photo by Adam Griffith on

Oxana Malaya is now almost 34 years old and lives in a home for the mentally disabled.

She tends to the farm animals but, surprisingly, doesn’t spend much time with her own pet dog.

Her tone is flat and emotionless and there is no rhythm when she speaks.

10. Experts say she has a low tolerance for boredom and the mental capacity of a 6-year-old

Photo by Lucas Vasques on

Experts who had the chance to visit and see her in Ukraine say that she has the mental capacity of a 6-year-old and a low tolerance for boredom.

However, she can follow directions well and loves to be the centre of attention. When given anything, her first instinct is to hide it, just like a dog with a bone.