Extract from a survey on urban "feral children"

"In 1996, Ivan Mishukov left home. He was four years old.
Ivan's mother could not cope with him or with her alcoholic boyfriend,
so the little boy decided that life on the streets
was better than the chaos of their apartment;
and just as Moscow has its homeless,
so it has its wild dogs...Out on the streets, Ivan began to beg,
but gave a portion of the food he cadged each time
to one particular pack of dogs.
The dogs grew to trust him;
befriended him; and, finally,
took him on as their pack leader."