On August 14th we got a phone call from a Maria from Thessaloniki. She told us about a Greek girl being on holiday on Thassos, who saw a little dog on a chain with only a rusty barrel. The dog was in very bad condition and full of ticks. She went to the nearest house to ask about the dog and it happened to be the owner. She complained about the situation of the dog, but his only reaction was: it's my dog and I can do with it what I want.
Once back in Thessaloniki she kept thinking of the dog and contacted Maria of Seiriostrays, an animal charity in Thessaloniki (http://seiriostrays.gr) and asked what she could do. Maria adviced the girl to report it to the police in Limenaria and so happened.
The police did go there to check on the dog, but saw that the dog had water and food and concluded that (to their opinion) everything was fine.
Having told this all, Maria asked us for help and cooperation and sent us all the details and pictures.
On August 15th Maria called us again. The dog had disappeared!
Not much later Chrissa messaged us that she found a dog in bad state and covered with ticks in another village. She sent us pictures and it looked exactly like the barrel dog on the pictures we got from the Greek tourist.
Chrissa brought the dog to us and we visited the vet. He was treated for parasites and a Leishmania and Ehrlichia speedtest was made, which to our joy was negative. Because of the many many ticks the dog had also anemia.
Did the man who had the dog on a chain got scared by the visit of the police and dumped the dog in another village??? We will probably never know and it can't be proved unless someone saw him doing it. But Tommy, the name we gave him, was just lucky that he found his way to us.
But the story goes on when on August 17th Maria calls us again. A lady from Panagia had contacted her, because our Tommy looked exactly like her dog Joker which is missing for 3 years!!! Her dog had been picked on the nose by a chicken when he was still a puppy, which always stayed a scar. We received an old photo of Joker and found out that Tommy indeed had a scar at exactly the same place!
As soon as she could she hurried to Kalivia to see the dog. It was her dog! The reunification was very touching and many tears of happiness were shed. The next picture doesn't need any words, it clearly shows the happiness of human and dog.
It is a small, no a BIG miracle, that only can happen when people and organisations work together. And it also shows that it does make a difference when tourists or locals report abuse or neglect of an animal to the police.
We are very happy and proud of this happy ending.
Once back in Thessaloniki she kept thinking of the dog and contacted Maria of Seiriostrays, an animal charity in Thessaloniki (http://seiriostrays.gr) and asked what she could do. Maria adviced the girl to report it to the police in Limenaria and so happened.
The police did go there to check on the dog, but saw that the dog had water and food and concluded that (to their opinion) everything was fine.
Having told this all, Maria asked us for help and cooperation and sent us all the details and pictures.
On August 15th Maria called us again. The dog had disappeared!
Not much later Chrissa messaged us that she found a dog in bad state and covered with ticks in another village. She sent us pictures and it looked exactly like the barrel dog on the pictures we got from the Greek tourist.
Chrissa brought the dog to us and we visited the vet. He was treated for parasites and a Leishmania and Ehrlichia speedtest was made, which to our joy was negative. Because of the many many ticks the dog had also anemia.
Did the man who had the dog on a chain got scared by the visit of the police and dumped the dog in another village??? We will probably never know and it can't be proved unless someone saw him doing it. But Tommy, the name we gave him, was just lucky that he found his way to us.
But the story goes on when on August 17th Maria calls us again. A lady from Panagia had contacted her, because our Tommy looked exactly like her dog Joker which is missing for 3 years!!! Her dog had been picked on the nose by a chicken when he was still a puppy, which always stayed a scar. We received an old photo of Joker and found out that Tommy indeed had a scar at exactly the same place!
As soon as she could she hurried to Kalivia to see the dog. It was her dog! The reunification was very touching and many tears of happiness were shed. The next picture doesn't need any words, it clearly shows the happiness of human and dog.
It is a small, no a BIG miracle, that only can happen when people and organisations work together. And it also shows that it does make a difference when tourists or locals report abuse or neglect of an animal to the police.
We are very happy and proud of this happy ending.
