Unexpected encounter

"Morning walk in Greece"

About six months ago, whilst travelling through the Prespa Nature Reserve in Greece, I came across a dog. It was early in the morning, still dark, and I was walking alone through the mountains.
We had been explicitly told beforehand to keep our distance from the dogs in the area – they could react unpredictably and aggressively.

Out of the corner of my eye, I suddenly saw a wolf-like silhouette approaching me.
At a brisk pace, straight towards me. In the distance, I could hear the loud barking of several dogs, but this one remained remarkably calm.
He came close, looked at me, friendly and calm.
I greeted him and carried on walking.

A moment later, I looked back. He was following me.
Not intrusive, not hurried – but just fast enough not to lose sight of me.
A calm, almost nonchalant gait.
As it slowly grew lighter, I could see his coat more clearly: colourful, full of shades, with a distinctive appearance.

When we arrived at the village where we were staying, I got ready for the day. Every time we came back in the evening, he was nearby.
It was as if he knew exactly where he needed to be. This dog was catching my attention more and more. The next morning, I found him in the hotel courtyard, waiting for a loving cuddle.
Leave that to me 😉

A dog that touched my heart

After a few days, I knew for certain:
I’m taking this dog back to the Netherlands.

It turned out to be a stray, well-known in the village of around 110 inhabitants, with no owner. Through a series of contacts, I got in touch with a woman from the village who was looking after him. She told me his name: Dias.
She was worried about his safety.

I told her I’d love to adopt him, but first I had to return to the Netherlands to make sure everything was in order.
In the days that followed, it became increasingly clear where her concerns stemmed from.
Dogs are treated differently here than they are back home.
Dias was regularly chased away; sometimes things were thrown at him.
Later, back in the Netherlands, I saw on an X-ray that he even had a bullet in his back.

Farewell and return

After lots of cuddles, I said goodbye and drove back to the Netherlands.
Three weeks later, I flew back to pick him up.
With the help of a contact at the local council, we sorted everything out:
vet, microchip, vaccinations, kennel and passport.

The collection itself was quite an expedition.
Would he still recognise me?
Would he come with me?
Sleep in the hotel room with me?
Would he manage three hours in the car?
Get into a kennel – without being forced?
And all that in a single evening?!

When we were reunited, he jumped into my arms without hesitation.

That evening, we spent time with some villagers who had often taken Dias into their home, but who ultimately couldn’t keep him.
Too much travelling, too little space for his adventurous nature. Together, we prepared him for his departure.
They said their goodbyes. We’re still in close contact – they even came to visit us in the Netherlands later on.

The transfer

At 5 o’clock in the morning, we set off for Thessaloniki. A few hours and a hire car full of hair and fogged-up windows later – but we’d made it. During the last hour, Dias became more restless.
He could sense that something exciting was about to happen.
And he was right.
Flying in the cargo hold, crammed into a kennel.
Imagine that..
Fortunately, thanks to the help of a friend who worked at the airport, we were able to walk straight through everything. Calmly, without rushing.
In a private area, we guided him into the kennel.

Given everything he’d been through in such a short time, it never ceases to amaze me how smoothly it all went. The trust he showed – despite everything he’d been through before – is impressive.

Adapting to a (new) home

Having been back in the Netherlands for a week now, we were apart for a day for the first time.
It was during a trial day at the day care centre. When I came to pick him up, he heard my footsteps from a distance. He leapt over a 2.5-metre-high gate, landed, saw me – and came running straight at me.
No intention whatsoever of running away, but rather to let me know:
‘‘we’re definitely going to stay together’‘

He has now settled in beautifully at his new home. We go out together a lot and regularly head into the countryside, where he gets the freedom he’s used to.
The only difference now is that there’s always someone with him.
I give him plenty of space to play and can see that he enjoys it immensely.
And that, in turn, gives me quiet pleasure.

Publication

The Greek journalist Sofia Papadopoulou from ΑΠΕ-ΜΠΕ / Athens Macedonian News Agency published an article about my meeting with Dias and the wider issues surrounding stray dogs in Greece (including English translation on LinkedIn).

It is estimated that there are hundreds of thousands of stray dogs in Greece. Many of these animals are the result of uncontrolled breeding, a lack of structural policy and limited resources at local level. As a result, stray dogs exist in a grey area: visible and present in large numbers, but usually not really seen.

At the same time, there are places where things are starting to change.
This adoption was partly successful because the local council of the village of Agios Germanós actively cooperated and has a fund for situations of this kind.
Dias was the first dog from this project for whom it actually worked out.
A small but significant precedent.
It shows that when individuals, communities and local authorities come together, results are possible.

In any case, it has given me a wonderful gift.