Valia Orfanidou, a dog guardian, used to walk them every evening by the sea, traveling with her dogs in her old hometown, about 100 km from Athens. One evening, while they were out, a homeless dog came wagging its tail. ,,He recognized us from a distance and, eager for company, joined the four of us and tried to fit in.” says Valia.
,,I’m frozen.” the talented rescuer (The Drifter Pet Dog) explained on YouTube: ,,When you’re an animal lover and you live in Greece, you get used to seeing abandoned and homeless dogs everywhere and you decide to rescue those who can’t live in the city. The disabled, the emaciated or injured, small children and pregnant women. The number of rescue dogs in Greece is probably in the millions, and as the outlook is unlikely to change in the future, there will soon be millions more.” Valia said. Valia volunteers for various rescue organizations and safe houses in Greece. It is not easy to end a vacation in the field: ,,Either you lose volunteers or you go home with twelve rescue dogs.”
Still, Blue, that’s what Valia called her, was not in an excited state. The dog was about seven months old and strong, which meant he shouldn’t be demanding. Still, there was something about this dog that screamed for Valia. She realized that the dog’s spirit was raging. ,,She longed for human companionship and a family where she felt she belonged. For six months he chased people and queued up behind the truck of every person he met on this coast, asking for something.” Valia explained.
Valia couldn’t rest for two days and wondered how she could get Blue away from the beach. At this point, Valia decided to make a very important decision to save Blue. Fortunately, her choice was incredible. This gentle traveler would become a therapy dog in the Netherlands! Valia remembers Blue and how she met him on the shore. ,,Maybe he didn’t ask for help, maybe he helped people who didn’t realize how much money they were constantly depriving themselves of.”