They say only the strong survive. If that’s true then a dog named Marshmellow is among the strongest.
He survived the dangerous wildfires that recently ravaged through Greece leaving ash and rubble in its wake while claiming dozens of lives
Animal rescuers were combing the village of Mati in the aftermath of the fires while the ground was still smoldering.
Animal rescue volunteer Artemis Kyriakopoulou was searching the shell of a burned out home and noticed that the home’s oven was still standing.
Something told her to take a look inside.
“I didn’t hear anything,” Kyriakopoulou told The Dodo. “I was so scared to look inside cause I knew I was going to find something in there but I didn’t know if it was dead or alive.”
What she found ended up being a dog who was barely alive.
“His whole body and coat was burned and he was in intense pain,” Kyriakopoulou said. “It was really hard seeing him in a situation like this. I started crying just like the other volunteers. Of course, I thanked God for giving him one more chance because he was really lucky I found him. It was by accident actually.”
The dog was terrified and hesitant to go with her but eventually, she was able to gain the dog’s trust.
Kyriakopoulou knew the dog, who she named Marshmallow, needed immediate medical attention.
She rushed Marshmallow to the vet who thought that Marshmallow was a stray or neglected because of his overgrown coat. You’d think that this dog was grey by looking at his before pictures but he’s actually white.
“When he came to us, he was a little bit aggressive because he was very afraid of people,” Elena Dede told ABC News. “From the way he protected himself and the state of his health, we realized he has spent a long time being severely abused. There were three layers of dead fur on him, which could not have happened in just the week since the fire. But after we spent some time with him and groomed him, he began to relax and trust us.”
Marshmallow, who is a 4-year-old white poodle-mix, was given a much-needed haircut which made him look almost recognizable.
He was temporarily living with a volunteer until he was adopted into a forever home.
“He has significantly recovered but he’s still taking the medication, though. He looks really happy,” Kyriakopoulou said.
ABC News reports that the dog has found a forever home with Antonia Paraschou.
In the meantime, Kyriakopoulou continues to looking for animals in need of help and who were affected by the fires.
“It’s not only about dogs. It’s about every human being and every animal that is left alive,” she said. “In situations like this, it’s our duty to help those who need us.”
You can watch the dog’s rescue in the video below.
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