Dubbed as the heart of ancient Greece, where a powerful civilization and empire arise, is Athens. About 65 kilometers from this city, in a certain highway gas station, a giant stray dog has been spotted by a volunteer. And from that first glance, the volunteer could not just take her mind off the dog. A gentle giant who needs help but doesn’t know how to ask for it. A dog who needs saving, and fortunately for him his savior has arrived.
He is big yet looks frail, with his feeble body filled with scars and flea bites.
The volunteer who spotted the gentle giant has decided to come back for him, 48 hours later in the hopes of finding the dog again. And there he was in the same old spot as if expecting that his rescuer will arrive. The dog is very wary of people.
He shies away from them as if they would hurt him. He doesn’t trust people and stays away from them as much as possible.
And so another journey has begun – that of gaining the dog’s trust.
The volunteer tries to woo him with food and treats. She will call him, try to pet him. Slowly the volunteer closes the gap between her and the dog. Step by step she will try to stand and sit near him as if gauging his reaction. Eventually, the dog will just let her stay as close to him as possible.
She would sit there and try to repeatedly feed him trying to win his trust. She didn’t rush the dog because she knows how scared he was. She even asked her colleagues to leave them be for a while so the dog won’t feel much pressure from their company. At last, she was able to catch him.
They named the dog Arnie.
Arnie was brought to the veterinary right away. It was found out that he suffered from skin rashes and was underweight. He was taken care of by the people from the Second Chance Animal Rescue Society (SCARS).
It is a Greek foundation that started as a group of volunteers with experience, love, and respect for animals and their rights, in the urban environment. Arnie’s rescuer helped him gain back his trust in people. After several occasions, Arnie turned out to be a people’s dog.
Everyone just loves this big boy. Behind his shy façade is a sweet and adorable nature. He is very docile and loves cuddles. He is also very handsome with his green eyes matching his white and brown fur.
Arnie is now Barney.
After months of looking for his new family, Arnie has been adopted finally.
His new name is now Barney, like the purple dinosaur all kids love. He is now sharing a home and starting his life anew with his mom Marilli, an adopted hunting dog named Izmir, and five sibling cats named Matias, Titica, Bom Bom, Soya, and Fani.
He is now happily living with them in a place near the sea. Gone is the scared and lonely dog they rescued that night. He has now become a happy dog, being goofy around his newfound family, running in the sands as the sun shines on his mane, a big smile on his face.
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