Though dogs are commonly regarded as loyal animals, we don’t often see the extreme situations wherein that loyalty is tested.
For the most part, we think of loyal dogs as being cheerful when we come home, wagging their tails and waiting by the door for us. Or we think of a dog that always comes running back after we throw the ball to them. Sometimes, however, more dire situations prove just how incredible these animals can be.
One such example happened in Nafplion, a Greek seaport village near Tripoli.
In a forest near the village, a pit bull had been tied to a tree and left to die.
To make matters even worse, the dog—later named Lara—was pregnant with a litter of puppies. Having little else to do, Lara gave birth to all her babies. Still, she had no access to food or water and was left to brave the elements all on her own. Perhaps the saddest part of the story, however, is that many locals knew that the dog was tied up outside. Still, they were all too afraid to approach her and help because of a fear of pitbulls.
Fortunately, someone finally came to the poor dog’s aid.
The person who rescued the dog was Stellios Kyriaku, a Greek man who lived in Nafplion.
Upon discovering the poor animal, he was amazed at what he found. Despite being all alone without any food or shelter, Lara had survived and had also kept her puppies alive as well (although the youngest, sadly, had passed away). After taking her in, Kyriaku made a Facebook post detailing what he had seen. Translated from Greek, it read:
“This dog was tied up ten days ago while she was pregnant . . . there, without food and water, under these abnormal weather conditions of cold and rain in 38 degree Celsius weather, she gave birth to four puppies . . . her eyes kill me and a shudder of shame penetrates me. They say that man is dog’s best friend but no one says man is dog’s worst enemy.”
After posting the picture and helping Lara back to life, she was taken in by another woman named Linda.
After some love and and care, Lara has put weight back on and her puppies are growing back into health. And despite all she’s been through, she still remains a warm and open-hearted dog. This story goes to show that not only can dogs be incredibly loyal and heroic, but more specifically, pit bulls can be some of the most nurturing breeds out there. The ongoing rumor that these animals are always bloodthirsty and aggressive is simply not true.
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