The Secret Shelter
Zylapour: A medication originally designed to treat high levels of uric acid in humans but has been found highly effective in the control of Leshmaniasis in canines
Leshmaniasis : A disease traditionally transmitted by the sand fly, prevalent in the Mediterranean and at the time of writing there is no known cure, however, most dogs live normal lives with the correct medication
Hidden at the eastern end of the island of Crete is a very special dog shelter. It doesn’t advertise its presence and rarely rehomes a dog. Its food is provided by the local authority, and veterinary care, treats and a regular supply of Zylapour are all donated by friends and supporters.
The accommodation is not luxurious, but you won’t receive any complaints from the inhabitants as compared to their previous lives the accommodation is 5 star.
The whole enterprise has been running for many years and is unknown to all but a few. The major players here are the delightful Gogo and her colleague Manolis.
For people like Gogo and Manolis, there are no days off, weekends and holidays don’t exist as they juggle their lives around work, family life and caring for their adopted charges. I should also point out that the two of them regularly put their hands in their pockets to provide funds so that this shelter can continue functioning.
So who are these very special dogs?
Well, in a world where adorable puppies are foremost in the minds of people, the very old, the undesired and the rejects of the canine world also need a home but are generally ignored. So it is in this shelter where the geriatric, the unwanted and the discarded are housed.
They are the extremely old stray dogs who have already lived a highly precarious existence on the streets, plus those dogs discarded by their owners as unable to work due to their failing health. They have never known a proper home life as our pets do, but as they are in the twilight of their lives, they are now guaranteed a meal every day, a dry bed to sleep on, a pain-free existence and a demise with dignity. During winter, the very vulnerable are taken from the shelter to the homes of Manolis and Gogo to ensure that their health can be closely monitored.
Bearing in mind the age and health issues that are common amongst the population in this establishment, naturally, they all have a limited lifespan, and a degree of sadness goes with the passing of each one. This is balanced by the happiness of the rescue of yet another pensioner who needs a place in this very special old dogs home and the knowledge that the deceased one spent its final years in comfort.
One example of the residents is Nouli, who has spent her entire life catching hares for her owner’s cooking pot, thus providing him and his family with a regular supply of food.
Unfortunately, arthritis made it impossible to continue, but for Nouli matters were to take a dramatic turn for the worse. Her owner decided that as she was of no use to him any longer he reckoned that she should be euthanized. She arrived at the veterinary surgeon’s practice and the owner requested that the deed be done. Now, before we go any further, you would be forgiven for feeling a degree of outrage at this rather callous attitude. However, whilst I concur, I must point out that at least the owner of Nouli brought her in to be humanely euthanized and was willing to pay the fee. There are some who just abandon their geriatric dogs, so at least this man had some decency. The veterinary surgeon, however, declined to put Nouli to sleep and instead called the shelter.
Nouli is estimated to be around 12 years old, has been in the shelter for seven months, and each month, she gets a long-acting injection to relieve the discomfort of arthritis and takes vitamins that benefit, among other things, her heart, kidneys and joints.
She has been spayed and treated for damage to her teats, the result of endless pregnancies as she was obliged to produce puppies that provided more income for the family.
The best time
Gogo informs me that after a lifetime of living attached to a length of chain, Nouli is immensely enjoying being free. Being allowed to wander without hindrance within the confines of the enclosure may not seem much to shout about, but to an animal that has spent so much of its life tied up it’s paradise. She adores being stroked, a new experience for her, and relishes treats, another activity that was in very short supply in her previous life and is now a very contented canine. In fact, retirement for Nouli has definitely been the best time in her life, and if Gogo has anything to do with it, this will continue for a few more years to come.
“Because of the dog’s joyfulness, our own is increased. It is no small gift. It is not the least reason why we should honour and love the dog in our life and the dog down the street and all the dogs not yet born. What would the world be like without music or rivers and the green and tender grass. What would this world be like without dogs?”
Mary Oliver