On Sunday 5 April 2009, a skeletal pointer was rescued in a forest near Skaramaga (near Piraeus); clearly another 'discard' by some callous hunter. The dog is very sick and very weak. He was taken to a vet we co-operate with and several blood tests are being carried out (for which we - GAR - are paying and gladly so!); the results won't be known for a couple of days. We fear the dog has both Leishmaniasis (disease transmitted by a tiny sandfly) and Ehrlichiosis (tick-borne disease). He has several wounds on his body and a large swelling inside one of his thighs. I so hope that he has a chance of making a full recovery ........ and one day find a loving home.

UPDATE, 10 APRIL 2009
The blood tests came out negative for leishmaniasis and Ehrlichiosis, but the liver function is not good. The dog is also very anaemic (red blood cells very low) and for the past 2 days he has been on a drip at a vet's. Thankfully he has appetite, but because he is very malnourished, he is fed small meals several times a day. The swelling inside his things, the low haemoglobin, severe anaemia and high liver enzymes indicate that he may have ingested some poison, which is why it's necessary to keep him on a drip for a few days. It's too early to say if he will recover, but we are hopeful.

UPDATE, 6 MAY 2009
Pluto (as he has now been named) has started to eat 3 meals a day and has gained 2 kilos. While he is making good progress he is still very anaemic, his liver function is not great and he's also still VERY underweight. He is receiving very good care so we are hopeful. As you can see from the pictures he has even managed to play ball!!

UPDATE, 17th JAN 2010
Pluto arrived at his new home in the UK on 13th Jan 2010. The pictures below were taken on the 17th January whilst on a day out in Leigh On Sea in Essex.

UPDATE JULY 2010
Pluto at his new home.