The Greek Goddess
Plants & Animals Column #2
When we first met Iris, she was standing on a veterinarian’s table with a thermometer up her butt.
“I know you just lost a dog,” our friend had said over the phone, calling from the Adams Animal Clinic, where she worked. “You should come see this one.”
The dog was a beautiful jet black and looked like some type of shepherd mix. And she had a remarkable history: She had spent the first year of her life as a street dog in Halkida, Greece! Halkida is a beach resort area. In summer, the street dogs were well fed from handouts and restaurant waste. But when the beaches closed, so did the food supply. A good Samaritan had befriended a small pack of 3 dogs and was trying to keep them alive despite the dearth of tourists.
Other neighbors, however, had a different solution. Two of the pack died from the poisoned meat set out by residents who saw the dogs as a nuisance. This dog was the only survivor.