It’s not only about teeth and hooves - by Anna Stamatiou - GAWF/Animal Action Trustee

Cleo gets a little help from Anna with the chin strap

When the GAWF/Animal Action Equine team goes on outreach visits we often write reports in which care to equine dentition and feet feature prominently.  You might think that rasping and filing is all we ever do.  But the team encounters all kinds of other problems as well, and these call for careful observation and attention to detail.  Add to those a pinch of patience and a dollop of ingenuity and small things can really make a difference to the quality of life of our “clients”. 






Mmmnnn.  That’s a whole lot more comfortable

This donkey was brought to us by Kyria Koula on Kasos on the 24th of May.  While it was being given the routine checks and usual care, our vet Cleo noticed that it had an injury to its chin, due to rubbing from a halter that was far too tight.  Kyria Koula had put its uncooperative behaviour down to a grumpy disposition but the team soon realised the poor animal was in fact in constant pain.  Its halter was worn out and could no longer be adjusted.  But Giannis, our farrier, and Cleo were not about to leave the donkey in distress.                                                                                                                                                                                                

OK.  Let’s go home

With a bit of ingenuity (and a length of strong nylon bootlace), Giannis repaired the head strap so that the halter could be loosened, while Cleo devised a nicely padded chin strap… with the high-tech aid of an old hankie and some self-adhesive bandage.  Add a spritz of blue spray antibiotic powder and some gentle handling and the donkey soon became a different animal, standing calmly and then docilely following Kyria Koula, who runs the village olive press, home.   Now that’s what we call a result!

                                                                              
PS. Thanks to Irini Fafalios, our kind volunteer, for recording this small but important intervention.

Loukanikos the Greek riot dog by Lucy Westmore, Head of UK Operations GAWF

Running from danger

Loukanikos

Squaring up to the police

Times have been extremely hard in Greece during recent years and there have been riots and demonstrations aplenty. But most people wouldn’t have expected to see a stray dog marching along with protesters – in fact, Loukanikos was there showing his support at almost all the riots in Athens!

Loukanikos (which actually means sausage in Greek), can be seen in many amateur videos, silently marching alongside the demonstrators, wagging his tail along to the chants. Even the tear gas and firebombs didn’t drive this tough old
boy away, he seemed to thrive on the action.

Dodging tear gas

Battle lines

Loukanikos was raised in the alternative area of Athens, Exarchia, and this is where he hung out day to day. A group of high school students decided to make a video of him after they observed his slightly unusual pastime of joining the demonstrators and the film  went on to win the 150th Film Festival of Olympia for Children and Young People in December 2012. Here’s the film in Greek but it is easy to watch and pick up for those who don’t speak the language:
http://www.moriasnow.gr/article/video-o-loykanikos-xarise-brabeio-mathites-argoys

Time magazine’s editors voted Loukanikos ‘person’ of the year (2011) and the lovely photo montage here show his various appearances – the photos really capture this street dog’s determined and rebellious personality.

He also made it into to international media including the Washington Post and the BBC wrote of Loukanikos: “One committed protester was at the front line when Greek police fired teargas at protesters outside parliament on Wednesday. The dog, thought to be a stray called Loukanikos, or Sausage, has been in the centre of the action for years.”

A bar in Madrid, Spain, has even been named after him and pictures of Loukanikos at various events all over the city are hung on the walls for all to admire.



Loukanikos was adopted in 2012 and retired from his glory days. Some reports suggest that he
has since passed away while others say he is enjoying his well earned retirement and living in the lap of luxury.

Despite being out of the limelight, Loukanikos’s freedom fighting spirit lives on in Athens and he serves as an ambassador to all of the stray animals roaming the streets. Thanks to this remarkable dog, with a larger than life personality, many people have a new found respect for street animals and they appreciate that like Loukanikos, even the voiceless have rights
and can and will stand up and be counted.