A Story of Survival

New York 2004 - Athens 2004

One of my greatest rewards came on April 2004 with the arrival of two partially paralyzed pups from Greece; Lucky Buddy and Zoe. They arrived via Olympic, the national airline of Greece, and landed at JFK in New York City among rousing cheers from airport cargo workers who learned of their drama while Joseph Pastore and I paced in anticipation.

Medical examination here in the states points to them allegedly having been beaten to within an inch of their lives. Vets in New York concur that they must have suffered unspeakable injuries and pain. I first saw them in a horrifying private "shelter" on the outskirts of Salonika in Northern Greece and had been warned about the condition of the little white pup from Vesna Jones , founder of GAR. We were secretly filming an expose with TV journalist, Maria Topalidou for ERT TV, a Greek broadcasting network, and we were racing against time, fearful that the hoarder would return. Their starved bodies were broken and deformed. The two pups were nothing but bone and disheveled, filthy fur. Their little bodies covered in pressure sores, were bleeding and infected.

I had traveled to Greece many times in the last few months on behalf of the animals and for my meetings and pre- Olympic negotiations with Greek government officials and the press. In March of 2004, while in Athens, I was invited by ERT TV to participate in an expose documentary detailing the horrors of life in Greece for countless companion and farmed animals.

During my journey with ERT and it's crew, I was blessed to find these two wretched pups. Their condition was heartbreaking. Paralyzed, starving and without any hope, their little hearts filled with despair, these two abandoned, mixed breed dogs had languished at a hoarders lair in Northern Greece for more than a year.

I photographed the two pups but due to circumstances of travel and a truck laden with film equipment and crew I was unable to rescue them immediately. As I prepared to leave, one of the dogs, the little black border collie mix tried to drag herself after me whimpering. I left the "shelter" in tears and feeling quite helpless.

After two weeks of investigation and travel throughout Greece, I returned home to my base in New York City. The images of these two paralyzed dogs and the four hundred or so others trapped there in abject misery, without food , medical attention or proper shelter haunted me day and night. I was devastated. It took almost two months after my departure from Athens, a veritable miracle, receiving death threats from the dog's keeper, and the interactive efforts of some extraordinary people in Greece, the UK and the United States to rescue them from their entrapment in a veritable hell hole.

I vowed that I would find a way to bring them to the United States and a secure and peaceful life. But the almost impossible confronted me. I had to find a way to "snatch" these dogs from their "keeper" who had a shotgun at the ready to ward off trespassers. An exhausting search began to find a compassionate "thief", temporary refuge in northern Greece, far from the shelter, and a foster "mom". I had to formulate a fool proof plan for these two abandoned, brutally beaten and neglected dogs.

I arrived back in the states and put a plan in motion to procure them from the shelter. It was also necessary to find a way to transport them to a safe house far from the hell hole in which they existed on the outskirts of the northern Greek city of Salonika. The ultimate plan was a mercy airlift to New York City.

An incredible relay of Greek rescue teams, the intervention of my dear friend, Vesna Jones of Greek Animal Rescue in London, Angela Fleming of Frontida Zoon in Athens, Gwen Ware of Caring for the Animals Trust, London and the forces at Olympic airlines in Athens and New York helped to execute a brilliant "escape" for the dogs. At the "safe house" in a tiny village in the far reaches of northern Greece, they were loved, fattened up by Julie, a lovely English girl and brought to a very compassionate vet in Greece for testing, treatment, vaccinations and proper travel documents.

WAG New York funded the "robbery", rescue, veterinary care, fostering and land transportation efforts for these two miracle pups.

We were able to persuade the incredibly compassionate USA President of Olympic Airlines to transport the dogs from Salonika to Athens to JFK airport in New York City gratis ! Six weeks after their rescue and rehabilitation, they were healthy enough and ready for travel to the United States - a very long journey for these two battered pups.

Julie, their angel of a foster mum prepared them for the 30 hour trip from a small village in the northern most tip of Greece to Salonica, to Athens, and then to their final destination in the United States. Angela Fleming of Frontida Zoon, Zoe and Lucky's "Godmother" was the match that ignited the fire to bring them to their forever "home" in New York. She is my dear friend and I adore her. Without her, the Greek Animal Welfare Movement will be at a loss.

(I am sad to report that Angela departed Greece and is now living in Capetown, South Africa, the city of her birth. She tells me that she could no longer stand the pain of seeing the plight of companion and farmed animals in Greece. What is South Africa's gain is most definitely Greece's loss).

On April 7th, Joseph Pastore, a volunteer for New York City's Mayors Alliance for Animals, and I drove to JFK (in a van donated by Enterprise rent a Car in Manhattan) and awaited the arrival of the dogs and their clearance of customs. We waited for their arrival for what seemed like eternity; nervously pacing the gigantic cargo area and waiting for announcements.

As soon as Niko, the Olympic Cargo manager, a phenomenal gentleman, announced their arrival at the Customs terminal, a rousing cheer broke out from at least 20 airport workers who had gathered to welcome them to the USA. How amazing New Yorkers are when there are creatures in need. I, of course being the dramatic Italian, burst into tears but this time they were tears of joy.

The 30 hour trip had taken their toll and partially paralyzed Zoe and Lucky were covered in poop and urine and frightened half to death. I came to the airport with all the equipment needed to clean them and soothe them. They received a mini bath right there on the floor of the cargo terminal, and fresh bedding - blankets and two pristine, white fluffy pillows from my bed at home. Their airport spa treatment was supervised by airport workers, horrified by their story.

They were too frightened and too exhausted to drink or eat so we lifted them gently into the van and began our two hour journey to upstate New York. We arrived at the farm and gently removed Zoe and Lucky from their crates. We hugged and kissed them and what a surprise. They dragged themselves into our laps (as we were all sitting on the floor) and pressed their little faces against ours. Their tongues kissed us and their eyes spoke volumes.

Examinations by orthopedic specialists and x-rays indicate that these two little mutts had multiple fractures of their spines and other bones, which left them partially paralyzed and terribly deformed. The veterinarian in New York stated that at the time of accident or beating, their pain had to have been excruciating.

The heavens opened and a ray of brilliant white light shown down upon two, dying Greek pups. Baby Zoe and Baby Lucky were fitted for wheelchairs and they run and play in their new "paradise" at Pets Alive Sanctuary in Middletown, New York. Their friends are pigs and ducks and an extraordinary array of loving and well cared for animals and kind people. They are the lucky ones; but what about the ones left behind in Greece and all those innocent, lost souls suffering in other countries?

I grieve for those I had to leave behind. I remember their faces, each and every one and I feel their pain. I grieve for them and I always will, but I vow to make a difference in the lives of animals everywhere.

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