There are so many stray dogs on the streets, fending for themselves and hoping that someone will come along and rescue them.
But one determined little dog didn’t wait — he ran after a woman’s car, winning her over enough that she took him in.
Valia Orfanidou, from Greece, is passionate about helping stray animals. She rescuers and fosters stray dogs, who are sadly common in her home country.
“Greece has about 3 to 5 million stray dogs,” Valia told The Dodo. “The streets here are like an open-admission shelter — anyone who doesn’t want their dog anymore dumps him on the streets, there is no other option.”
Recently, she had a memorable encounter with one of these dogs… after she saw him running after her car.
Valia pulled over, and the pup then hid under her vehicle, as if to stop her from driving off again.
She was impressed with the little dog’s determination.
“Pretty clever move, actually,” she said in a YouTube video. “He basically rescued himself, this one.”
The two then played “hide and seek” on the side of the road, as Valia slowly worked to gain the dog’s trust. She says that many cars passed them by — a reminder of how commonplace these dogs are in the country and how “desensitized” people are to the problem.
Valia knew she had to help the dog, knowing no one else would.
After ten minutes of hide-and-seek, she finally got him in her car, where he quickly warmed up to her.
She brought him to a veterinarian. Despite fending for himself on the streets for so long, the pup was in good health and spirits. The dog was named Bandit.
“He is independent and strong-minded,” Valia told The Dodo. “[But] very loyal and lives to learn.”
Valia fostered Bandit at home with her other pets, and says she enjoyed watching him experience the world as an innocent puppy.
“I feel like I want to teach him everything, to show him everything, the world and its smells and its beauty,” she said in her video.
Despite her love for Bandit, she is determined to get him adopted as soon as possible. He is available for adoption through Second Chance Animal Rescue Society. If you are located in Greece and are interested in adopting this beautiful pup, you can contact them on their website.
This smart dog definitely picked the right car to run after. Thank you to this woman for being kind enough to pull over and help Bandit!
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