We knew better. We knew we shouldn't give the stray dogs we encountered any attention for fear they'd get attached and follow us (I've mentioned before how many there were in Thailand, there are too many here in Greece, too.) But sometimes we couldn't help it. Sometimes the dog makes that decision.
After dinner in the little village we spent the night in before our hike along the coastline, we walked out of the restaurant and started towards the middle of town to the stone steps that led up to the house we were staying in. Out of nowhere a wiggly, friendly German Shepard mix with a piece of rope for a collar bounded toward Val. They played for a minute and sure enough the dog followed us, all the way to our gate. He was so friendly, so expectant that we hated shutting the gate in his sweet little face.
The next morning we came down the steps from our room and there was the dog, as if he had waited for us there the entire night. His intelligent brown eyes said, "Okay, what's next and can I come, too?" I gave him water in a bowl from the little kitchen in our room. He was so thirsty. And so grateful. He was thin, you could count his ribs, but he was clean, his coat healthy-looking and his eyes were clear. He must not have been on his own for long. The rope around his neck looked like it served as a collar and like he had been tethered to something. The rope had a piece about three inches long, frayed at the end. It was loose on his neck. We thought - hoped - for awhile that he wasn't a stray, that he just got off his tether and was roaming a bit before going home, but later that day we asked at a restaurant and they said, no he didn't have a home.
We walked a mile up the road that led to the trailhead. The dog followed. We reached the trailhead and started down the rocky path. He was still with us. So we said, okay, I guess he's coming. If we're going to spend the day with him, let's give him a name. Rex. He looked like a Rex. German Shepard coloring with smaller head and ears. He was taller than Buddy and longer, but so thin. He was also better behaved than Buddy! He walked between us and minded when I told him to leave the goats who wander the hillsides alone.
After about 90 minutes, we reached the first village. There was one restaurant that was open enough to make us some eggs so we all three had scrambled eggs and enjoyed some just-picked oranges while we sat in the sun on the rooftop terrace. There was no one else there so I had asked if Rex could come up. After he ate his eggs, Rex relaxed in the sunshine with us. After 15 minutes or so, we rousted ourselves and continued on. We reached our endpoint and turned around. Three hours later we reached the road leading back to town. Rex ad been lagging behind a bit but caught a second wind when he realized where he was.
We gave him more water but then left him to grab a bite to eat. He peered in the restaurant window to keep tabs on us while we were out of his site. He was so happy to see us when we finished dinner, acting like it'd been forever. We saved half of our chicken for him. He was so hungry. We knew the moment was coming where we were going to have to leave him. We were going to get in the car and drive away. We left quickly without another word or pet for him. The tourist season is coming and many locals go to this area. We hope that someone will see in Rex the smart, playful, loveable dog that we saw and take him home with them.
Rex is a good dog. He deserves better.
After dinner in the little village we spent the night in before our hike along the coastline, we walked out of the restaurant and started towards the middle of town to the stone steps that led up to the house we were staying in. Out of nowhere a wiggly, friendly German Shepard mix with a piece of rope for a collar bounded toward Val. They played for a minute and sure enough the dog followed us, all the way to our gate. He was so friendly, so expectant that we hated shutting the gate in his sweet little face.
The next morning we came down the steps from our room and there was the dog, as if he had waited for us there the entire night. His intelligent brown eyes said, "Okay, what's next and can I come, too?" I gave him water in a bowl from the little kitchen in our room. He was so thirsty. And so grateful. He was thin, you could count his ribs, but he was clean, his coat healthy-looking and his eyes were clear. He must not have been on his own for long. The rope around his neck looked like it served as a collar and like he had been tethered to something. The rope had a piece about three inches long, frayed at the end. It was loose on his neck. We thought - hoped - for awhile that he wasn't a stray, that he just got off his tether and was roaming a bit before going home, but later that day we asked at a restaurant and they said, no he didn't have a home.
We walked a mile up the road that led to the trailhead. The dog followed. We reached the trailhead and started down the rocky path. He was still with us. So we said, okay, I guess he's coming. If we're going to spend the day with him, let's give him a name. Rex. He looked like a Rex. German Shepard coloring with smaller head and ears. He was taller than Buddy and longer, but so thin. He was also better behaved than Buddy! He walked between us and minded when I told him to leave the goats who wander the hillsides alone.
After about 90 minutes, we reached the first village. There was one restaurant that was open enough to make us some eggs so we all three had scrambled eggs and enjoyed some just-picked oranges while we sat in the sun on the rooftop terrace. There was no one else there so I had asked if Rex could come up. After he ate his eggs, Rex relaxed in the sunshine with us. After 15 minutes or so, we rousted ourselves and continued on. We reached our endpoint and turned around. Three hours later we reached the road leading back to town. Rex ad been lagging behind a bit but caught a second wind when he realized where he was.
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| The outdoor kitchen where the owner of the restaurant cooked our eggs. |
We gave him more water but then left him to grab a bite to eat. He peered in the restaurant window to keep tabs on us while we were out of his site. He was so happy to see us when we finished dinner, acting like it'd been forever. We saved half of our chicken for him. He was so hungry. We knew the moment was coming where we were going to have to leave him. We were going to get in the car and drive away. We left quickly without another word or pet for him. The tourist season is coming and many locals go to this area. We hope that someone will see in Rex the smart, playful, loveable dog that we saw and take him home with them.
Rex is a good dog. He deserves better.
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| Such a good boy. |
Keep the stories and observations coming. Praying you don't get caught up in the strikes in Spain....
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