A poor dog got his first taste of freedom after an entire life chained up outside. When Takis of Takis Shelter in Greece visited the dog’s owner he was told the dog is 19 years old. “He said that he remembers very well that he had him as a puppy from April 2004, so the dog is 19 years old,” Takis wrote on his YouTube channel in February of 2023.
The seasoned dog rescuer continued, “I asked the owner if the poor dog was ever free and the answer was that he was free only a few times when he escaped from the chain, maybe 2 or 3 times. The dog is in a shocking condition so close to dying and I took him with me to die in my shelter and not in a chain.”
Elvis, as Takis named him, was eating dry food for cats and not enough of it based on his skinny frame. He was so frail and thin and when he first arrived at the shelter, he didn’t have the strength in his hind legs to walk – they had atrophied because he had not been free to walk. But he was instantly curious about the other dogs and wanted to say hello to them. Takis noticed that none of the dogs barked when they first met Elvis – maybe this is a huge sign of respect for the elderly gentleman?
At first, Elvis didn’t know how to walk straight. But he wanted to get out and enjoy his freedom and roam about. The shelter workers helped him get around with a harness and Takis “took him under his wing.” Takis wanted to bring Elvis “back to life”. Takis noted that Elvis has a really strong spirit because even though he has no muscles, he wants to walk for hours and he has a hearty appetite.
Every day since arriving at Takis Shelter, Elvis improves. “It’s so amazing all the dogs are nice to him,” Takis said in a later video.