On 11th June 2018, my partner Oliver and I arrived in Halkidiki, Greece for our third holiday together. The holiday started out like any other – sand, sea, sun, tequila! That was until we spotted a beautiful black stray dog on the private beach of our hotel. Dehydrated and drained, she appeared out of nowhere and desperately tried to wriggle her body underneath the sun lounger in front of us for shade from the blistering mid-day sun. Her eyes rolled in the back of her head, half-closed and she panted heavily, her tongue lolling clumsily to one side. My partner, Oliver, fetched some water and she lapped it quickly from the cup. In return, she was incredibly affectionate and offered plentiful strokes and belly rubs between sips.
For a stray dog, we were taken aback by how gentle and friendly she was. She took slices of ham, which we had salvaged from the all inclusive sandwiches, so delicately and always with that wagging tail. Some she ate, some she buried. It broke our hearts. We knew we had fallen in love and never wanted her to have to plan for her next meal again. After speaking to some of the locals, it became clear that she had a wide roaming ground and was most likely covering a distance of 5-10km per day between the beach and mountains. This sparked a fear in us that, with only three days left in Halkidiki before our departure, we might never see her again.
When I called my family back home and retold her tale, they were incredibly supportive. We decided to reach out to several charities. With their assistance, we arranged some boarding in Thessaloniki with the most incredible and passionate team. Here, she could receive the necessary veterinary procedures for travel including micro-chipping, anti-rabies injection, de-worming and acquiring a pet passport. After that, we worked on transportation plans. It was in that moment that it dawned on us…Could we actually be bringing this little dog home? Could we pull this all together just three days before our departure?
The answer? Yes. We did it. Exactly one month on and Luna, as she has now been named, is sleeping peacefully in her bed, in her new home, in the United Kingdom. On Thursday 19th July, at 6:25 am, she embarked on her journey of over 3,000 miles which would include two flights, a trip through the Euro Tunnel and a four hour drive from Maidstone to our home in Blackburn. All this in twenty four hours…ambitious right? But, with the help of all the wonderful volunteers and new friends, we made it happen. Luna coped brilliantly with the big day, her tail still a-wagging, and now she’s in her new home – she’s happier than ever!
Through the blog I wrote titled Loving Luna UK, awareness of the story spread and by the time Luna arrived in the UK – she was almost a celebrity! She was met with so much love from our family to our friends, colleagues to complete strangers who had followed along every step of the way! It was incredibly humbling. Now she is continuing to settle in and doing brilliantly! She has become fully house-trained, sleeps in her own bed at the bottom of ours, enjoys plenty of long walks and trips and has even learnt to ‘sit’. In return, she showers us with constant love and affection – including going absolutely bonkers when Oliver gets home from work. She has a safe home, a loving family, a full belly and a belonging. We are so glad that we met Luna and truly believe that Fate brought us together. We look forward to many happy years with her.
With Luna safe and loved in the United Kingdom, we felt compelled to help those who came to our aid and to help those strays back in Greece who had not been or may never be so lucky as to stumble across a pair of soppy Brits such as ourselves. Hence, Loving Luna and Friends was born. The aim of the foundation is threefold-
- To promote the adoption of Greek strays in the United Kingdom and to offer advice, support and contacts for those who choose to purse international adoption.
- To raise funds for the charities who make these rescues and adoptions possible through events, merchandise and sponsorship.
- To raise awareness of the stray crisis overseas.
Sending love,
Charlotte, Oliver and Luna.
Loving Luna and Friends 