A local man arrived at a police station in southwest Greece on Friday and claimed ownership of a brutally tortured dog that was found along the side of a highway days ago. The story, yet another instance of apparent animal cruelty, has generated several headlines in the country and made the rounds on social media.
According to the man, the injured dog is called “Rex” and had run away from his residence hours before being found covered in blood from a severe tear in its rectum. The animal had sustained other serious injuries as well.
According to ilialive.gr, a local media outlet, the man also presented the dog’s health booklet, issued by a local vet, as well as paperwork showing the placement of a microchip just under the skin of the animal – something that pet owners in Greece are legally obliged to do. A scan, however, proved fruitless, with more tests to be conducted to determine whether the chip deactivated or was moved.
The dog remains at a local veterinary clinic and is receiving intensive medical care. The animal’s condition is now described as good, with the attending veterinarian declaring that she is optimistic that the canine will make a full recovery.
Meanwhile, local reports have members of a special Greek Police unit assigned cases of animal cruelty arriving in the area to investigate the incident. The animal was found just outside the village of Epitalio, in Elis (Ilia) prefecture.
Finally, an animal welfare federation has announced that it is offering a 1,500-euro reward leading to the perpetrator or perpetrators of the animal cruelty. Local volunteers were instrumental in providing immediate medical attention to the injured animal.
