Animal Lover
If you consider yourself a dog lover, then wait until you meet Valia Orfanidou! This young woman does an amazing job rescuing and rehabilitating injured and stray dogs.
"Then you are an animal lover living in Greece, you simply get used to lonely stray dogs wandering around everywhere", Valia said.
Rescuing The Strays
Greece has a lot of stray dogs on the streets, so knowing that she can't save them all, she usually chooses to rescue the ones that can't make it on the streets.
In her words, she seeks to help "the sick, emaciated or hurt ones, the newborns, and the pregnant females".
A Homeless Puppy
But one day, while she was walking along the beach in one of Greece's most beautiful islands, Valia saw a homeless dog.
She got closer and inspected her to see if she was healthy. The truth was that the dog seemed fine, but she still had a weird feeling about it. Little did she know this would happen...
The Pup Looked Healthy
When asked about the puppy, Valia said the following: "There was something about her that made her life as a stray extremely vulnerable".
She had a gut feeling that the dog need help, so she took matters into her own hands and ended up taking the stray with her...
Cuddler
While most strays are either afraid of humans or display an aggressive behavior, Valia saw that this stray was very affectionate.
In fact, the adorable pooch wouldn't stop asking for cuddles. But Valia would soon find out more about this dog!
Give Me Rubs!
When the dog noticed that she had captured Valia's attention, she rolled over to have her belly rubbed. The dog wanted some love!
That's what made the woman keep an eye on the pup while she continued walking along the beach. But what happened next?
A Pooch With Many Hobbies
While Valia was still strolling on the beach, she kept looking at the stray. The dog, in turn, crossed paths with other families and started following them too.
Following strangers, playing alone in the sand, and chasing cars were her main everyday hobbies. But then, it was time to go...
No Sleep
Valia couldn't stop thinking about the stray pup. She said that she "couldn't sleep for two days, trying to find a way to take her off that beach as soon as possible".
After thinking things through, she decided to go back and help the pup! But did she find the pooch? Read on and find out!
Taking Her In
Valia went back to the beach and found that the dog was lying exactly at the same spot. Having made up her mind, she took the pooch to her house.
She decided she would live for a while with her. "I named her Blue for the blue sea that kept her company for the first few months of her life", she said.
Back Home
When Valia went back to her hometown, she called the Second Chance Rescue Society and asked if they could find a home for Blue.
However, this adorable pooch was about to get a great surprise! You won't believe what happened to him next...
Off To The Netherlands
In another part of the continent, a Dutch family had just lost their beloved dog named Abbaio. Both Abbaio and the family's second dog, Rincewind, were therapy pets.
In other words, the doggos had been trained to help people with Alzheimer's and dementia. Are you wondering what on Earth Blue has to do with this family? Keep on reading to find out!
A Great Loss
Not only was the family sad for Abbaio's loss, but the patients were also in tears. Little did they know they were about to get lucky!
When the Second Chance Animal Rescue Society posted a photo on Facebook of Blue, Karin Folkerts, the Dutch woman, immediately fell in love!
Meant to Be
The Dutch family didn't doubt it for a second: Blue was exactly the pet they had been looking for! They couldn't have been more excited at the thought of taking him in.
As Karin said in an interview: "We immediately pushed the contact button, and before we know it, we were called". Valia was checking to see if the family was good enough for Blue and what happened next surprised everyone!
A Perfect Fit
It turned out that Blue and the Folkerts were perfect for each other! Thus, transport to The Netherlands had to be organized.
Therefore, her rescuer and the volunteers at the Second Chance Animal Rescue Society prepared the pooch for the journey...
An Everlasting Home
Sooner than later, Blue would finally get to her forever home. Honestly, the pup couldn't have been luckier!
The Dutch family happened was actually on vacation in Greece when they contacted the rescue center, and it was only a couple of days until they went back to The Netherlands. So... guess what?
New Mom
After hearing about Blue's story, this couple immediately offered to take the dog with them back to The Netherlands.
Can you guess how Rincewind, the other dog, reacted when Blue got to her new home? Let's see what Blue's new owner, Karin, said about the dog's first moments in her new home.
Making Friends
"Rincewind immediately fell in love with her. That was so sweet and she was so welcome. Rincewind and [Blue] are BFFs", said Karin.
And Blue was now going to become a therapy dog, just like Rincewind was! Slide next and look at him now!
Visiting Patients
Soon after being trained as a therapy dog, which took place quite quickly, Blue started visiting other patients.
According to the pooch's new owner, "Blue doesn't have problems with people no matter what they are doing".
It Feels Like Forever
"I realize it is just three months ago that Blue came to live with us. It feels like she was here [forever]", said Karin.
From walking aimlessly and searching for people alone in the beach, Blue found a perfect home and received the care and attention she very much needed.
A Good Feeling
It seems that Valia's weird feeling about this stray dog paid off. Now Blue offers assistance to people who need it and she gets a ton of love too!
This puppy now has a purpose, a loving home and a best friend to play with! Talk about happy endings!