A Stray Dog Finds Trust Again: The Journey of Petra

When it comes to humanity, it extends not only to people but also to animals. It's impossible to save them all, but saving one makes a difference—just like it did for Valia Orphanidou, a resident of Greece. Valia recently rehabilitated a miserable stray dog found in a horrific health condition and brought to the shelter where Valia works. "She suffered from mange and infections from insect bites. Her face was hardened and cracked like a stone because she didn't receive treatment for the mange," explains Valia. 

Lost trust in humans. The dog Petra, 'Stone.' (Photo: Valia Orphanidou)

Indeed, Petra is the name given to the dog, meaning 'stone' in Greek. "I tried to gather some information about her around the neighborhood and realized that many residents tried to approach her to help, but she ran away and wouldn't let anyone near her. It was clear she was terrified of human contact, possibly due to past abuse," Valia wrote in one of her Facebook posts accompanying Petra's pictures. 

Since Petra was brought to the shelter for vulnerable dogs, Valia never left her side. "When she first saw me, she acted as if she had never been petted or showered with warmth and love," Valia recalls. "It seemed like she had never interacted with humans before or had been severely abused, which caused her to lose trust in them. Every time we wanted to take her out of the kennel, she cried and hid. If she could talk, she would probably say, 'Leave me alone, I've had enough trouble with humans.'"

And how does Petra look today, after about two months of care? See for yourself:

Petra today, after her rehabilitation (Photo: Valia Orphanidou)