Blind Jack Russell pups were dumped at vet’s to be euthanized.
Photo: Achaic Society for the Care of Animals

Although Anastasia Aravantinou works full-time in her job as Western Greece district manager for DHL Express Hellas, she and other volunteers for Achaic Society for the Care of Animals manage to squeeze enough spare moments out of their busy lives to rescue, foster, and re-home some 200 animals per year from the teeming streets and surrounding rural areas of the port city of Patras, on the shores of the Ionian Sea.

In a visit to the group’s Facebook page, Animal Issues Reporter discovered Aravantinou’s impassioned account of ACSA’s recent rescue of two Jack Russell terrier puppies.

ACSA frequently fosters puppies, but there’s something just a little different about these two…

By Anastasia Aravantinou, Achaic Society for the Care of Animals (Opinion)

So, how did we end up with two blind Jack Russell puppies? Piou was the first one we rescued. He was abandoned at a veterinarian’s office to be put to sleep because he couldn’t see.

One month later we were informed that one more Jack Russell baby was abandoned to be put to sleep by a different veterinarian, again because she is blind.

Blind Jack Russell pups play in a blur of fun.
Photo: Achaic Society for the Care of Animals

How could we say no to the rescue of this baby? Thus, she came too to join our big family.

We called her Tsiou because she used to whine a lot the first days (“tsiou-tsiou” is how birds tweet in Greek).

We have now under our care the two wonderful love birds. There are so much fun to watch. How they find each other and play, how they “attack” the cats of the house, how they chase every noise. They do not know they are blind. After six hours of playing they are taking a nap and then they start all over again.

Who’s to blame?

Can we blame anyone for the condition of these two babies? Of course! These puppies were imported to be sold in Greece. Someone paid 200-300 euros for each one and then returned the faulty merchandise and ordered new, improved ones.

Can we blame the damn importer? Sure, he has his share in this. But what about the family who, instead of adopting, preferred to buy?

What about this family who decided to spend 200-300 euros to buy a dog whose original living conditions they had never seen (probably a “puppy mill” in Hungary)?

Piou and Tsiou cope well with their blindness. They don’t know it’s a problem.
Photo: Achaic Society for the Care of Animals

What about this Greek family who witness the horror of abandoned and abused animals on the streets of Greece every single day, yet prefers to ignore those miserable creatures who desperately need their help, and instead buy a fancy little dog from an unknown breeder?

A dog is a lifetime commitment

Before you buy your favorite dog brand that will match your summer way of life, please think about the thousands of dogs who put to sleep because they are blind. Or maybe they’re deaf. Or maybe they’re just unwanted because they are too energetic, or for whatever other reason.

Don’t buy! Adopt!

But please don’t buy or adopt if you are not ready to take on a lifetime commitment.

And if you have a already a dog or cat please have them spayed/neutered.

WATCH blind little Piou have fun with Bougatsa the amazingly tolerant cat.

After hours of nonstop play, two friends catch some rest on the bed.
Photo: Achaic Society for the Care of Animals

To help ACSA with donations or volunteering contact Aravantinou at asca.email@

gmail.com.

Visit ACSA’s Facebook page.

For more AIR on these two blind Jack Russell pups please see:

Puppy importer brings in ‘defective’ animals, then leaves them at vet’s to be killed, says rescuer

Anastasia Aravantinou is president of Achaic Society for the Care of Animals (ACSA), based in the busy port city of Patras on the shores of the Ionian Sea. From the streets and from surrounding rural areas the all-volunteer, nonprofit group has rescued, fostered, and re-homed thousands of needy animals including dogs, cats, and other animals since its formation in 1994.

While continuously fostering 15 to 25 dogs in her home, Aravantinou also works full-time in her job as Western Greece district manager for DHL Express Hellas.

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