Rescuers Without Borders in Turkey, has worked with the pups at a landfill in Corum for years. There were so many that the group couldn’t rescue all of them, typically choosing ones that were very young, very old, or looked like they couldn’t survive much longer.
So when co-founder Crystal Carson clapped eyes on Kratos, an extremely emaciated pup covered in mange and almost no fur, she knew he had to be a potential rescue for the organization. He looked like he wasn’t going to survive much longer, and his picture haunted Carson.
Then, cold weather arrived in Corum, and Carson knew that the 8-year-old senior wouldn’t be able to make it. In fact, one of the rescuers in the area, Gocke Erdogan, reached out to Carson and begged her to take him while he tried to find a way to provide a home for the pup.
Carson and some team members arrived to pick Kratos up. He was so thirsty, skinny, and weak that getting him to come with them was easy – plus, he was very friendly.
He was rushed to the vet, where it was found that he was actually surprisingly healthy for a dog in his condition. He needed treatments for mange, an eye infection, and dehydration, but other than that, he was okay.
Rehoming Kratos was difficult, but he was eventually moved to an independent facility run by Emre Demir, which rescues pups. Kratos was picked up by Demir and brought to the facility in Bursa, where he would live in a doghouse in the outdoor facility.
Right now, Carson aims to have Kratos eventually moved to America to find a forever home, but getting travel documents is highly difficult, as Kratos is a Kangal dog and therefore viewed as a national treasure in Turkey – so he can’t be exported.
It’s an ironic situation, but for now, Carson is just glad that Kratos is safe, healthy, and well cared-for. His fur is growing back, he’s putting on weight, and he’s doing well!
Images & Feature Image Source: Rescuers Without Borders