Hello and thank you for taking the time to read this Appeal.

 On the morning of 10th June a volunteer of the Animal Welfare Group of Halkida spotted a sick male dog in the Papathanasiou area with very apparent walking difficulties and multiple open wounds all over his body especially on his head. We named him Pit and immediately rushed him to the Blue Cross vet clinic. We were relieved to discover that he was microchipped and thought that maybe he had escaped from his home and that his family were searching for him. But we were wrong ... When we called the owner he told us that a few years before he had given Pit to a very nice man but unfortunately he was unable to recall either his name, address or even his phone number! He told us that we should leave him alone as he had just got out of the hospital and was still recovering. He told us that it wasn't his fault what had happened to Pit and promptly hung up! We didn't actually believe his fabricated story and we had no other choice than to press charges against him.

 Unfortunately, the blood tests showed that Pit is infected with leishmaniasis and anaplasmosis. His hematocrit and platelets were extremely low but fortunately the liver and kidneys were in good condition. He can only walk a few meters because the cruciate ligament in both back legs were ruptured which causes him the most tremendous pain and lameness. The vets told us they can not operate on his legs until he fully recovers from Leishmaniasis and anaplasmosis. On 20th June, Pit started having daily intravenous therapy for Leishmaniasis. This is a 30 day cycle which will end on 20th July. Ten days after the completion of the cycle, Pit will be ready to have his first surgery. During this month we thought it would be feasible to raise the money and pay his vet bills. But on the 1st July something horrible happened to Greece. The goverment decided to implement capital controls and all banks were shut. The crisis in Greece brought despair to its citizens and to all animals lovers. We now know there is no way to raise the money locally and in less than 5 days Pit's leishmaniasis treatment will end. As you can see in the after pictures, Pit has already gained 4.5 kilos and now weighs 36 kilos. The wounds have healed nicely and his hematocrit raised from 23 to 37, but unfortunately his legs are starting to become progressively worse. He must have the knee surgeries (Tibial Tuberosity Advancement) as soon as possible.

The amount of money we need to raise is 3400 euros and that includes:

1) Pre & postoperative hospitalization for over 4 months.

2) The treatment of leishmaniasis and anaplasmosis.

3) The blood tests.

4) The CT scan and x-rays.

5) The two orthopedic surgeries.

6) The neutering surgery.

7) The postoperative physiotherapy.

 Pit is a benevolent giant who seeks human contact more than food! He is calm, patient and friendly with all animals. We are fighting to take away his pain for the rest of his life but know that this is going to be an uphill struggle. Please, please, please consider donating ... even just 1 euro will make a huge difference in his life!

 This page will be frequently updated with photos and videos of Pit 's progress. The receipt from the vet clinic will also be published as soon as we manage to raise the much needed money to pay for Pit 's bill.

 For more information, please do not hesitate to call the "BLUE CROSS" vet clinic at +302221082176 & +306980600602. Please ask to speak with Dr. Irene Tapouti or Dr. Louisa Mitakou.

PLEASE HELP US BRING AN END TO PIT'S CONSTANT PAIN ... WE CANNOT ACHIEVE THIS BY OURSELVES AND APPEAL TO YOU ALL TO HELP. PLEASE JOIN FORCES WITH US.