Have you heard about the nine-month-old dog Asproulis who just survived nine days without food, that too at an altitude of 1,900 metres? Well, the story of this miraculous rescue has gone viral on the internet. Asproulis, whose name means 'Whitey' in Greek, lived with his owner, Christos Zacharis, who runs a traditional cafe in the village of Haliki. The unfortunate incident began when Asproulis decided to follow a group of French ski mountaineers that had taken a pitstop at Zacharis' cafe.
While the white labrador Asproulis managed to tail the hikers till near the summit, he could not climb his way down due to the treacherous terrain, and cold weather which proved too much for the pup. According to a report in the Greek newspaper, the dog managed to endure the freezing altitudes alone for over a week, sparking a desperate search for his whereabouts.
The miracle finally happened last Thursday, March 5, when a group of Greek mountaineers, who were already aware of the dog's disappearance, began an ascent towards the Tsoukarela peak. As they climbed, apart from the sound of the chilly winds, all they could hear were desperate cries from a dog, stuck in the wilderness all alone.
As they following the sounds, they discovered Asproulis alive against all odds, bringing a positive and cheerful end to a rescue mission that has since captured hearts worldwide.
"We were climbing to reach the summit and as we were going up, we heard some cries. The little dog must have noticed us and seen us first. We hadn't seen him because he's white and blended into the snow, but he was calling for help," Marina Koraki, a member of the climbing team that rescued Asproulis, told the publication.
Marina shares how their group split in two. While most continued the ascent, the more experienced climbers of the group went to find the dog and carry out the rescue.
Having endured without food for nine days, the hikers stated that the dog was so frail that the collar around its neck was hanging loosely. They fed him and began the descent before handing him to Zacharis, who was overjoyed. As soon as Asproulis got home, he calmly grabbed his spot his couch.
"When the dog came down with us, he went to each one of us as if to say thank you, he was almost crying," said Koraki.
Zacharis explained that the distance from where Asproulis was found takes about 3.5 hours to reach and the highest peak there is approximately 2,200 metres. Behind the peak, there is a cliff which must have spooked the pup, Zacharis added.
For more updates, join/follow our WhatsApp, Telegram and YouTube channels.