Original Article: https://blog.theanimalrescuesite.greatergood.com/senior-dog-survives-pound/

We sometimes hear about dogs that live in terrible conditions, but we don’t often get the opportunity to see inside. That is not the case, however, for animal rescuers who spend their time saving dogs from such horrific conditions.

This was recently seen in Sparta, Greece when animal rescuers arrived at a public pound. As shared in a video by The Orphan Pet, 400 dogs were living in the worst conditions imaginable, including a senior dog named Alma.

The conditions were so bad in the shelter that it was called a concentration camp for dogs. The Orphan Pet and Save a Greek Stray worked together to help document what was behind the walls. Valia was also there to help.

When they first saw Alma, she was chained up by a kennel, and they marked her among the dead. One of the other rescuers noted that she was still breathing, even though she was barely holding on.

When Valia walked over to Alma, it seemed as if she had lost all interest in life. While the other dogs were busy barking, she seemed completely disinterested and without emotion.

Alma continued locked up within herself, even when she arrived at Save a Greek Stray and started being cared for properly. Through it all, however, they noticed her eyes, which told a different tale.

People didn’t recognize it at first but Alma was dealing with a large tumor under her neck. It was twice as big as her head and it turned out to be due to a broken tooth. It was embedded from years earlier, likely from a dog bite, and the tumor was taking a toll.

After Alma got the care she needed, she started to heal and they learned that she wasn’t as fragile as they saw at first. She was a gentle dog, but she was calm in the face of difficult times.

They then found another tumor under her armpit which was an embedded tooth as well. It was touch and go for a bit but Alma responded well to the treatment and soon, she started growing back her fur.

As the rescue began working with her, Valia decided to pay a visit. She learned that before coming to the original shelter, she was living on the street happily, but she lost her ability to love people along the way.

She is a very independent dog that keeps everything bundled inside of herself. Valia feels that is what kept her alive in such a difficult situation. Another person on YouTube said she was: “a dog with no guile in her, just a calm dignity and grace about her no matter what the situation.”

Now that she has been rescued more than a year, Valia feels that she will keep her and care for her personally. Even though she admits that Alma is up for adoption, she doesn’t intend on letting her go.

Check out the video below:

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Source: The Animal Rescue Site Blog