Man has much power of discourse which for the most part is vain and false; animals have but little, but it is useful and true, and a small truth is better than a great lie.
– Leonardo da Vinci
“Dogs can tell when your heart is open – can tell when you’re dignifying them with your trust. Dogs smell trust.”
-poet Stephen Kuusisto, in his book Have Dog, Will Travel
“No man can fully understand the meaning of love unless he’s owned by a dog. ”
― Gene Hill, author
“I look at dogs as furry Prozac”
-Rick Springfield, musician, author, actor and sufferer from depression
“Not to hurt our humble brethren (the animals) is our first duty to them, but to stop there is not enough. We have a higher mission – to be of service to them whenever they require it. If you have men who will exclude any of God’s creatures from the shelter of compassion and pity, you will have men who will deal likewise with their fellow men.”
– Saint Francis of Assisi
Kathleen Crisley, Fear-Free certified professional and specialist in dog massage, rehabilitation and nutrition/food therapy, The Balanced Dog, Christchurch, New Zealand
“All his life he tried to be a good person. Many times, however, he failed. For after all, he was only human. He wasn’t a dog.“
– Charles M. Schulz
“Humans would do well to study the character of dogs” – Diogenes
This quotation is the opening slide of the documentary Dogs of Democracy, by Mary Zournazi, which was released in 2016. I’ve just watched the film on Doc Play, the app where it is available in New Zealand.
The film portrays the many stray dogs who live in Athens and the people who take care of them. It’s set at a time when citizens of Greece had been protesting against years of austerity measures that depressed the economy and its people.
One dog, Loukanikos, participated in many of the anti-austerity marches and his story is told posthumously by the people who knew him best. I particularly liked when Loukanikos is described a symbol of revolt and purity.
If you like dogs, you’ll like this 57-minute film. And if you follow news about economies and world economics as well as being a dog lover, you’ll have an even better appreciation for the timing and subject matter of the film.
For me, well – I’d like to go to Athens when this pandemic is over and give every one of those strays a good massage while visiting the birthplace of democracy.
Kathleen Crisley, Fear-Free certified professional and specialist in dog massage, rehabilitation and nutrition/food therapy, The Balanced Dog, Christchurch, New Zealand
Posted in animal welfare, dog care, dog quotes, Dogs
Tagged Athens, austerity measures, democracy, Diogenes, documentary, Greece
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