Animal Advocate Saves Old Dog, Dumped At Landfill

Animal advocate and lover Crystal Carson was shocked and heartbroken the moment she saw a photo of a Kangal Shepherd dog named Kratos, who had been living most of his lonely at a landfill located in Corum, Turkey.

Animal advocate

“I thought, ‘Oh my God. You’ve got to be kidding me. He looks so old. You could literally see every rib on him and his spine. I’m thinking, ‘This dog is not going to make it,’” recalled Carson, who was the co-founder of an animal rescue organization named Rescuers Without Borders, RWB for short. Very sadly, not only is Kratos old and severely malnourished, he had also suffered a severe case of mange, which caused most of his body to be covered in bald patches – he needed someone to help him immediately.

It seemed that Kratos was not looking good, and plus Carson was unable to stop thinking about him. Bluntly put, Kratos’ photo constantly haunted her conscience. “Some dogs seem to look directly into your soul from their pictures — that’s the only way I can explain it,” Carson continued.
Kratos was not alone, as he was not the only dog at this landfill located in Corum. Unfortunately, several hundred other dogs were also found to be surviving on scraps of discarded food there, creating their own bedding in heaps of garbage in order to keep themselves warm. Back in 2017, Carson and a few friends established RWB, to help give them regular food and medical care, and even successfully rehomed a few in the process.

8-year-old Kratos was a good candidate for rescue. When the cold hits Corum in November, it became urgent to get him out of there in case he freezes. Gokce Erdogan, one of the local rescuers in Turkey, quickly contacted Carson and the rest of the RWB team. They hurried to capture Kratos — but this part wasn’t hard as he was a gentle and friendly giant. Kratos was then treated for mange, dehydration and an eye infection at the vet’s, but luckily he was found to be surprisingly healthy.

After his vet visit, Kratos needed somewhere to live but somewhere suitable was tricky and difficult to find last minute. In the end, the team managed to contact an independent rescue facility located all the way in Bursa, Turkey ran by a man named Emre Demir.

Carson was sure that Kratos would never have survived if he remained at the landfill. Today, Kratos is happier and healthier than ever before, and he seemed to be optimistic for the future. His fur has even started to grow back – that is truly great news!