Loukanikos, the Greek dog that accompanied protestors on the front line of demonstrations in 2011 against harsh austerity measures imposed by the Greek government, has passed away. A fond farewell was penned by Petros Katsakos (in Greek) in the newspaper Avgi.
The dog was globally famous and was featured on numerous magazine front covers as a symbol of protest. The highlight of his career came when Time Magazine called “the Protestor” its 2011 Man of the Year and included the Athenian stray amongst its profiles, with a photo gallery of his participation in violent protests.
Loukanikos, the Greek word for sausage, was about ten years old. He died peacefully on the couch of the man who was watching the once stray Greek dog. His veterinarian explained that his health had been deteriorating, probably caused by repeated exposure to tear gas and chemicals used by riot police during the numerous demonstrations that Loukanikos took part in over the years.
RIP Loukanikos!
4 comments
American Songwriter David Rovics has written a wonderful song about Loukanikos a few years ago- you can find it here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bR_97V59LbE .
Farewell our friend, we will always remember you as our comrade!!!!!!
I'm sure the chemical didn't help his health but 10 years is within the normal life span of a big dog. Glad he lived comfortably at the end of his life.
I am glad this dog was well taken care of in his end years , I do not view greece as a pet friendly nation in any way, they kill stays by horribly poisoning them, they do not advocate laws to spay and neuter and let countless animals fend for themselves on the streets.