Charlie with Smiling Eyes
Have you ever seen a stray dog's eyes shining with joy? Well, Charlie from Kalamış Marina is just that.
According to the estimates of our veterinarian, Charlie is three and a half years old. It is a mix of German shepherd, greyhound and hound. Don't get confused by the name, Charlie is a girl.
She was just a baby when she had first come to the marina, she was looking at people with fear and worry in her eyes. Being bound by something was not fit for her free spirit. However, when she was wandering around herself, she was showing aggression due to her past traumas.
Although the pandemic negatively effected many people and animals, it was a turning point in Charlie's life. She wandered around freely during the curfews, socialized and gave us energy, became playmates with the children around. There were people who ran with her, took photos, some even drew her picture! She acknowledged the Marina office as a comfortable space for herself, and chose us as her family. At last, Charlie had a home.
Charlie is such a dog of duty. She is a protector, even a guard. She welcomes everyone that comes to the Marina office, sniffs their legs, and those who pass from Charlie's inspection are allowed in. Her collar with a bowtie, which is her distinguishing feature, is her first item. However, who knows what she did, the bow tie has recently disappeared.
Charlie is now getting vaccinated regularly, takes her monthly medicine, goes out on a walk twice or thrice a day. She is sometimes accompanied by her dog friends from the neighborhood during these walks. Many of our yachts people know and pet her, they give her small presents like food and collars. We know that she sometimes breaks her diet with the special meals that she is treated to from the menus of famous restaurants as she is very popular around the marina.
When we look at Charlie, we see that we were able to change a life that may have been very difficult for her, with the unity of hand and heart. Charlie gives us hope in changing and improving things on earth.
Another initiative that increased our faith is the smartphone application of Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality called SemtPati, which was implemented with the support of İpek Kıraç. You too can support stray animals in your neighborhood by using this application:
Remember! Maybe we may not put an end to evil, but we can always multiply the good!
Pınar Özdemir, Setur Kalamış & Fenerbahçe Marina Front Office Representative
Photos: Hasan Tahsin Kural, Setur Kalamış & Fenerbahçe Marina Sailor