When Gillian and her family were on holiday on this Greek island earlier in the year, they met a dog called Ella, who looks like a small, almost-white Labrador.

Living in a field, Ella is one of many stray and abandoned dogs who are taken care of by the Skopelos animal charity, SCAN. Gillian is determined to give Ella a new home in the UK, and an amazing team of people have come together to help make it possible.

There are so many logistical issues. Skopelos is part of the Sporades archipelago, one of just four of the archipelo’s 24 islands that are inhabited. Even so, Skopelos doesn’t have a resident vet. The vet who visits the island from time to time is on a training course in Thessaloniki. So the first challenge was getting Ella microchipped and vaccinated against rabies, so that she can have a pet passport. Somewhat miraculously, this is all well in hand, thanks to the vet who cut short her course to get the timing right!

When we heard about Ella, we contacted Cordelia from cat care and rescue organisation Nine Lives Greece who is very well plugged in to the animal rescue community throughout Greece. She quickly responded to our request for help and put us in touch with Sharon.

Sharon suggested the Skiathos Dog Shelter might be able to help — which they’ve done. They’ve stepped in to get Ella from Skopelos to the larger neighbouring island of Skiathos and are looking after her while she’s on their island waiting for her ferry to the mainland port of Volos.

Britta, who lives on Skiathos, has also stepped in to help. She is sorting out Ella’s ferry trip for Thursday and will put Ella on the ferry to be met at Volos by one of her friends. Ella will then stay overnight with a vet in Volos, and Spyros will drive her to us on Friday in Lamia.

We can’t wait to meet her!

Ella’s former home, the island of Skopelos