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*All expenses for this trip were paid by the author.

Greece Here We Come

We visited Greece in November 2018 and had fun being tourists in Thessaloniki. Elena (Ned’s trainer in Ohio), her mom Irene, and her friend Vasilis were our tour guides as we enjoyed delicious Greek food, visited beautiful historical landmarks, and shopped. We were on a special mission during our volunteering vacation in Greece.

Miss Bee, Ned, my nephew Max and I traveled to Greece to volunteer for Nina Service Dogs, the first Assistance/Service dog agency in Greece. Nina Service Dogs places assistance dogs with children who have disabilities. Their highly trained dogs also participate in therapeutic activities that support third-age adults (seniors) and children. You can read about how we met Elena in my post Our Service Dog Training Journey.

Representation

I have been handling Ned for Miss Bee for the past 4 years. On this trip, we represented 4 Paws for Ability as an established team during multiple TV and radio interviews. We also made a presentation to a live audience.

How We Met Elena

Elena was completing a service dog training certification at 4 Paws in 2014 when she was assigned to train Ned. The universe perfectly aligned with this assignment because Elena is also a professional Greek singer who performs every year in Los Angeles where we live. We are lucky to have the opportunity to visit with her during her trips. Ned is like an elephant – he never forgets Elena and he exuberantly greets her with utter joy the second he hears her lovely Greek accent.

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Nina Service Dogs

During her visits, Elena updates me on all things Nina Service Dogs, her agency in Greece. I enjoyed hearing about the events she attended and the fun things she has done to promote her agency and the use of service dogs in Greece. We were especially thrilled to hear that Mike, a beautiful Labrador retriever, was placed with his adorable boy George and that the match was a huge success.

I knew we would someday visit Greece. There were things our American team could do to promote service dogs for children in Greece and a volunteering trip was planned.

It would have been ideal to visit in summer. But I know my daughter and trying to combine a relaxing vacation with volunteering activities would have been incredibly challenging. We managed to see a lot and have fun despite the weather. 

Thanksgiving week had the least impact on missing school. After months of travel paperwork completion for Ned to travel internationally, off we went. We will return in the near future for a summer vacation. 

Wall-E 

During our first day of tourist activities Wall-E, a papillon who was born and trained at 4 Paws in Xenia, OH, and lives with Elena in Greece, joined us for some public access practice at a department store. Ned and Wall-E go way back. Wall-E visited us in Los Angeles. Wall-E is an adorable people magnet full of personality. This tiny little ten pounder is the boss of my ninety-five-pound Goldendoodle.  Service dogs are not yet known in Greece and few have ever seen a Goldendoodle. 

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Public Access and Contact

Our entrance into a department store was epic. I am accustomed to being (what I call) the circus sideshow, in public. At times, it is frustrating and old. Imagine the surprise on our fellow shopper’s faces when they happened upon this “Odd Couple” in their red vests hanging out at the MAC cosmetics counter. My gorgeous teen was receiving a makeover.

Both dogs are pros and they took all of the attention and petting in stride. Typically service dogs should never be approached or petted when they are working. When a child has a service dog there is a social component to their training and the handler can allow contact when appropriate. Ned and Wall-E were happy to oblige as Wall-E held court. It was fun to watch the reactions and answer questions.

Our Presentation

On our second day, we visited a lovely coffee shop to give a presentation for a live audience of Nina Service Dog followers. Elena hosted and created a slide show of Ned and Miss Bee starting with training pictures and it made me cry with happy memories. I am forever grateful for the improvement in our family’s lives since Ned joined us. Miss Bee is healthier and has earned nuggets of independence thanks to Ned’s love and assistance.

Team Mike and George

We were honored to finally meet Mike and George along with their parents. They are a lovely family who have fought and beat cancer. Mike and George share a very special bond. The presentation was well attended and it was the first of its kind in Greece.

Service Dog Experiences

I spoke about the changes Ned has brought to our family and answered lots of questions about Ned attending school,  his vet care, and Miss Bee’s disability. Miss Bee also answered questions. We were interviewed for the evening news on ANT1 TV the number one station in Greece. I was so proud of Miss Bee’s willingness to participate and she did great during every event.

At the time of the interview, I did not know that we would be on national TV. It’s a good thing, otherwise I might have frozen. This interview aired for 3 days. After we returned to Los Angeles, I laughed about living right near Hollywood but having to travel all the way to Greece to earn our fifteen seconds of fame!

Working with Seniors

During the next three mornings, Ned accompanied Elena to a third-age facility to participate in therapy sessions for residents with dementia. Ned made incredible connections with the residents and staff. They hugged and pet him.

On the third day, Miss Bee also attended the therapy session. Miss Bee demonstrated simple commands with Ned. The seniors asked her about life in the US and they wanted to know how Ned has helped her. Elena created a slide show of photos from their visits and you could feel the love.

Ned and Miss Bee also accompanied Elena to a top orthopedic surgeon in Thessaloniki, Dr. Metsovitis. Miss Bee answered questions from the physician about Ned’s skills and the power of a service dog.

Photoshoot

Despite the gloomy weather and bouts of rain, Stavros Tsotoglou, a talented Thessaloniki photographer met us at the White Tower for a photoshoot. The lack of contrast between the sea and sky that day resulted in amazing photographs. The photos were published in a newspaper, magazine, web blogs, and internet news. So, our 15 seconds of fame lasted a little longer than 15 seconds…. The photos captured the love between Ned and Miss Bee and took my breath away.

Live Interviews

That evening we interviewed for a LIVE TV show – VERGINA TV, a local news TV channel. We answered questions about 4 Paws for Ability and what it is like to have a service dog. This was our first time setting foot in a live TV station studio – gulp!

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After the morning therapy session, Max and I met Elena, Miss Bee, and Ned for a radio interview at station ERT3. Afterward, we literally ran in the rain several blocks to TV station TV100 CHANNEL to make it just in time for Ned, Elena, and her colleague Alexander to interview live. We were able to watch the interview live in another room. Ned did a great job laying on the floor looking handsome!

Visiting the Training Facility

One of the activities I was most looking forward to was visiting the Nina Service Dogs training facility. When we arrived, I found so many photos and mementos of Ned and Miss Bee hanging on the walls. It was humbling and an honor.

We had the opportunity to meet Athena, the tiniest labrador retriever. She is training to be a service dog and I wanted to sneak her home with me. She reminds me of our dog Raven – so eager to work and to please. While we were at the training facility we interviewed live with ERT3 TV.

A Taste of America

On the way home, we stopped for dinner at McDonald’s. Since Max works for  Mcdonald’s in Colorado, of course, we had to check one out in Greece. The french fries taste exactly the same. Ned and Wall-E felt right at home under the table smelling American food. We tried Greek burgers. It was a typical Mcdonald’s hamburger however it was served in a pita with a white sauce instead of ketchup. It was quite tasty!

Thanksgiving Dinner Greek Style

To thank all of our new friends for a lovely visit I hosted an American Thanksgiving dinner on our last evening. It was still Thursday in California and that was good enough for me! We brought some ingredients with us that I guessed we would not be able to find in Greece: cans of pumpkin and cranberry sauce, thyme, sage, and all-spice.

I had a special request for Macaroni and cheese from the blue boxes. I made a pumpkin pie, dressing, and mac and cheese. The dressing and cranberry sauce were big hits. Our guests brought roasted chicken (turkey is rare in Greece), Greek salads and fantastic desserts. We spoke about the things we were thankful for and this gathering was a lovely way to end our trip and say goodbye to our hosts and friends.I am grateful for the friends we made, the fun we had, and the work we did to promote service dogs who make such a difference in the lives of children and seniors. Ned was extraordinary. He worked hard and spread his magic to all we met.

Max

I could not have made this trip without Max. He was a huge help and fun company. Travel is hard for Miss Bee and there is no way around that. The sensory overload and time zone changes were big challenges. Max was an extra set of hands and eyes that were greatly needed. Once we arrived in Greece we were helped by Elena and her team. Elena gets Miss Bee and her schedule. She accommodated our needs beautifully. Everything from our home and vehicle that we rented was carefully planned to ensure a successful trip

Successful Volunteering Vacation in Greece 

Within a week of returning home, Miss Bee was asking about returning to Greece. She had wonderful stories to tell her friends and teachers at school. Our volunteering vacation in Greece was a successful trip indeed.

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