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We often do not give enough attention to stray animals. Thousands of them walk the streets in front of our homes every single day, so it’s safe to say that they are fairly common. And this is especially true for busy metropolises, more than any other places in the world.
However, sometimes events transpire which makes it impossible not to notice these strays. This is what happened with one particular stray German shepherd, whose actions captured the fascination and imagination of many.
Lost in the Crowd
Source: Pixabay.com
Thick mist descended on the east side of the city of Istanbul, Türkiye. People gathered in bustling heaps, making their way along the streets through the increasingly dense crowds to finish their morning business. Many are often oblivious to what’s in front of them, let alone noticing what is under their noses. So, it is no surprise that the small shape darting and weaving between their legs went unnoticed, as he intently made his way around corners, past carts and shops opening up for a day’s work.
Though this may be a common occurrence in many large cities, people will soon find out the shocking truth about their canine neighbor, as this seemingly invisible German shepherd would stun everyone!
Invisible to Most
Source: Pixabay.com
This specific German shepherd sauntered along both the narrow alleyways and the wide stone paths of the central square, stopping in front of apartment entrances and supermarket sliding doors. He gave a kind glance and wag of his tail, hoping for the curiosity of passersby, as well as for the generosity of local salesmen to toss him a part of their breakfast buns or a piece of ham from their sandwiches.
To an average observer or tourist, the dog was seemingly just roaming around the many maze-like streets in the city, much like any other street dog. However, to Emil, a 35-year-old local man, the actions of this particular stray was highly unusual.
The Monday Routine
Source: Pixabay.com
Emil owns a small local Deli which he rigorously vets every day before opening. It is located in one of the more bustling areas of the city’s cobble stone walkways near the center of the city, so he often places signs in front of his store advertising the day’s specialties and sales.
That Monday morning, he was going through his regular routine, however, before the streets were flooded with commuters and tourists, he noticed a brown and black shape standing a little way down the street. It would not have been anything out of the ordinary, except for the fact that the dog seemed to be sitting oddly on one leg, right in the middle of the street.
Unbeknownst to him, this curious observation would lead towards a lifechanging experience.
Friendship at First Sight
Source: Unsplash.com
The canine’s back was turned and his head intently facing downwards as if it had fallen asleep. Emil thought this quite funny so he took the initiative to walk up. However, he not only found the dog wide awake, but intently looking through the metal bars of a drainage tunnel gate.
Despite being a street dog, he was quite receptive to pets on the head and seemed to quite enjoy the affection. But even though he gave a few licks and whines, leaning his head into the pets, he never took his eyes off the grate in the middle of the road, and after a while went back to staring at it, his ears seemingly perking up at a faint echo coming from the grate that one could have just barely made out.
This fascinated Emil and he took a picture to share on social media. But the comments that poured in stunned him.
Hints and Theories
Source: Youtube.com
Some astute commenters looked at the picture carefully and noted something interesting about the dog himself. The German shepherd seemed to always be either standing or sitting in his right leg, and he seemed to be wearing a white tag on his left ear. This is not too uncommon, as many street animals are often tagged as part of an initiative to control stray animal population. However, it may also be a sign of ownership by an individual or an establishment.
Emil was advised to call local shelters to find out more and perhaps even find the owner. But before doing so, he posted the pictures on public Facebook groups, asking anyone if anyone had a missing pet, or knew who the dog belonged to.
Motivation for a Mystery
Source: Pixabay.com
In the following days, Emil found himself a new goal. Apart from running his business for most of the day, he spent most of his free time calling local shelters, as well as pouring through local forums and posts on social media groups, looking for any mention of a German shepherd with a white tag.
In between his work, making calls and reading through hundreds of articles he regularly visited the dog down the street to pet him and give him slices of smoked sausage and pieces of ham sandwich. They were taken with gusto however Emil always noted that as soon as the dog finished eating, he went straight back to looking at the jet-black space beneath the metal, keeping a keen eye and ear out for both sights and sounds.
Gathering Fame and Attention
Source: Reddit.com
Emil’s efforts did not go to waste. Although he was yet to get any concrete response, his search on social media garnered attention. “The dog that stares into a grate” became a hit local story. Some reached out to Emil to try and aid him in finding the owner of the dog, however, many instead took time off their day to visit this extraordinary part of the city.
The canine quickly turned from a shade, often unrecognized and unnoticed, to suddenly having one or two visitors a day. The people would often pet and feed the dog, and moreover, they would engage in conversation with Emil, who would share the story and spread the message. However, when asked why the dog looked into the grate, and what the odd sounds were, Emil was always stumped to answer, which made him wonder every time.
The Adored Local Celebrity
Source: Reddit.com
News of the story spread like wildfire among local social media groups. So much so that soon enough, there were a handful of people gathered around the stray at each moment of the day. Even people simply walking down the street, unaware of the events, would stop and ask out of curiosity, and stay out of fascination hoping to catch a glimpse of some sort of answer.
But the old dog merely sat silently, watching the grate, while people crowded around speculating amongst each other. Why was he sitting like that? What was the tag on his ear? And most importantly, why was he so intent on staring silently down an empty hole, day after day, and what were the sounds that now many have claimed to hear up and down the street?
However, what happened next shocked not only the visitors, but Emil and everyone following the story.
Commotion in the Distance
Source: Pixabay.com
Near the end of the week, as Emil was just settling into his lunch break, he heard a loud commotion coming from the direction of the dog.
The hustle and bustle of the crowds in the middle of the day was nothing new, he had gotten used to it in his work. People shouting, laughing and talking loudly all came with working on a busy street. Even through the past week, he had been slowly getting accustomed to the growing crowds near his Deli. However, this time it was different.
There was a loud and piercing shriek and continuous barking. Emil abandoned his lunch and research and rushed out to see what had everyone so perturbed.
Panic Around the Corner
Source: Pixabay.com
Emil rushed to the scene, with the worst on his mind. Did the crowds distress the dog? Had the dog bitten someone? He saw many all but fleeing the scene, either distressed or commenting on the events which only fueled his anxiety.
As he approached, he pushed past the crowds only to see the dog clearly angered for one reason or another. Standing on all fours, with his tail and ears down, and a vicious snarl on his face, the German shepherd was barking madly at the grate as if something had attacked it from below.
Asking around, Emil found out that a woman had tried to look into the grate, even getting down on her hands and knees, which drew the anger of the dog.
The Dog Whisperer
Source: Unsplash.com
Thinking on his feet, Emil rushed back to his shop and took a small piece of cheap smoked sausage, the type of which he had been feeding the dog daily.
Heading back to the crowd which had now dispersed, he waved the piece of meat in front of the shepherd. The stray soon stopped barking, grabbed the sausage and laid down with his lunch between his paws, peacefully licking, chewing and eating his meal.
However, this got Emil curious. Keeping everything in mind and on his toes, he slowly reached towards the grate. His attempt was met with a sideways growl. A warning, surely. He decided not to push his luck, however the question still remained. What was in the grate that elicited such a violent response from an otherwise peaceful dog?
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Calling the Emergency Services
Source: Unsplash.com
With these questions on his mind, and fearing for the safety of the general public that crowd the busy street, Emil decided to call the fire department. He explained the situation and begged them to come quickly so that they may check what is underneath the sewer grate.
While waiting, Emil stayed to control the situation, explaining the situation to the ever-growing crowd, and keeping everyone away from the German shepherd just in case, as he felt that he had enough of a handle on the dog to prevent any further incident.
However, in that very moment as he was taking his time to calm the crowd, his phone buzzed, receiving a text that would shed light on the whole situation.
Firefighters to the Rescue
Source: Unsplash.com
The fire department arrived within a few short minutes with the massive red truck parting the sea of people now observing what was transpiring. Pulling the dog aside, Emil gestured towards them, calling them over and running them through all of the events of that day, as well as giving them all the information at his possession about the dog.
He was told to keep back. He took a hold of the stray with the help of some of the emergency workers.
The firefighters quickly got to work bringing out crowbars and other tools to open the sewer grate, as well as a mobile camera that could be used to check what was lurking in the black depths of the drainage pipes.
What’s Under the Grate?
Source: Reddit.com
As soon as the firefighters got near the grate, the dog started snarling and barking again with his eyes traced solely at the echoing darkness of the drain. However, as the firefighters were well prepared, they kept him at bay, taking a note from Emil to distract the dog with food.
The emergency workers used their cameras to probe the drainage pipes. Although at first, they didn’t seem to find much but small leaves and slime stuck to the sides of the pipes, they soon noticed shifting movement down the drain.
At the same time, Emil received a call directly to his phone from an unknown number. This was when he noticed the message on his phone that shocked him.
Communal Rescue Effort
Source: Unsplash.com
While prodding the pipes, one of the firefighters overheard someone talking about the noises that people have apparently been hearing nearby. Thinking quickly, they asked everyone to quiet down and to be alert to any sounds that may register as out of the ordinary.
Everyone seemed transfixed by the unfolding drama. The hustle and bustle of the one of the busiest streets seemed to have slowed to a standstill as tourists, commuters and shopkeepers all stood in expectation. After a few moments, one woman broke the silence of the expectant crowd, apparently having heard the mysterious echoing tone down the road from where they were.
Everyone rushed in the direction of the noise as emergency services opened up the grate and looked in. What they saw on their cameras shocked them.
The Cat is Out of the Pipe
Source: Youtube.com
The firefighter responsible for the camera looked stunned. He whispered something to his partner as he tossed the camera aside, and reached in to the pipe. His hand prodded deeper and deeper, carefully reaching in. At one point his whole arm seemingly disappeared into the grate that the expression on his face changed from one of struggle, to one of elation.
As he dragged his arm from the pipes, the echoing whines got louder and louder. When he finally pulled himself free, in his gloved hand people saw a small shape with tufts of orange and white fur. With dirty eyes and a soaked tail, a small kitten meowed loudly, as the firefighter triumphantly held her by the scruff.
Answers Bring More Questions
Source: Pixabay.com
By the time Emil ended the call, the firefighters had already somewhat dispersed the crowd. People left either intrigued, ambivalent or disappointed as the firefighters ushered them aside, and took the dog aside taking good care of him.
However, when they approached Emil, he had a near-thousand-mile stare on his face, with his glance somewhat focused towards the direction that the dog was being carried.
The firefighters explained what they had found. They presumed that the kitten most likely fell in the drain and tried crawling through to find an exit, and got lost. They also theorized that the dog may have been aggravated by the meowing or the movement within the drain. But Emil knew better as he explained everything and told the firefighters that he would call a pet shelter to take both the kitten and the dog in.
Radio silence
Source: Pixabay.com
Just as before, news of the event spread all through the local area. People still took the time to visit the spot where they had heard the story took place, however, besides the crowded streets, there was nothing else. The dog that had captured the attention of so many people had disappeared off the streets of Istanbul.
Many speculated as to the reason for the silence, many more theorized about how the kitten could have ended up in the sewers, and why the shepherd was so keen on it. But no concrete news came until a week later when Emil sent out comments on all local group chats and posts which shed light not just on the identity of the dog, but also on what had happened after the incident.
Who called?
Source: Pixabay.com
He explained that he walked to the sidelines while the firefighters were busy with inspecting the sewer grate. He received a call from an unknown number, but he also noticed a text message that he had gotten earlier explaining that it was one of the local shelters he had been trying to contact over the previous days, who recognized the dog from the photos and wished to ask if he still knew where the dog was.
They told him that the German shepherd was one of their rescues who seemingly disappeared overnight without a trace. They had searched for the lost dog but he was nowhere to be found. They had almost lost hope of ever recovering him.
However, what they told him next broke his heart.
The truth reveals itself
Source: Unsplash.com
The old German shepherd had led a full life. He was born and raised as a Search and Rescue dog. He had been serving local communities, as he was employed by a police department in a nearby county. He spent most of his life aiding the police in searching for individuals who had gone missing, and suspects in active investigations.
The upper portion of his back leg was severely wounded one day in a work-related incident and after months recovering from this injury, he was retired and sent to live with an old couple in the countryside. He was treated well, however they eventually had to give the old dog to a shelter for better care that they could no longer offer him.
Man’s best friend
Source: Unsplash.com
The shelter workers explained that, because of his training with the police, the old search-and-rescue dog often roamed around the premises looking for other animals. He was not at all territorial or aggressive, and had a fondness for humans whose company he enjoyed a lot.
Together with the information he received from the firefighters, Emil concluded that the small kitten – that was born on the streets and had made its way into the drain for shelter – had been passing through the sewer pipes and out of obligation towards the small feline and everyone passing by, recalling his years of training and experience, the police dog stood by to protect and to draw attention to the hopelessly lost kitten whom it had grown to care for.
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He concluded the update with the news that the kitten had been taken in by the shelter and is making a full recovery.
Of course, after having been through so much with his new canine friend, he decided to adopt the lonely old dog, and care for him. The shelter offered him the chance and he happily took it! Although the adoption papers have still not officially gone through, they have been living happily together in his apartment.
The old dog, whom he named Aslan, goes out on regular walks, meets with other dogs around the neighborhood, and is the gentlest of dogs when it comes to small children and other dogs.
However, as he closed out his last update, he did note that Aslan retained his habit of looking down dark holes, as well as his appetite for cheap smoked sausages.
Disclaimer: The story is a work of fiction inspired by true events
