The Amazing Stuff

The people of Greece aren’t the only ones suffering from the economic troubles that are weighing the country down. When the citizens can hardly bear to support and feed themselves and their children, pets fall to the wayside. For most families, it’s a sorrowful decision to surrender their beloved family pets or leave them to fend for themselves on the streets. But there are others who seem to get some sick joy from watching these poor, defenseless animals suffer.

Theoklitos Proestakis used to be a dentist, but he gave up everything — literally all of his things and his job — to help as many dogs as he could.

Warning: some of the images are hard to look at.

Proestakis, known as Takis, used to be a dentist in Lerapetra, a town in the south of Crete, but he couldn’t stand what he was seeing.

Spaying and neutering animals isn’t widely practiced in Greece, simply because of the expense.

Puppies are discarded on the regular, on top of all the older dogs being abandoned.

The amount of dogs wandering the streets was too much for him to bear in good conscience.

So he gave up his job, his car, and used all of his money to help as many dogs as possible.

Three years ago, he singlehandedly started a shelter without any financial help. He was struggling to keep the operation afloat until social media caught wind of one of the more extreme rescues…

Hope was skinned alive by some monster before being thrown away like trash to suffer in the hot, dry sun.

But Takis wasn’t about to let her die.

This is Hope now, doing light-years better. When people saw the miracles Takis was working, fundraising sites and inquiries started popping up from all corners of the world.

Most of the donations come from other parts of Europe and the United States.

Takis has saved over 200 dogs to date and has re-homed about 40 of them.

There’s not a day that goes by that he doesn’t find another dying dog in the streets.

He works seven days a week, full-time. Even when he goes home, he spends time posting his pups online in hopes of finding them new families.

The expense for feeding as many dogs as Takis has to is astronomical, but he’s glad to make it happen.

But now that some of his animals have sponsors and people are donating to his cause, the strain has been lifted a bit, and the dogs are getting fed every day.

Last month, Takis was even able to afford a car to transport the pups to the vet in! This is a huge milestone.

You can really tell all the dogs are so happy to be living in the shelter.

They get so much love, attention, and care from one very dedicated man.

Takis will continue to help the animals suffering from human political failure for as long as there is a need.

Every donation counts towards saving another pup.

Oh, and he doesn’t forget about all the kitties that need his help, too.

“It’s difficult but I love it. I work so hard here but when I see the dogs happy and enjoying themselves and learning to trust people again, then it’s all worth it.”

(via Daily Mail)

For one man to leave a comfortable, stable life behind in order to pursue an unsure road like this is truly noble. If only more people were like Takis, the world would be a much better place.

If you’re interested in giving one of these dogs a home, send Takis a message via the shelter’s Facebook page (you’ll also want to follow the page for updates)! If you want to lend a helping hand from across an ocean, you can donate, too.

There’s something so magical about butterflies, even though science has proven that they don’t exactly live up to their romantic standards. But if watching their velvety little wings flutter through the air is your thing, then you should consider taking a trip to Petaloudes, also known as Butterfly Valley. Located on the western side of the Greek island of Rhodes, this valley is home to a subspecies of the Jersey Tiger Moth, and each May, they appear by the tens of thousands and cover the valley in a living carpet of wings.

During the rainy season, as caterpillars, they live in the Mediterranean’s forests, feasting on leaves. When they metamorphose at the beginning of the dry season, they follow the humidity down into the valley.

Their numbers are impressive — the thousands of them don’t even look like butterflies.

The butterflies’ wings appear as this brown and white striped pattern when their wings are folded.

But when they open, they show off a flash of orange.

When they reach Petaloudes, the butterflies land, well, everywhere.

They can crowd so thickly that they completely blanket trees and rocks. They’re beginning to cover this tree.

They’re espcecially big fans of the valley’s fragrant Oriental sweet gum trees.

But they don’t eat it — as adults, these butterflies don’t actually have stomachs. Instead, they live off the fat reserves they stored up as caterpillars. As adults, they simply mate, lay eggs, and die.

(via Amusing Planet)

Sadly, increased tourism has out a strain on the valley and the butterflies. Since they can’t eat, the butterflies have to conserve as much energy as possible. If they are frightened by humans, they waste precious energy reserves getting away. Therefore, visitors are advised to stay in designated areas and not to make loud noises that could startle the butterflies.

As much as you might have resisted them as a child, as an adult, you’ve probably grown to appreciate naps. These blissful little breaks from the world make you look more like a well-adjusted adult and less like a disoriented zombie.

But the adult world isn’t exactly conducive to napping. We’re forced to trudge on, down another cup of coffee, and try not to pass out. It’s a vicious cycle.

The designers at the Greek company Studio NL, however, want to change that!

They want to give you the right to nap again.

This innovative desk features a compartment underneath that opens up into a little bed for when you absolutely need to crash. It can even be hooked up with a monitor in case you need some white noise to drown out the sounds of your work environment.

The top of the desk can be slid out, which allows a second person to use the desk while someone is sleeping below. This makes it perfect for teams that need to stay up late finishing projects, since they can all take turns napping and working.

Of course, it’s probably better to nap without someone’s knees in your way, but think of the bliss this could bring your workplace.

(via BoredPanda, Hello Giggles)

If you want more privacy (and you’re not claustrophobic), you can even fold yourself inside by shutting the walls. You can see the desk in action, and also check out more designs by Studio NL, on their website.

Can you have a house that’s severe, modern, and stark while still being breathtaking and luxurious? According to Greek architects Laertis Antonios Ando Vassiliou and Pantelis Kampouropoulos of OPA Works, you certainly can. The pair have created designs for a home called Casa Brutale, a home built inside a sheer cliff face overlooking the Aegean Sea.

The exposed concrete and geometric forms of this house were created in what’s called the Brutalist style of architecture, which features a lot of massive, heavy forms and industrial materials. However, it’s also an interpretation of the surrounding landscape, and was inspired by the nurturing qualities of the Earth.

(via BoredPanda, deMilked)

Vassiliou and Kampouropoulos describe their design as “a geometrical translation of the landscape” that seeks to create a harmonious balance between humans and the land. Right now, Casa Brutale is still in its concept phase, meaning it has yet to be built. So if you’ve been looking for a seaside beach house, perhaps in the Aegean, let Casa Brutale stay on your mind.

You can see more of OPA Works’ projects on their website and Facebook.

There’s plenty of interesting architecture, new and old, all over the world. Take a look: