Excavation team adopts stray dog, finds home for another
ÇORUM
Two wounded stray dogs found near the archaeological excavation area of Hattusha, the capital of the Hittite civilization in the Boğazkale district of Çorum, have been adopted by the excavation committee.
The head of the excavations, Associate Professor Andreas Schachner said that he found a sick dog in the region and brought him to the excavation house. Following a treatment process in a vet clinic, the German shepherd dog was named “Laika” and start living in the excavation house.
Sometime later, Schachner found another starving puppy with a broken leg in the area and took care of that animal, too.
The puppy was adopted by a U.S. member in the excavation team and taken to the U.S.
Schachner said that for the treatment, they drove Laika to Sungurlu, which is 35 kilometers away from the excavation house.
Stating that after its treatment, he adopted the dog and have been taking care of it for five weeks in the excavation house.
“Laika was the first Soviet space dog. Friends suggested this name. He got used to his name and to us. He is traveling with me; comes to the excavation area. He figured out who saved his life. He calls me when I go somewhere I can’t take him. He freaks out when he can’t find me. He is lying near the main gate, waiting for me to come back. Now he is a part of the excavation team, I think he will be a part of my life, too. We are German and found a German shepherd. Maybe this is fortune rather than a coincidence.”
Other dog in California
He said that they found a puppy short time after adopting Laika, and brought the dog to Çorum for treatment.
After taking care of the dog for a few weeks, Schachner said one of his American friends wanted to adopt him and took him to California.
Schachner said that he loved animals and had a cat in his house in Istanbul, too.
“Laika is now part of me as much as the excavation team. Let’s see if he will get used to living in his new house in Istanbul when the excavations are done here.”