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Anna the filly with an amputated leg whose story has shocked the Greek public domain will soon be able to walk again as announced by Rose Rousou, volunteer at the Hellenic Society for Equine Welfare, for GRReporter exclusively.

The appeal to collect the required amount for the purchase of the artificial limb has crossed the borders of Europe and the Atlantic Ocean and reached one of the most famous media, namely CNN. "The required amount is 2,800 euro for the leg and a few hundred euro for some additional materials. We are sure that the money will be collected very soon because there has been a huge response." This is the purpose of the organization’s campaign "2 euro for Anna," in which everyone can help save the life of the noble animal even with this small amount.

Volunteers of the organization had found Anna abandoned on a mountain and established that the bottom of one of her legs was severed. "When she was sure that they had no intention of hurting her, Anna herself lifted her leg to show them what had happened," stated the organization.

There are two versions about how the horse had ended up in this situation. "We suppose that the former owner had tied her with a chain or wire in order for her to die, as was the practice in the past. Her leg might have been torn and therefore, they had abandoned her alone in the mountains to die," adds Rose Rousou.

Anna was abandoned very high up on the mountain, at a place inaccessible by a vehicle. So, the volunteers called the local veterinarian who gave her an anaesthetic injection and gradually, the animal was taken to the village of Aliveri on the island of Evia. From there, Anna was transported by truck to the premises of the organization in the Athens suburb of Koropi.

"The veterinary surgeon, with whom we are collaborating, told us to look for specialists in the USA, as there has been no such case in Greece so far. It is necessary to make a small operation to cut the bone in order for the artificial limb to be successively applied."

So far, three foreign experts have expressed the desire to help Anna start walking again. They have offered to pay the travel expenses but their fees will be decisive for the final choice. "The ideal option would be to send Anna to them but we do not have the necessary resources to do so. However, we have found a solution. The operation will take place at the clinic at the race-horse arena, which they will provide for a very small amount."

After placing the artificial limb, Anna will be able to walk again and do other things probably. She's 18 years old and horses may live up to the age of 30.

After the treatment, Anna will probably stay in the stables of the organization. An already adult donkey, which had been abandoned by the former owner, occupies them too.

The Hellenic Society for Equine Welfare was founded in 2006 when a group of volunteers found and blocked a truck loaded with horses on its way to the slaughterhouse. "In Greece, there are no slaughterhouses for horses and I hope that there never will be. This was the first time that we prevented these animals from being slaughtered. The conditions of their transportation were horrible – there were dead horses among the live ones," said Rose Rousou.

In connection with the horsemeat food scandal that erupted in Europe several months ago, the organization states that the main problem lies in the fact that the meat was not taken from horses bred for the specific purpose. "A large number of these animals, especially racehorses, are stuffed with medicines in order to improve their performance. They give them, in very large quantities, the anti- inflammatory drug phenylbutazone, which is very dangerous to human health and may cause cancer. So, nobody knows what we have consumed without being aware of it," said Rose Rousou.
 
If you want to help Anna walk again, you can do so through the bank account of the organization: visit the website www.greekhorseprotection.com and press the Donate button to the right or deposit the amount in the following bank account: IBAN GR: 3401403410341002002000058.