[johnleeknoefler]

Riot Dog is a term used by English-speaking media denoting any of the stray dogs that, in recent years, accompany street protesters in Athens, Greece. It has been observed that a number of these dogs remain among the protesters even when violent rioting breaks out. Some of the dogs have been prominently featured in media reportage on the protests. Greece's Riot Dogs have acquired, through the years, a large following of fans around the world.

Kanellos (Greek: Κανέλλος: cinnamon), a distinct blonde, male, mixed-breed canine, was arguably the first incarnation of the Greek Riot Dog. His maiden appearance was in photographs taken at a general assembly of students in the occupied National Technical University of Athens. Kanellos became famous in the 2008 Greek riots, when Greek photographers and cameramen started to notice a dog that kept appearing in their footage. The stray seemed to always walk amongst and side with the protesters.
According to reports by witnesses, Kanellos, in his final years, suffered from arthritis, which motivated a group of college students to collect money and purchase him a dog's wheelchair. This allowed him to live indoors, among the students, until he passed away. (I think Kanellos earned his retirement.)


There is now a facebook page devoted to Kanellos
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Kanell...06883796023625
Kanellos in the thick of the fighting


Thodoris is a Kanellos look-alike, believed to be one of Kanellos' pups. Thodoris is a light golden-colored, mixed breed dog, who, despite being a stray, has seemingly been provided with all the necessary medical shots, as evidenced by his blue collar.




Loukanikos (Greek: Λουκάνικος: sausage) or more commonly Louk, sometimes confused by the media for Kanellos, has been present at nearly every recent protest in Greece in the past few years. This stray has ostensibly become the symbol of Greek protests against the IMF- and ECB-prompted austerity measures.
Loukanikos retrieves a can of tear gas.

In September 2011, on the occasion of a striking policemen's union marching in the centre of Athens, Loukanikos, according to eyewitnesses, was "initially confused" between two opposite sides both of uniformed policemen but, when the riot police contingent attacked their striking colleagues, the dog sided with "those who were being attacked."
Leading the charge

[BlueNosePit]

good post

[luton loyal]

[Bastet]

Police dogs were already known to me but riot dogs certainly weren't. So thanks for this informative and interesting post

[icheerthebull]

I hope this works....