No Dia do Animal a Nossa Homenagem ao Riot Dog de Atenas-Kanellos

A song for comrade Kanelos, the riot dog
Song , lyrics S. Drogosis
The legendary Kanellos passed away about 2 years ago. His name means Cinnamon. He lived a long and free life. He must have been about 17 when he died. He was always there to stand next to the students, the protesters and the people hanging around the central area of Athens, especially at Exarcheia. In his last 12 years he moved into the Polytechneio premises, the Technical University of Athens which is in the Exarcheia area. He became a frequenter, more frequent than many students and started to hang around the corridors, the classes and students councils becoming more of a friend than a mascot. When the Dean of the Architecture department called the dog catcher the people rised. A petition and even a demostration was held, in demand of Kanellos release. Finally they let him go but he was already worned out by arthritis and old age and had trouble walking. The students gathered money and bought him a wheelchair for dogs. One student took him in so he could take care of him in his last days. Kanellos finally passed away on the 2nd of july 2008 and returned again into Polytechneio where he was buried accompanied by many of his friends.

Rebel Dog is just one of the new generation of political strays. You can find strays attending demostrations in many cities of Greece, such as Thessaloniki. All the dogs would like to be like Kanellos, free, happy and restless

Here are photos of the late Kanellos

A song for Kanellos