In our lives, we can be many things. There isn’t one path that we have to stay on. Sometimes, just wandering off the chosen path, leads us to a greater reward.

For one Greek man, his job as a dentist became the last thing he wanted to be, when he made a shocking discovery at a local garbage dump site in his hometown, near Crete.

From that moment on, he knew he had to change the path his life was on to help save lives. He just needed a bit of help.

In Greece, an ever-deepening financial crisis has led to people struggling to afford the basic needs in life. Sadly, this has caused many people to abandon their pets, unable to take care of them any longer.

But the dogs had a savior they hadn’t met yet: Theoklitos Proestakis, known as Takis by his friends. 

When he went to a local dump site, he was shocked by what he saw: two dogs, in desperate need of help. One had a broken leg, the other a skin problem.

For Takis, this couldn’t be ignored. He went to feed the dogs and give them water each day. He knew people had dumped their pets because of the financial problems they faced, but he couldn’t quite understand it.

If you love your animal, you will find a piece of bread to give to your dog,” Takis said.

He began seeing how the town had an increasingly large amount of stray dogs. So Takis made it his mission to care for them. No longer working as a dentist, his new job was this. For the next year he took care of the dogs, watching them grow stronger.

Despite his kindness, neighbors complained of the dogs. Takis was given 30 days to find the dogs a place to go.

Theoklitos Proestakis, aka Takis, greets the dogs at his shelter. Photo from YouTube

Creating ‘Takis Shelter’, he found the dogs a place to stay – with him. He used all his life-savings to pay for and care for all the stray animals he was finding. At one point, there were 200 dogs in his shelter.

The costs were skyrocketing. From food, medical needs and more, he was using all he had to care for them. He sold his car to try and keep afloat. But one day, the Daily Mail newspaper called him. They had heard his story and wanted to interview him. And just like that, Takis went viral. He has since found a community online that follows his daily posts about the dogs he rescues. 

And more than that, they sent in donations. More than 98 percent came from outside of Greece. A fundraiser helped him afford a new vehicle to help him rescue more animals, as well as keep his shelter running. 

‘This is my life,’ Takis told the Daily Mail. ‘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.’

You can watch a documentary on Takis and his amazing dog shelter below. Let us know in the comments what you think of this man and his drive to help all the dogs he can.

Sources: Daily Mail | My Positive Outlooks | CBS News