9:00am Sunday 8th November 2009
By Nigel Kerton
MANY visitors to Greece and its islands have probably, just like Oxenwood food writer Belinda Harley, fallen in love with a stray dog – but, unlike her, have left it there.
Ms Harley, however, went back to the island of Paxos and rescued the spaniel cross the locals had called Goofy and now he is the subject of a book all about their relationship, Mad About the Dog.
Sadly Goofy died in March last year aged 13 but he had the last nine and a half years of his life with Ms Harley enjoying the freedom of the woods around their home and making everyone who met him fall in love with him.
Ms Harley, who formerly worked in the Prince of Wales’ private office, is a cookery writer and literary agent who was living in a flat in London when she went on holiday to Paxos and met Goofy.
He was called Goofy because the Greek predilection of calling dogs after celebrities and he loved humans despite being ill-treated by his owners and kept on concrete tethered with a 2ft long chain.
“Despite being ill-treated he was a consummate flirt,” said Ms Harley. “He was immensely sociable and introduced me to many places.”
When her holiday ended she returned to Britain but decided to go back and get Goofy, going through the immigration proceedings that took 11 months to complete and cost about £3,000.
Ms Harley said she had been left with no choice other than to make Goofy her own. “I didn’t adopt him, I was the adopted one. He took the decision.”
Back in England Ms Harley nursed Goofy to full health and he loved living in Wiltshire. “When we came into Marlborough on Saturday market days he thought the smell of grilling sausages (outside Jesse Smith butchers) was doggy heaven.”
Ms Harley said she has been left with the most amazing memories of Goofy and these are brought together in her book, which is published by Souvenir Press (£9.99).
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