17-Year-Old Syrian Refugee Walks 300 Miles to Safety With His Puppy in Tow: 'I Need Him'

Seventeen-year-old Aslan walked more than 300 miles from Damascus to Greece with his belongings in a backpack and his puppy, Rose, in a red case.

This Syrian refugee left his old life behind as he fled for Greece but refused to abandon his best friend.

Seventeen-year-old Aslan walked more than 300 miles from Damascus, Syria with his belongings in a backpack and his puppy, Rose, in a red case. The tiny pup even has her own passport.

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He arrived on the Greek island of Lesbos and, in a video posted to Facebook by the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), he described the importance of having his best friend by his side.

 

"I love this dog, I need him," he explained. "They said, 'You can't take your dog.' I have food and I have water, I have anything."

In the video, the tiny dog is seen drinking water from a cup.

A UNHCR spokesperson said it had seen many refugees carrying animals with them from the Middle East towards Europe.

Read: Hero Dog Takes Bullet to Save Family

"When forced to flee home because of war, many people would never dream of leaving their pets behind," the agency said as it shared the video to Facebook.

More than 300,000 refugees and migrants have arrived in Greece so far this year.

If you'd like to learn more about helping Syrian refugee families visit the UN's website here.

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