How these rescue dogs are living their best lives traveling Europe

By Amy Britton via SWNS

Meet the rescue dogs traveling Europe - who have climbed mountains in Norway, sailed across lakes in Switzerland and camped in the Italian countryside.

Austrian Anne Geier, 37, adopted Romanian street dogs, Finn, 13, a Labrador cross, and Yuri, 10, a Border Collie cross, from the streets of Romania.

Since then, the photographer has taken her pooches on adventures across Europe - including trekking through forests in Italy, exploring nature in Sweden and swimming in lakes in Switzerland.

The dogs travel with Anne and her partner, Robert Fahrner, 38, who works for a small company coaster company in Austria, stay in a VW T4 camper van, and enjoy hiking through nature.

Anne snaps pictures of her photogenic pooches at the breathtaking spots they visit.

Anne and the dogs have visited Italy, Croatia, Switzerland, Germany, Sweden, Denmark, Netherlands and Norway and hope to still venture to Austria - although say their travels are slowing down due to Finn getting older.

Anne, from Tauplitz, Austria, said: "Our little camper is like their home.

"Even if we change the places a lot, they feel safe because they know they can relax and they can sleep there.

"When we start getting ready to leave, the dogs already know we are going on holiday and they just wait in front of the camper.

"There are some challenges but this makes a really special bond between you and the dogs.

"They learned they can trust us and I think it is really special to have a really close relationship with the dogs.

"I could not imagine traveling without my dogs."

Out of everywhere they have visited, the duo, alongside their owner, love Norway the most.

Anne said: "You can enjoy the nature in a completely different way.

"You camp there, you can cook outside, and your dogs can be around you.

“It’s a special kind of freedom in Norway. It’s amazing.

“At the moment, it’s a bit sad for me because I know, this year, there will be no big trips for us because of the health issues with my older dog, Finn.

"So we will just stay in Austria and enjoy the nature here."

She added: "We travel through a country and never stay longer than some days at one spot.

"In 2018, we started traveling regularly.

"In 2019, we bought out VW T4 and built a little camper.

"Since 2018, we traveled every year, several times for some days to more weeks through the different countries."

Anne would like more people to give rescue dogs a chance rather than getting a dog from a breeder.

She said: “I wanted to show with my photos of Yuri and Finn, how amazing the dogs you can find at rescue organisations are.

"I really have the feeling that they are thankful that they get another chance for a new life."

Finn and Yuri have now become best friends owing to their opposite personalities.

Anne said: “Everyone that meets Finn never thinks he came from the street. He is really obedient.

“Yuri is a really lovely dog, but he's quite the opposite.

“He gets nervous easily when he is in a strange situation.

“They are a perfect match because Finn needs someone on his side to hang onto.”

Anne did a DNA test on the dogs to find out what their most prominent breeds are.

She said: “Finn is a Labrador mixed with a Fox Terrier and Yuri is a Border Collie Australian Cattle dog mixed with a Pirellian Beer Hound.

"These breeds were found in them, but there are many more."