Stop the Greek Stray Dog Barbarism

To:  The Greek Government

Anneka Svenska and we, the undersigned, call upon the Prime Minister of Greece, Mr. Costas SIMITIS; the Minister of Agriculture, Mr. Georgios DRYS and the Minister of Tourism, Mr. Dimitrios GREGORAKIS, to have stray dogs and cats in Athens, and elsewhere in Greece, sterilized, checked, tagged and released instead of homed in shelters or killed, as the country prepares to host the 2004 Olympic Games. We also call upon said Ministers to implement a nation-wide education program focusing on the importance of responsible pet ownership or invest government monies to fund the building and set up of clean, spacious shelters monitored by reputable vets and overseen by animal welfare charities.

In preparation for the 2004 Olympic Games, it is feared that the Greek government is going to deal with the problem of stray animals, especially in and around Athens, by mass poisoning them. Government representatives deny this and profess shock at such a 'rumor'. However, owned and stray animals in Greece are poisoned en masse every year already; it is common practice to throw poison in the quiet of the night and remove the bodies before dawn. Documented witness reports of this practice are abundant and have even been shown on Greek television.

31 Greek animal welfare societies have set up a petition suggesting a full-scale neutering program of all dogs and cats. There is money available for this to be done. But the Greek Minister of Agriculture, among others, is apparently proposing that this money be spent on the setting up of shelters for the strays. We don’t support this idea. Who will pay for the running costs? What qualifications will those who run the shelters have? How will their actions be inspected? Who will be the inspectors? What method will be used to put down the animals? And what will happen to the shelters and animals after the Olympics are over?

The only building of shelters we support will be long-term shelters built along the same lines as the reputable dog homes in Britain, such as Battersea Dog’s Home. These homes will need to be funded, so that all dogs are fed well daily, are treated immediately for all ailments by local vets assigned to the shelter, have cool, spacious, shelters and clean living conditions, all dogs are neutered on entry and most importantly are overseen by animal charities such as Greek Animal Rescue, the WSPA and other recognizable animal charities. These same charities should be allowed unlimited access and intervention with the running with these homes. A local vet will make a weekly visit to such institutions in order to neuter and treat ailments. All dogs inside the home will be re-homed both in Greece and abroad by qualified staff who have the power to make suitable home checks and will enforce that all owners tag, neuter and contain their pets in a kind and caring manner.

The laws already passed in Greece need to be regulated and enforced so as those guilty of such despicable animal neglect and cruelty are correctly and rightly charged under Greek law.

High-volume killing does not work and never will. Nature does not tolerate a void and will fill it with something else, rats for instance. Additionally, a much larger food territory will be available for the remaining strays, which means larger litters and healthier animals. The stray population will have replaced itself in a couple of years. The only viable, and the cheapest, solution is a full-scale spay and neuter program, combined with education and improved rubbish management.

Please support this campaign by adding your signature to the petition.
Give the strays of Greece a sporting chance to survive the Olympic Games 2004!

Thank you

If you want to send an e-mail directly to the above ministers:

Prime Minister Costas Simitis: mail@primeminister.gr
Minister of Agriculture Mr. Georgios Drys: ax2u082@minagric.gr
Minister of Tourism Mr. Dimitrios Georgarakis: president@gnto.gr

PLEASE SUPPORT THE DOG'S OF GREECE WHO CANNOT SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES

Sincerely,

The Undersigned

The Stop the Greek Stray Dog Barbarism Petition to The Greek Government was created by and written by Anneka Svenska (anneka_petition@yahoo.co.uk).  This petition is hosted here at www.PetitionOnline.com as a public service. There is no endorsement of this petition, express or implied, by Artifice, Inc. or our sponsors. For technical support please use our simple Petition Help form.

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