My Big, Fat, Greek...Mass Murder of Animals???

My Big, Fat, Greek...
Mass Murder of Animals???

These two dogs have been hanged bodies of poisoned dogs

April 9 2003
Joi Williams

When you picture Greece in your mind, do you see a country filled with history and ancient mythology... perhaps the upcoming Olympics 2004? But of you look close enough, you will also find a huge population of stray animals (both dogs and cats) living in a deplorable state. Every day, domestic animals are deliberately poisoned and left to die very horrible and painful death. This barbaric act if often excused as a necessity....that it is nothing more then a cheap clean up action to take care of the very large populous of animals living in Greece. Because neutering is not a common practice (it is considered a negative intervention in the animals nature), the numbers of unwanted and abandoned animals dramatically increases every year. These animals are considered a nuisance by the local people, and poison bait is left out for the animals. Also in common practice are other brutal ways of death for these sad and unlucky creatures...hanging, the feeding of finely ground glass mixed with food, shooting and in some cases clubbing. In many ways, people have seem to become accustomed to this sad fate, that it is merely just a fact of life. Even though there are laws for animal welfare, they are barely enforced. Animal lovers now fear that the poisoning and cruelty will increase because of the upcoming 2004 Olympics which will be held in Greece.

One of the reasons why many of the people living in Greece have become accustomed to this fate is because of the local authorities lack of responsibility. Many feel that nothing will be done even if the problem is reported. And every year, as the winter approaches and the tourists leave, the atrocities began again. While there are a lot of people in Greece who are trying to do something about this situation, they are outnumbered by the amount of people who won't do anything. There are some animal shelters, and that does help some, but it doesn't really do anything to solve the problem. There are so many strays living in the streets...only a small percentage of them can be adopted. And many of the cats are feral...and cannot be re-homed....so this ultimately means they will just be euthanized. Many people are opting for a full scale neuter/spay and release program. One way that you can help is by signing the petition below and let the Greek government know how you feel. Let them know that you won't be giving them any of you tourist dollars until they make a bigger commitment to do something in order to resolve this issue. Animals are the most innocent of all of us, and for them to be brutalized should not go unnoticed or be tolerated in any way.

Puppy who won't leave his litter mate after she has been poisoned...
She is now on her way to meet with the other angels at Rainbow Bridge

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