Why Greek Dogs?
- There are no major organizations in Greece that assist the strays.
- The Greek culture is quite firmly established, often with an attitude towards animals that views them as a nuisance, rabid, diseased, and maybe little more than garbage.But there are many amazing, rescues and rescuers out there that are Greek, who work hard to assist the animals and change perceptions and many Greek members of the public, that strive to assist the animals to survive.
- Sadly many Greek people believe that neutering the animals is unnatural and harmful to them, and oppose neutering very strongly, this causes thousands and thousands of unwanted animals to be born every single day.
- The ongoing economic crisis has is causing impoverished families to ‘put out’ their own pets, due to not being able to afford to feed and keep them. Furthermore many rescuers were led to unemployment, donations are rare and the Greek rescue groups have difficulty in rescuing more animals.
- The animals that are starving obviously go to food sources, such as tavernas, and tourist areas, many tourists and some taverna staff help keep them alive by feeding them, but what happens in the winter? When no one is there for them? Also some anti-animal people in tourist areas, regularly use various methods to kill the animals, which often leaves them suffering a long slow death or leaves them disabled and or needing care that never comes!
- Pre-conceived ideas lead many Greek children to be brought up to believe that all dogs have rabies, fleas and will bite! They are treated with disdain and fear, and as a result their plight is ignored.
- The few rescue groups that exist, have no funding whatsoever, from the government or any other body and find it difficult to impossible to fundraise among communities that view animals, with such a negative way.
- In Greece, a deceased or dying animal is not an uncommon sight, with people passing by and the animal invisible.