Without doubt the endless number of strays in Greece poses a problem. The annoyed Greeks keep trying to deal with it by poisoning the animals. This cruel method is being fiercely criticized by animal protection advocates in Greece and abroad and thus the subject is a touchy one and irritation can be felt on both sides. The following interview which was given around the time of the Olympic Games in Greece in 2004 sheds light on the problem from various angles. The interview was kindly made available to us by animal welfare organisation Arche Noah of Crete.
Interview with a vet
Nikolas has his surgery in Athens. Being located right where the Olympic Games are happening, he not only takes care of the privately owned animals of his customers but also reaches out to the stray animals of Greece. In cooperation with colleagues he supports various animal welfare organisations with treatment and neutering of strays. A vet who is also an animal protection advocate and on top of that takes care of strays leads a dangerous live these days. For that reason the interviewee’s name has been changed.
How many animals have died of poisoning during the time leading up to the Olympic Games?
I have no answer to that. I do not know and don’t think anybody does. From official quarters the use of poison to solve the stray problem is being denied, so one should be careful naming numbers.
But animal protection advocates report of whole packs of strays that vanish from one day to the other.
Yes, we can confirm that, but we have no proof that these animals have been poisoned as their bodies have vanished as well. The poisoning is likely to take place at night but that doesn’t happen only in Athens. This method is being followed all over Greece. The bait is placed late in the evening and the bodies are collected at dawn. We think that is how it’s done here in Athens as well. Many of my colleagues from all of Greece report the same.
Note that Greece has been trying for a long time to solve the stray problem. There simply is no functioning, exhaustive protection of animals, not even remotely. That is why people take matters into their own hands. One positive exception in Athens is mentioned not nearly enough by you: the mayor of Athens, Dora Bakogianni, has started a 10-point programme for strays. A clinic was set up and strays were neutered, marked and released. There is supposed to be an adoption programme as well. So, not all strays that disappeared from the streets, have been poisoned. However, almost no active animal protection advocates have been actively involved in or even been informed about the programme.
Yes, we know that and have tried to get an appointment for a viewing of the official animal protection institution in order to report about it. But we were turned away with the statement that the vet in charge was absent. Nor was our request for further information or numbers met. Surely the example is a good one but the region around Athens has more than 40 districts with their own mayors who surely do not all operate in that way …
Exactly. Most of them don’t even have the financial means for such campaigns and so the problem of strays is dealt with the “reliable” and familiar way. The mayor’s campaign is only a drop in the bucket and one that leaves a very bitter after taste because in press releases the news is being sold as though the stray problem has been taken care of in time for the Olympic Games even though we are only talking about Athens’ central district which means the area around the Olympic stadium. Just recently there was a German TV team that I suppose made a report about the mayor’s animal campaign for German television. I wonder if they will say something about the other districts and the situations there as well! You have seen the conditions for yourself and the more than one hundred animal protection groups in the Athens area report daily of new poison incidents.
For local animal protection advocates this kind of PR is a slap in their faces. And instead of involving all those well working animal activists and cooperating with them, they are being opposed. After the incidents at the airport on March 11 and the ensuing mud-slinging against animal welfarists we spoke of a systematic calumny of animal welfarists and a relation to the official Olympic Games animal welfare campaign and were accused of being paranoid. But look at the official Athens 2004 website now and you will find on the subject related sites in the list of cooperating partners in stray programmes a name that you all know well: Ioanna Karagouni.
Back to the actual question: it is private individuals that are responsible for the poisonings?
No, I would not put it like that. Private individuals resort to poisoning because they just have no other choice. No official bureau in Greece would ever admit to having given the order, because poisoning is illegal by Greek law as well. Still, the authorities are responsible because of their complete failure concerning strays and animal welfare. You have got to understand, the authorities just remain inactive about the stray problem and people feel left alone and resort to the use of poison. Many people here worry more about the garbage problem than about strays and even now many Greeks do not understand what all the fuss is about.
Are you saying that we have to show understanding for he poisoning operations?
Of course not! Look, imagine living with your family in some village. Your children go to school there every day. Today they will meet two dogs on their way to school, but in a few weeks there are already five dogs. On the quest for food the dogs form packs. A female dog comes into heat. The dogs become more brash, snarl and bark at the children. And all of the sudden it might be eight dogs, among them larger ones. Children as well as adults become scared of the dogs and understandably so. They call the police with zero results. And what could they do? There are hardly any animal shelters. Other official bureaus usually don’t react either. That leaves the people with nothing left to do but take things in their own hands and they opt for the cheapest solution.
We have come to believe that more or less official instructions are issued from town halls to clean beaches, roads and hotel facilities of the large numbers of cats and dogs at the beginning of each tourist season. This has been reported to us from, for instance, the island of Crete and other highly touristy regions by Greek animal welfarists and tourists who know. But even in regions without tourism the strays are a nuisance. I can tell you of many cases that Greeks tell me about every day: Greece has a huge garbage problem, especially here in the greater Athens area. People put out their garbage at night, placing it next to overflowing containers, and in the morning the garbage is everywhere because strays went through it looking for food. Or take those farmers and shepherds who are simply afraid of strays taking their live stock. For many people in Greece strays are no different from rats, a plague, and they are being fought as such.
If the poisonings can’t be proven, though, how is it that animal welfarists know so much about it?
In our surgeries we deal with poisonings almost every day. However, we are talking mainly about privately owned animals and not about strays. But those privately owned animals eat the poisoned bait as well. The fact that Atropine shots are standard equipment for dog owners in the greater Athens area (but colleagues from other parts of Greece tell me it’s the same there) shows just what a normal phenomenon poisonings are in this country. Now, that is undeniable proof that the danger of poison lurks everywhere. Just yesterday I had three cases of poisoning in my surgery, two privately owned dogs and one stray. It looks like all of them will survive. The stray is pretty worn out but he will make it. Maybe you can find a good home for it!
On top of that poisonings are openly discussed and used as a threat in Greece. As animal welfarists you have heard this before: “Either you take care of that dog or I will (by poisoning it)!”
The Greek embassy as a reaction to our protests wrote to us (among other things): “(…) From official quarters in Greece we were informed that nobody there is acting upon orders from the city of Athens or the government to poison animals. If things like that happen the persons involved are clearly private individuals who, when convicted, are held accountable and punished (…)”. Have you ever heard of cases of anybody being punished for poisoning strays?
I see poisoned dogs and cats every week, but have never ever heard or read of proceedings against let alone convictions of a stray poisoner. But one would expect that from official quarters. Theoretically, you would have to catch the poisoner in the act, mixing the poison, preparing the bait and placing it. That alone is almost impossible to do. Proving this wrongful act is just so difficult with the result that nobody even tries. And we haven’t yet talked about the lack of staff of the police and the necessary effort. And that is just the point. Poisoning works and people know they are unlikely to be called to account for their illegal doings.
All that sounds more than demoralizing. But there has got to be a way to prevent this daily cruel routine?
We have one idea: money. We would have to find well-heeled animal supporters and dedicated and financially strong institutions that would offer a high amount of money for every convicted stray poisoner. The poisoning would stop pretty fast …
On top of that it is about time that tourists are being informed in detail just how the stray problem is being dealt with here in Greece …
We thank you for this interview!
