Fortunately, as far as the issue of animal welfare is concerned, the Prefecture of Lasithi is possibly one of the more sensitive, to the needs of animals living on the streets, or those that are being neglected and abused by their owners.
Individual volunteers have formed registered charities and official groups which organise a whole range of imaginative initiatives – the most recent being a sponsored slim – to generate funding through donations, both of money but also of food, blankets, medicines or anything else that will help towards making life better for animals.
In Agios Nikolaos, we have Vocal (Voice of Cats Alliance), who have just completed another very successful campaign of treatment and neutering of street cats. They have a fully equipped clinic and have a network of foreign vets who help with their work. Locally their team works tirelessly, with feeding points for the cats, even in some fairly remote village locations.
We have Hector’s House and Amber’s Hope that rescue, treat, foster and then promote the dogs (and cats) in their care, for adoption. They are pretty much on a weekly basis, going backwards and forwards to the airport in Heraklion, (if not travelling themselves to accompany the animals), then they are there to assist volunteers, who accompany the animals that are enroute to new homes in other parts of Europe.
One of the founders of Amber’s Hope has also recently organised and just completed a successful campaign of discounted neutering of locally owned dogs. Finances are hard for everyone, but as long as animals breed, there will always be puppies looking for new homes. The lucky ones will find them, but the less fortunate, sadly may end up in a rubbish skip or on a deserted mountain, or on the bottom of the seabed, as we saw this week.
The condition for participation in this innovative, discounted neutering scheme, was that the owners also make the decision to microchip their pets, something that is required by law, but something that very few actually do. After the first stage of the campaign, the organisers remain positive that the numbers coming forward to take advantage of the scheme, will grow steadily, when the second stage is announced, later this year.
Another, smaller group that we have is Ag. Nikolaos Crete – Rescue, who apart from all the rescue work they carry out personally, are on constant standby to help any other group or individual who is working for the same cause – caring for these poor, neglected souls that can’t protect themselves.
And finally (if I’ve forgotten anyone I apologise, it wasn’t intentional), we have the “Council Shelter” and Manos, who has been given so many promises of help from “official sources”, that he has lost count, but still finds himself alone more or less, battling on daily, doing the job of the Council, on a voluntary basis. Thank goodness for the unfortunate dogs who have been given shelter in this totally inadequate and unsuitable refuge, Manos cares and will not give up on them.
And yesterday, I had the privilege of speaking to Takis Proestakis, who has a huge shelter for both dogs and cats, in Ierapetra. He has become quite famous in Greece and abroad, for the work that he does in the south of the Prefecture, work that has been featured in foreign press and that is widely followed and supported on social media.
I got in touch with Takis because I had seen references on his facebook page of a court case that he was called to attend, and wanted to find out a little bit more about what was happening and what he was charged with.
A complaint was made against him and his shelter sometime ago, and as he said himself, the police were obliged by law, to proceed with the complaint and investigate the accusations. During the course of the investigation, a report was sent by the police to the Regional Veterinary authorities, who have direct responsibility for the control of such animal sanctuaries and they in turn, put their proposals forward.
The key proposal, which they put in writing to the Council of Ierapetra, was that the Council should recognise Takis’ shelter as a council run shelter. Adopt it, so to speak, at least on paper, with Takis carrying on his work as usual, but under the protective (legally) umbrella of the Council of Ierapetra. The necessary discussion amongst the Council Committee took place, but it was decided that the gaps in the law, didn’t allow the current council to make such a responsibility or commitment and they voted against.
In the meantime, Takis who had all of his animals microchipped in his name and vaccinated as required by law, had no real fear of what the court would decide on the day. He is a private individual who helps animals. He came away without any convictions, as his animals are registered, neutered, they are very well cared for and the isolated position of the shelter is such that he disturbs nobody. The verdict was in his favour.
What upset him (understandably), was that the Council once again, refused to take responsibility for this issue, which is legally theirs. There are, according to Takis, huge amounts of money available to Councils to fund actions for animal welfare, but……
So what does all of this prove in the end? That Councils in this Prefecture really don’t care about strays, or the abandoned and abused creatures that we see or hear about, almost every day, and that we could almost be in danger of becoming desensitised to the horrors.
The people in power, who have been elected, some because of their pre-election promises on the issue of animal welfare, are not at all touched by their suffering? It appears that they prefer, by choice, to let volunteers carry on their work for them and at the expense of others, both financially and personally.
It’s time for better education, better facilities and a more active role, first by the authorities, but then by all of us too – we have to start to take the proportion of responsibility that belongs to us, and stop waiting for volunteers and charities to pick up the pieces of our negligence.
S.K.