World Stray Animal Day

Tuesday 4th April 2023 celebrates the 'World Stray Animal Day'.  To celebrate this annual event, the National Museum of Contemporary Art in Athens will allow free entry to people who bring their dogs to their exhibition on Sunday 2nd April, between 11:00am and 2:00pm.  In addition to the Modern Love exhibition on display, visitors will be welcome to see assorted puppies from the Socrates Shelter looking for forever homes.  The museum partnered with the shelter to encourage the adoption of stray dogs in need and shed light on the dangerous daily conditions all stray animals face.  Professionals and volunteers run the shelter to help lost pets find their families and stray animals find new homes.  Owners must bring their dogs vaccination records, waste bags and be kept on a close leash at all times, no flexi-leashes.

Following the great success of 'Cat Cafes' in Athens, dog owners and their pets can call in to the new 'Dog Cafe' that has just opened in central Athens, hopefully the first of many, for a coffee and special 'treat' for their pet doggies before visiting the museum.

'World Stray Animal Day' on 4th April gives people a chance to focus and remember the numerous stray animals there are around the world, and maybe offer them a little morsel of food or a bowl of water to celebrate this event.  In six months time, 4th October, the world will observe again the annual 'World Animal Day', where the lucky anaimals who have human families are remembered.  The April event is for those unfortuanate animals that have no home, and sometimes no family, and try to survive from day-to-day in the cold of winter and in the heat of summer.  Please remember them and help these poor stray animals if you can.  Thank you.

 

Many people have been helping stray animals in their local areas for years, with feeding, neutering and medical care.  In Ermioni, a coastal town in Argolida, there has been love and care offered by the GreekSTRAYS charity for over 18 years, which has tirelessly helped stray animals stay healthier and under control within the town, as well as finding a 'forever home' for many lucky strays.  Click onto the GreekSTRAYS section within this site to see the continuous and ongoing work being done by dedicated private individuals in helping some of the local stray animals trying to survive in and around Ermioni:  ermioni.info/content/animal-welfare

 

Back in September 2021, the Mayor of Ermionida was given approval for project 'Philodimos II' which allowed for the construction, installation and equipment of a shelter for stray animals of the Municipality of Ermionida.  With a total budget of 372,000 euros, the project envisaged the placement of a shelter for stray animals on a plot of land owned by the Municipality.  However, as of 4th April, 'World Stray Animal Day', there is still no sign or news of this stray animal shelter, as a permanent site has still not been agreed or approved by the Regional Mayor or the Municipality of Ermionida.  For more info - click:  ermioni.info/content/stray-animal-shelter

On 'World Stray Animal Day', canine animals will now have their own advocates.  A new platform providing Greek citizens and animal welfare organisations free legal guidance and court representation through a network of lawyers regarding animal abuse cases has been set you by the Dogs' Voice nonprofit organisation.  The initiative includes the first animal law workshop with the participation of students and professors from Greece's three law schools.  Elena Dede, lawyer and founder of Dog' Voice said "while there are many of our fellow citizens who believe that no animal should be abused and treated as a thing, we find that there are very few who have the training to defend animal rights before the Greek justice system, we want to fill that gap".

Donations are hugely needed for GreekSTRAYS
Account name & bank: GreekSTRAYS - Lloyds Bank   Sort Code: 30-65-22    Account Number: 78074260  
PayPal: elaine1156@gmail.com