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World News on Animal Welfare …. … what is happening around our world |
SPAZ/ΣΠΑΖ GREECE Society for the Protection of Stray AnimalZ Σύλλογος Προστασίας Αδέσποτων Ζώων |
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This was one of the topics covered at the 12th International Companion Animal Welfare
Conference organized by Dogs’ Trust (UK) in Prague the first week in November and
which I participated in as a representative of SPAZ.
We asked - where do the dogs on the street come from? The answer is that they are lost,
abandoned, born on the street to a stray, roaming dogs with some sort of human care,
and community dogs with regular feeders. This seems true in most countries and is
certainly the case in Greece.
Putting them in a dog shelter is a solution chosen by many and there are many such
shelters in Greece and all over the world. Our visit to the shelter run by the municipality
of Prague and the city police department, with some 170 dogs, was an example of how a
city can take responsibility for its street dogs. It was well managed, with a medical clinic,
teaching center, visitors’ center for adoptions, a van for pick up of dogs and regular paid
personnel to run the shelter. If the dogs did not have the freedom to express their
natural behaviour, to be able to socialize with other dogs, have activities to prevent them
from being bored, etc. at least they have food, water, medical care, housing and the
chance to be homed and leave the shelter. Prague is at least ahead of many cities in
Greece in their endeavour to help the strays.
SPAZ does not have a dog shelter although we are helping a shelter in Koropi with their
dogs at the moment but we are all too well acquainted with dogs on the street. And it is a
global phenomena. 1.2 billion dogs are killed every year in the world; countless cats as
well, probably more than dogs, but we don’t have exact numbers.
Dogs are 25% more prolific than humans, cats 45% more prolific so it is easy to see how
the numbers have gotten out of control. Everyone agrees that warehousing animals and
running adoption programs does not fully address the issue. Only world-wide neutering
and education will reduce the numbers and many groups are concentrating on this.
Luke Gamble, a vet with the World Veterinary Service, works with ITC, the International
Training Center and told us about their work. They send out teams around the world and
in 2009 helped 14,648 animals. They cooperate with over 200 animal welfare groups
world-wide and send ₤10,000 worth of medicine and equipment out every week to those
in need. Jeff Young, an American vet, has a mobile surgery which he brings to towns in
need, neutering hundreds of animals in a three-day clinic. In Greece many groups run
neutering clinics both with local and foreign vets; SPAZ alone works with 6 vets in the
southern suburbs and we neuter around 1400-1500 every year. If so much neutering is
taking place, are we ahead of the numbers yet? No! Unfortunately, despite all the good
work being done, we also have battery farmed dogs and cats, uncontrolled breeding in
many areas, pet owners who do not understand the necessity of neutering, neglect of
many cities to ignore the street animals and leave it to volunteer groups, feeders who
feed but do not neuter, and the result is that the numbers of stray animals seems to be
growing.
In Prague, we were 225 participants from all around the world – UK, Poland, Latvia,
Ukraine, Brazil, Japan, Iran, USA, Hungary, Romania, Cyprus, Australia, Kazakhstan,
Portugal – all animal welfare people meeting to discuss our problems and solutions. We
covered many areas: children and animals and education; a framework for an
international model law for animal welfare; TNR (trap,neuter,release) programs for cats;
fund-raising; how to build a charity from zero; quality of life for animals (in shelters, on
the street, in homes); how to use the media; volunteerism; low-cost environment
enrichment for dogs in centers; and the future of communication campaigns (internet of
course).
In SPAZ we want to re-organize our volunteer program and I brought back some good
ideas that we are considering. In my home, I brought back some wonderful training
methods for my dogs – clicker training and TTouch massage. (I hope to present a short
workshop on this topic at our annual general meeting in January with a dog).
In the end, the conference in Prague stressed that animal welfare is about human
activity. It is about our commitment to help stray animals and make other people aware
of how by helping them, we are improving our community and the world in which we
live. Being together with so many people who care deeply about animals was a positive
experience for me and injected encouragement in everyone to go home and keep on
working.
Elizabeth Koubena for SPAZ
Dogs on the Street Where do you Start? |
dog in Prague shelter...he has been waiting there for 3 years |
A model animal welfare law discussed at the conference |
Participants from Latvia, Australia, Portugal, Greece, Ukraine and France - women working to better animal welfare in their countries |
Tails from Greece, a Canadian animal welfare group that re-homes Greek dogs in Canada (195 to date) was featured on Skai's program - Para Trixa on November 20th. You can watch the program by clicking on the link below and then clicking on Para Trixa and then Nov 20th. It's a very interesting video and shows how lucky some Greek dogs are....and why some Canadians want to adopt them. http://www.skai.gr/player/tvli ve |
You can look at all the presentations at the 2010 International Companion Animal Welfare Conference held in Prague in November 2010 by going to this website - www.icawc.org You can also click on a series of dog training videos by Carolyn Menteith, expert animal behaviourist AND you can follow Dogs' Trust Videos - "Dog Training Made Easy" - and download them free of charge on this website - www.youtube.com/dogstrust |
10 Resolutions for Greece's Animal Lovers / 10 Δεσμεύσεις των Ελλήνων φιλόζωων (Friends of Animals - Nea Filadelphia, Athens) 1. Ensure your pets have two forms of identification - a tag on their collar and either a microchip or ear tattoo. Check with your friends to make sure their pets have proper ID. 1. Βεβαιωθείτε ότι τα κατοικίδιά σας έχουν 2 διαφορετικούς τρόπους αναγνώρισης - την ετικέτα του κολάρου τους και ένα microchip ή τατουάζ. Βεβαιωθείτε ότι το ίδιο έχουν κάνει και οι φίλοι σας 2. If you are considering getting a new pet - cat, dog, rabbit, or other animal - make your local animal shelter your first adoption option. Do not buy pets from pet stores. Adopt! Don't Shop! 2. Εάν σκεφτεστε να πάρετε ένα νέο ζώο -γάτα, σκύλο, κουνέλι ή άλλο- επισκεφθείτε πρώτα τον τοπικό φιλοζωικό σύλλογο και το καταφύγιό του. Μην αγοράζετε ζώα από pet shops. Υιοθετείστε! Μήν αγοράζετε! 3. Commit to walking your dog once a day. This is good exercise for you too! Remember to take some wet/dry food or a leash with you in case you come across an injured or hungry animal who needs help. (If you don't have a dog, offer to walk a neighbor's dog or dogwalk at your local shelter). 3. Δεσμευτείτε ότι θα βγάζετε βόλτα το σκύλο σας τουλάχιστον μία φορά την ημέρα. Αυτή είναι καλή άσκηση και για τους δυο σας! Θυμηθείτε να έχετε μαζί σας λίγη τροφή και ένα επιπλέον λουράκι για την περίπτωση που συναντήσετε ένα τραυματισμένο ή πεινασμένο ζώο που χρειάζεται βοήθεια. (Εάν δεν έχετε σκύλο προσφερθείτε ακόμα να κάνετε βόλτα το σκύλο του γείτονα ή ακόμα επισκεφθείτε το κοντινότερό σας καταφύγιο αδέσποτων για να κάνετε βόλτα τα ζώα που βρίσκονται εκεί) 4. Talk to friends or colleagues who have unsterilized animals about the importance of sterilization of their pets. (Download our 'Why You Should Sterilize' brochure in Greek or English) 4. Μιλήστε με φίλους και συναδέλφους που δεν έχουν στειρώσει τα κατοικίδιά τους για το πόσο σημαντική είναι η στείρωση για τα ζώα τους (κατεβάστε το έντυπό μας "Γιατί πρέπει να στειρώνετε" στα ελληνικά ή στα αγγλικά) 5. Make a monthly financial donation to your local Friends of Animals group or become a yearly member. Most Friends of Animals groups have websites that will have donation information listed (ie. PayPal or Bank Deposit). 5. Κάνετε μια μηνιαία δωρεά στο τοπικό καταφύγιο αδέσποτων ή εγγραφείτε μέλος στο φιλοζωικό σύλλογο της περιοχής σας. Τα περισσότερα φιλοζωϊκά σωματεία λεχουν websites τα οποία παρέχουν πληροφορίες για δωρεές (π.χ. μέσω τραπεζικού λογαριασμού ή Paypal). 6. Register to Volunteer at your local animal shelter and bring least one item on their wish list (puppy food, medicine, paper towels, disinfectant, leashes, animal toys, etc.). Shelters cannot exist without volunteers and donations! 6. Εγγραφείτε ως εθελοντής στο πλησιέστερο καταφύγιο αδέσποτων και μαζί με την εγγραφή σας προσφέρετε και ένα τουλάχιστον από τα πράγματα που αναγράφονται στη λίστα με τις ανάγκες του καταφυγίου (τροφή για κουτάβια, φάρμακα, χαρτικά, απολυμαντικά, λουράκια, παιχνίδια για ζώα κλπ). Τα καταφύγια δεν μπορούν να επιβιώσουν χωρίς τους εθελοντές και τις δωρεές! 7. Go without meat one per day week. Your body, the environment, and the animals will all thank you for your sacrifice. 7. Αποφασίστε να μην φάτε κρέας για μία ημέρα κάθε εβδομάδα. Το σώμα σας, το περιβάλλον αλλά και τα ζώα θα σας ευγνωμονούν για αυτή σας τη μικρή θησία. 8. Sign petitions for awareness of animal abuse in your country and/or internationally. Petitions DO make change. 8. Υπογράψτε επιστολές διαμαρτηρίας που καταγγέλουν και ευαισθητοποιούν τον κόσμο σχετικά με την κακοποίηση των ζώων τόσο τοπικά όσο και παγκόσμια. Οι επιστολές διαμαρτηρίας ΚΑΝΟΥΝ τη διαφορά. 9. Stop wearing fur (and fur trim) and explain to others why fur is not glamorous or an indicator of wealth but a sign of cruelty and vanity that everyone can see. 9. Σταματήστε να φοράτε γούνες (αλλά και ρούχα με γούνινες διακοσμήσεις) και εξηγήστε και σε άλλους ότι η γούνα δεν είναι glamour ή δείκτης πλούτου, αλλά σύμβολο βαναυσότητας και ματαιοδοξίας ευδιάκριτο σε όλους. 10. SPEAK UP! If you see animal abuse in your day to day life - whether is physical, verbal or mental cruelty - exposing abusers takes away their power. Shouting loudly at abusers brings attention to their actions. If they do not stop, call to others for assistance and call the police. 10. ΜΙΛΗΣΤΕ! Εάν δείτε ζώο να κακοποιείται -με φυσική ή ψυχολογική βία- πρέπει να γνωρίζετε ότι εκθέτοντας τους βασανιστές αυτόματα αφαιρείτε την "εξουσία" που αισθάνονται πως έχουν πάνω στα ζώα. Φωνάζοντάς τους δυνατά, βασανιστές τραβάτε την προσοχή όλων στις πράξεις τους. Εάν δεν σταματήσουν άμεσα, φωνάξτε για βοήθεια άλλους φιλόζωους ή το πλησιέστερο φιλοζωικό σωματείο και καλέστε την Αστυνομία. |
For more information about SPAZ, our work, and how we can help you help the animals, contact the appropriate person listed below. General Contact Details: PO Box 70213 Glyfada, Athens Greece 166-10 spazgreece@hotmail.co.uk Individual Contact Details: Joanna Doulakis (President) 6948 011572 Tatiana Papamoschou (Vice President) Fofi Dimitriadou (Treasurer) Tzela Pagoni (Secretary) Nikki Clainos (Member-at-large) Lucille Morin (committee member) Sue Green (committee member) 6977 939137 Vasso Clainos (committee member) Elizabeth Koubena (website) Sia Hurst (website) Click here to go to our Facebook Page |
Following Bolivia's astounding decision to ban circuses with animals, ADI (Animal Defenders International) have rescued 25 lions and are air-lifting them to a wonderful new compound in Colorado. To read this great story, click here...... |