Most Important Obstacles in Aw in Greece and Solutions

MOST IMPORTANT OBSTACLES IN AW IN GREECE AND SOLUTIONS

1.  General facts

A.  Owned animals

·  No official numbers

·  Growing population

·  Exacerbated trade, uncontrolled breeding, uncontrolled imports, urbanization

·  Very high breeding rates:

-  Intentional (legal/illegal breeding, hunters)

-  Unintentional (don’t bother to neuter)

·  Low awareness of responsible ownership

·  Neglect and abuse, especially in rural areas

B. Stray animals

·  No official numbers

·  Massive population

·  High level of abandonment (unwanted litters, hunting dogs 30-35 % of all dogs in shelters, AW orgs data)

·  Extreme abuse

·  Mass poisoning

·  Some level of care in urban areas

C. Political framework

·  Companion animals under jurisdiction of Ministry of Agriculture

·  No interest in welfare of pets

·  Vet Dept known for severe corruption (Strong ties with breeders-traders)

·  Increasing pet population, promoting pet trade and keeping vet profession protected (closed) are main targets of Vet lobby in Ministry (staff) and Parliament (president of Vet. Association is political candidate)

·  AW orgs perceived as obstacles and harassed.

D. Legal Framework

Since 2003

·  mandatory identification/registration, TNR, no kill policy (introduced before Olympic Games, in attempt to curb international outcry against inhumane treatment of strays)

·  Municipalities responsible for setting up TNR programs

Since 2012 new law, same legal outlines but emptied of substance:

·  No defined aims, no principles

·  No moral / scientific backbone framing relationship between people and animals

·  Disorientating to public and Authorities

·  Protecting commercial interests instead of companion animals (owned or stray)

When controlling pet trade is acknowledged priority throughout Europe, current Greek legislation, ironically titled, ‘protection of companion animals from exploitation or use for lucrative purposes’, makes life impossible for AW workers and NGOs and leaves pet trade untouched.

E. Low level of enforcement

·  Identification/registration not enforced, not controlled

·  Veterinary Association never kept proper database

·  No municipal TNR (99% TNR done and funded by AW Orgs)

·  Mass poisoning is main -if unofficial- way to deal with strays

2. OBSTACLES TO AW AND STRAY MANAGEMENT

A.  The Law (pretends to upgrade animal protection, in fact perpetuates all conditions to ensure nothing will change)

·  Makes TNR impossible by basing procedures on imaginary municipal shelters and municipal veterinary clinics: Greece has no infrastructure of the sort

·  Constant harassment against AW orgs, obstructing rescuing/neutering/rehoming efforts

·  Obstruct international assistance

B.  The Ministry

·  Unsuitable staff

·  Not interested in changing cultural attitude

·  Very bad track record in animal welfare.

·  Corruption (No will to reduce stray population, used for pressure to obtain funds from municipal/national budgets. Strays then poisoned and funds diverted)

·  Systematic opposition to measures that would reduce numbers (free/cheap neutering-identification, international help)

·  Vet. Dept officials bribed not to restrict or regulate pet trade

·  no data on imports/authorized breeders-traders

C.  No infrastructures

·  No municipal shelters, no clinics

·  No control mechanisms over breeding/trade

D. Veterinary Association/veterinarians

·  Vets discourage neutering pets (‘not before a few litters’ - ‘never a pure breed!’)

·  Sterilisations overpriced

·  Vets untrained

Vets graduate without knowledge of neutering: in rural areas, neutering difficult, risky and cost prohibiting.

·  No EU vets allowed

Although free movement of professionals and free provision of services is fundamental EU principle, constant lobby has managed to keep EU vets and foreign help out of Greece. ‘Vets without borders’ attempting to provide relief and cheap neutering in Greece are neither welcomed nor thanked, but stopped and sued.

3. CONCLUSIONS/SUGGESTIONS

Corporatist mentality of Ministry officials has been let to shape cultural and social ethics of Greek Society re AW, with devastating consequences for animals and people (emotional distress, public health issues, increasing clashes between animal loving citizens and others.

Need for political decisions to create:

a. Parliamentary group

b. AW council, preferably in ministry of Health

c. National Action Plan:

·  Proper legislation following best EU models

·  Effective restriction and control of pet trade

·  Responsible ownership and adoptions

·  Municipal vet clinics

·  Neutering seminars for Greek vets

·  neutering programs on national scale with cooperation of Greek and international NGOs

Irini Molfessi

President of the Pan-Hellenic Animal Welfare Federation

Brussels 10 /4/2014

3