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The “invisible victims” of the pandemic could be described as Street animals. The confinements, the quarantine of the citizens in the houses and the closed shops put them face to face with absolute hunger. The search for food became more difficult than ever as many dogs were found on the streets because their owners thought they could be carriers of the coronavirus..
“Stray animals depend directly on humans for their survival. If we give them food, they will eat, if not, they will fast. Thousands of homeless people, dogs and cats were fed by taverns, restaurants, cafes or by animal-friendly owners or workers. Thousands of homeless people were also fed by citizens, members or volunteers of animal welfare associations in neighboring municipalities where there were no animal welfare associations. “However, due to the prohibition of moving from one prefecture to another, citizens could not go to feeding points, which caused thousands of homeless people, especially dogs, to starve to death. “ highlights in newsbeast.gr the president of the Panhellenic Federation of Animal Welfare and Environment, Natasa Bombolaki.
“The number of stray dogs in the last 20 years is increasing rapidly and today animal welfare organizations estimate, based on data provided by local animal welfare associations, that it is 1,000,000 dogs and 2,000,000 cats, “he added.
The increase in stray animals was observed mainly in the first months of last year’s confinement, according to the president of the Panhellenic Federation for Animal Welfare and Environment. “In this important role they played several articles and reports that spread completely unscientific views on whether pets can carry the coronavirus to the person. It took a lot of effort for the expert scientists of our country, mainly from our Federation, to inform that pets are not carriers of the virus “, he explains, explaining” after the correct information, the number of animals abandoned by their guardians so that they are not jam began to decrease notably ”.
Loneliness and code 6 reinforced interest in adoption
People were locked in the house and loneliness became more visible than ever. Many decided to share the enclosure with a pet or even adopt it to use it as a pretext to go for a walk, Natasa Bombolaki tells newsbeast.gr, noting that “we also saw an increase in the number of animals that their guardians took to go for a walk and to many of them were the first time they went out for a walk “.
Who is responsible for the increase in stray animals in our country?
According to the Panhellenic Federation for Animal Welfare and the Environment, the State and its structures, ministries and municipalities assume enormous responsibilities for the increase in the number of animals that live abandoned in the streets of Greece, either due to lack of planning to eliminate the misery of million or not due to completely wrong policies that were constantly inflating their numbers.
«Of course, the individual responsibilities of animal caretakers are great, who at the slightest difficulty abandoned them on the streets, as well as irresponsible adoptions by animal welfare associations.Natasa Bombolaki explains and adds: “There are many reasons. In my opinion, they are summarized in the diptych of the total lack of education in schools and the lack of information in general of the people. Also due to the lack of planning by the State , a fact that allowed impunity for the circuits that illegally hoard farms, imports, and sales of pets.
The lack of education and empathy for animals has led to the massive abandonment of animals or adults, who as vagabonds gave birth without control, or of newborn puppies or cats that were abandoned by owners everywhere.
“If this vicious cycle is not broken with specific and complex actions, we will continue to be an anti-European and third world country with millions of homeless people who will be tortured every day and every minute.”
“Greeks are not animal lovers”
The Greeks are not an animal-friendly people, as the president of the Panhellenic Federation for Animal Welfare and Environment explains, stating: “From apathy. The obligated state, however, must take mainly preventive measures, that is, education in schools, information, incentives for people who adopt the homeless, but also repressive measures to combat impunity for illegal breeders and traders who constantly they supply the streets with new stray animals. “
What does the new pet bill include?
“About a month ago the government announced the axes around which it will develop pet bill. There are two different approaches to the content of the bill and we think it makes sense for you to think about it. We are sure, however, that if one takes into account, on the one hand, that it is a bill that aims to protect animals and not people who live or exploit animals legally or illegally, and on the other hand, that people are and are considered as a pillar of protection who fight for them with enormous mental, physical and economic costs, then you will easily draw the necessary conclusions why the vast majority of animal welfare organizations and the thousands of citizens who are fully involved voluntarily and because of their backwardness, support it and why the illegal circuits or the different professional associations denounce it and demand its withdrawal or dispossession of its innovative and saving provisions for animals and society, “he says. Natasa Bombolaki, referring to the announcement issued by the Panhellenic Animal. Welfare and Livestock.
“The fact that almost all those who react have never denounced impunity for the exploitation of pets at least convinces us – in addition to the myriad of evidence that exists – that they are part of the problem and are affected by the provisions-axes of the bill.
This is the illicit trade and cold-blooded exploitation of pets and not the animal welfare associations, as unfortunately several years, directly and quite deliberately and consciously, now they report or hint muddy to the detriment of the selfless offering, which reaches the limits of animal self-sacrifice. .
“We believe that there is an absolute need to mobilize forces from all directions so that our country can finally effectively tackle very serious problems related to pet handling. “Issues that drag on for decades and expose us internationally giving an image of the absence of culture, while the money delivered is essentially a waste since the problem is not addressed but is” patched “and immediately becomes more serious and more inflated” explains Natasa Bombolaki.
According to the Panhellenic Federation for Animal Welfare and Environment, there are two main issues that come up as arguments against the bill. “The change of responsibility from the Ministry of Regional Development to the Ministry of the Interior and the obligation of pet owners to sterilize them, after giving birth for once, if they so wish. As they inform us, this obligation is foreseen only for the next 5 years “.
“Starting from the mandatory sterilization of dominant animals, we want to inform you about the following: The reason why we agree on something like this is on the one hand to allow time and realize the responsibility we have as citizens for the reproduction of our animals until the proper / healthy adoption of these new members, on the other hand to control the number of abandoned newborns, which number in the thousands per year, all of the births of dominant animals but also of abandoned sterile adult animals that as vagrants now it gives birth to an uncontrollable announcement.
“It is well known that several groups, for example hunters, constantly and illegally breed and sell thousands of dogs for this and react so strongly to a litter only after sterilization. Note that the argument that the hound loses or limits its ability to hunt is completely unscientific. Of course, our proposal is that legal professional breeders be completely excluded from the sterilization measure for obvious reasons. As an indication and speaking in numbers, we tell you that a dog can give birth up to 3 times a year, each birth brings an average of 6 to 7 new people. At the age of about 7 months, their breeding season begins. So a dog and her children create around 67,000 new members in 6 years. Similarly, a cat can give birth up to 8 cats up to 3 times a year. Their breeding season also begins around 7 months of age. In 7 years of the cat and the children that are going to emerge, some 420,000 new people will have been born ”, he points out.
“The obligation to sterilize, with the exceptions that we have mentioned in detail over and over again, is a one-way street, it is the only civilized solution in today’s Greek reality. It is not a solution in this time period with millions of stray animals or even a litter.
Those who fight this proposed measure and try to paint it as “immoral” are, on the one hand, the theorists who abstain from the everyday life of the street and understand them, and on the other hand, the most staunch opponents, those who trade, speculate and , in general, have interests (such as illegal breeders, hunters and intermediaries for the sale of animals), those who speculate at the expense of the animals, and at the expense of the entire Greek society, whom this time we must ignore. to move on.
On the moral side, make sure that no animal lover would like such a measure to be absolutely necessary. After all, nature itself has balances and man must respect the functions of all beings and not impose any action against individuals of other species. But we are already a long way from that. “Consequently, we are called to put an end to crime and the uncontrolled dominance of interest groups at the expense of weak creatures and society,” said the Panhellenic Federation for Animal Welfare and the Environment.
