Shelter Spotlight

Tails from Greece

LLH's Shelter Spotlight introduces you to amazing people and organizations that are helping animals around the world.

Tails from Greece, a charity based in Toronto, Canada, helps animals in Greece. Over the years, Tails from Greece has placed 164 dogs and 4 cats from Greece into happy North American homes.

Founder Dianne Aldan spoke to Little Lotus Hearts after recently returning from her latest trip to Greece in May. Many tourists to the beautiful Mediterranean country have observed stray dogs and cats--and wondered if they could help them. Read on to learn about animals in Greece and how you might help them if you're lucky enough to visit this beautiful Mediterranean country!

Q: How did Tails from Greece start?

I guess it was destiny once I started making annual visits to Greece back in the late 1980s, during which time I was working at our local humane society.  During my visits I became quite concerned by the overwhelming numbers of stray dogs and cats everywhere we went.  I found myself compelled to travel with a suitcase full of cat food and was always feeding cats! 

I decided I’d try to help some of the people in Greece who were already doing what they could to help a few of the strays, so I came up with a few ideas on how to raise funds and I guess the rest is history.

With one thing leading to another, my involvement grew as the years went by, and as of January 1, 2009, Tails from Greece Rescue is a Canadian registered charity.  Now the focus is fundraising to be able to offer a rescue and rehoming program to private shelters and rescuers in Greece. 

Q: Do people in Greece keep pets like we do in North America?

Those who really understand what having a pet is all about do, but many dogs live on balconies or are tied up in the garden area.  Imagine a Husky living on a balcony in +30C (90F) temperatures! 

In Greece, there’s a fine line between being a pet or a stray dog or cat.  One may say it’s their pet, but by North American standards, we would disagree, because their ‘pets’ usually end up living on the balcony or on a chain in the garden--not ever being allowed inside the home.  A dog living like this would be called a ‘backyard dog’ in our world.  So, even in the 21st century, for the most part, the general Greek population is not ‘pet friendly.’  It is changing ever so slowly with the younger generation, but it’ll take another generation for positive change to be really noticeable.  

Q: Why are there so many strays on the streets of Greece?

Spay/neuter is not common and most vets don’t even promote it! Their logic appears to be that, if they don’t spay a female and she has a few litters, she’ll get ill with pyrometra (infected uterus) and will require expensive vet care, which brings more money to the vet than doing a spay, which is a one-time treatment! However, most sick animals are dumped to fend for themselves. Many dogs are abandoned when they come down with two common and easily treatable diseases, Leishmanias (transmitted by sandflies) and Erlichiosis (transmitted by ticks).

Q: Are most street dogs/cats friendly or are they feral (wild)? 

In populated areas most dogs will be friendly as their livelihood depends on it. I’ve noticed in recent years that many shopkeepers put a water bowl outside their shop and others put food in discreet places for cats. These people probably like the cats and dogs and want to help them but are afraid that a neighbour, who isn’t of the same thinking, will ridicule them for being nice to the animals. In outlying areas, stray dogs and cats wouldn’t likely be approachable, just because they’re so isolated from everyone and everything and every day is a fight to survive.
Above: Stray cat on retaining wall gazes out to sea.
Above: Dianne tends to puppy with an eye problem.
Above: Litsa, a local animal lover, tends to stray dogs by providing clean water, food, and some shelter.
Left: Stray mother and her kitten.
Below right: Stray cat with food and water.
Below left: Stray in poor health.

Q: So are most strays looked after my locals?

In many places, no, they are not fed or cared for by the locals. Most locals have no use for the strays and they basically turn a blind eye to them. Sometimes the tavernas tolerate the dogs and cats hanging around, because they want the tourists’ dollars. If the tourists are animal lovers, they’ll eat at tavernas that seem to care about the animals. Greece's working donkeys are injured by and mistreated with the heavy loads (of both luggage and people) that they are forced to carry up the steep hills of Santorini and elsewhere.

I would like tourists who visit Greece to reflect as they see working donkeys on whether animals are excessively burdened, and speak up if so. Each donkey is a source of income for its owner, so Tails and other groups try to educate owners on reasonable loads, taking rest breaks, providing water after each trip, and having a farrier provide hoofing care each year. Tourists can help by speaking up also. Tourist dollars are very influential in how animals are treated. Thankfully, Greek schools are now beginning to welcome animal educators into the classrooms to teach children about compassion for animals.

Q: Are some Greek islands more progressive in their treatment of animals than others?

It comes down to how populated the island is in general. If it’s a small island, off the beaten track, there’s likely no vet or people involved in rescue and the animals there are difficult to help. On many islands the animals are ‘gotten rid of’ before and following the tourist season as they’re considered a nuisance. As well, the small islands’ residents move to the mainland at the end of the tourist season and the animals are left to fend for themselves over the winter months.

Strays at feeding stations or looking for handouts.

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Q: Is Rabies a concern in Greece? 

Although Greece is not considered a rabies-free country by the Canada Food Inspection Agency, I don’t recall ever hearing about a case of rabies in Greece.  Greece has the same veterinary requirement that cats and dogs be vaccinated against rabies and rescuers who tend to their packs of dogs and cat colonies living on the street vaccinate those they can trap, to protect them against the common diseases.

Q: Tell us about places or groups that are making inroads on animal welfare in Greece. 

To name a few, the islands of Crete, Santorini, Mykonos, Paros, Aegina and Corfu as well as Halkida, Halkidiki, Markopoulo and many other smaller towns in and around Athens on the mainland, are just a few places where rescue work is a going concern every day. There are many individuals who spend their days feeding and providing vet care to several local packs of strays in their area but to protect them from threats or worse, from those who don’t support the animal welfare cause, they’re not mentioned by name here.

Capo learns to shake hands with his foster mom. Volunteers gather in both celebration and protest.

Q: Are there any TNR (Trap-Neuter-Return) programs for dogs or cats living on the streets in Greece? 

TNR programs for cats are becoming more common, being organized by a rescue group in the area in co-operation with their local vet. Unfortunately the Ministry doesn’t permit foreign vets within the EU community to carry out TNR programs. Well, they do permit them to offer their volunteer services but they make the paperwork so complicated that it’s next to impossible to get the required approval!

Q: If tourists see an animal that is injured or being mistreated, what can they do? 

They can try to find a local animal rescue organization or vet clinic but, unfortunately, many places don’t have either as a resource. Some islands have no vet and locals have to take their animals to the mainland, by boat usually, for treatment. Asking at the local police station or port authority might lead you in the right direction but often these people just look at you like you’re crazy and laugh at you. If the tourist is fortunate enough to be in a more populated area, there’ll most likely be someone involved in rescue that they could speak to. Perhaps going to an internet café and doing a search will provide more info. Tails has a list of veterinary clinics and rescue groups on our website which I hope some people have found helpful but it’s certainly not a complete list.

Q: If tourists find an animal they would like to take home with them, what should they do? 

This can be a very difficult task, depending on where they are in Greece.  Again, trying to find info online may help (many people email me about this so I know they do go online to see what they can find out) put them in touch with someone helpful.  Unfortunately many don’t look into this while they’re actually in Greece.  Once they return home, it’s very difficult to do anything, depending on where the dog/cat is located.  For example, if they found a dog/cat in northern Greece, it would be very difficult to find someone to keep the dog/cat and prepare it for travel as there may not be any rescue people or vets in the area and it would also be very difficult to get the dog/cat from there to Athens airport to catch a direct flight to their home.  But, if the feel determined to pursue this, they should contact the Embassy of their country to find out what the requirements are for bringing the dog/cat back into the country, e.g. USA or Canada.  There’s a link to guidelines for both countries on my website: Canada cats, Canada dogs, USA dogs and cats.

Next, they need to take the dog/cat to a vet for a general checkup, including vaccinations, deworming, defleaing and microchip implant as well as blood testing for Leishmanias (a treatable disease spread by sandflies) and Erlichiosis (a treatable disease spread by ticks).  The vet will issue a pet passport and include dates the above were done on.  This is an important document needed for departing from Greece.  Not to be discouraging, as it is possible to adopt a dog or cat from Greece, but it will be an expensive venture from start to finish.

Q: What are some of Tails for Greece’s special programs or missions to help Greek animals? 

Being a Canadian registered charity, we have to follow the rules for Canadian charities that, unfortunately, do not allow us to send money to Greece. Prior to becoming a registered charity, we were able to fund special appeals and offered a Sponsor-a-Stray program, with funds being donated to help a specific stray dog or cat. The program was very successful and a big help to the small rescue groups, so it was a tough decision to make but, weighing the pros and cons of becoming a registered charity, it was felt to be the right move to make.  

Tails now offers a rescue and rehoming program to private shelters and individuals in Greece and it’s been very successful. Those involved are grateful for the possibility of homing their dogs thru the charity as, without that option, they cannot take in more dogs waiting for a safe place to stay while a new home is found. Applicants are thoroughly screened and when a home is pre-approved, the dog travels. To raise funds to run this program, we hold a few fundraisers during the year, e.g. wine-tastings, an annual walk and a couple of raffles. Funds raised go towards vet care and other expenses for dogs in foster homes and to cover travel-related expenses in getting the dog to its new home. 

Q: Please share a heartwarming story about a special animal Tails from Greece has helped. 

Gosh, there are several heartwarming stories we’ve been able to make happen. “Rex,” a 6-year-old Husky from Thessalonica (in northern Greece), was seen wandering the streets and over several weeks, it was noticed he was losing strength in his back end. The rescuers took him to the veterinary clinic at the University of Thessalonica for examination and he was diagnosed with the incurable disease known as degenerative myelopathy. This was a dog obviously owned by someone as he would not have survived on the streets for so many years.  Therefore, we assume he was abandoned when he became ill. The only hope for Rex was to find a home and that was not going to happen in Greece. I received word of his plight from a private shelter that I rehome dogs for and they wanted to know if there was any possibility a home could be found for him here...in their minds, this was his only chance. I’m a strong believer that for every dog there’s someone out there so I was more than willing to put Rex on my petfinder website. 

Past successes of placing ‘special needs’ animals led me to believe it was possible: a senior blind Shepherd and a little blind Collie, a senior Shepherd with a growth in his mouth needing biopsy, a blind cat, a 3-legged dog and a dog suffering from permanent incontinence are all special cases now living here in Ontario. Lo and behold, the perfect home came along within 10 days of posting Rex’s story! Rex arrived in Toronto on April 27th and was fitted with his new ‘wheels’ on May 9th. He now lives with his mom and goes to work with her everyday at a cage-free doggy boarding kennel. We have no way of knowing how long Rex will have with us as the progression rate varies in each case but, for now, he’s happy and living every day to the fullest. His rescuers in Greece couldn’t ask for more. 

Rex.

Q: How can people get involved in your September 27, 2009, dog walk in Toronto?

Participants can sign up and collect pledges for their participation. If they can’t participate but would like to support the fundraiser, they can make a donation in lieu of their participation. Volunteers can also contact me via email. We need a couple of good photographers (video and digital) as well as volunteers, beginning in July, to approach suppliers for prizes (gift certificates, gift baskets and other items) to be awarded at the walk. 

Q: What recommendations do you have for people who want to help animals while they are in Greece?

Tails is happy to be the link to connect people from around the world to private shelters and rescuers in Greece. I often receive emails from people, asking how they can help during their visit to Greece. The shelters always need volunteers, willing to spend a few hours socializing, grooming, or walking the dogs or others who can stay for several weeks/months to help out on a daily basis at the shelter. Just spending a few hours with a person can make a difference in an animal’s disposition during their generally long stay at a shelter. 

If anyone is interested in volunteering while they’re in Greece, they can email me, preferably before they leave, and I will investigate volunteering options available, depending on where they’ll be while there.

Shelters also appreciate receiving donated items for the dogs, e.g. beds, toys, blankets, collars, leashes etc. 

Also, if anyone is traveling to Greece, Tails would love to hear from them, before they leave, as they may be able to help us in some small way.   

Q: What is the best way for people to donate to Tails From Greece? 

Our website: www.tailsfromgreecerescue.com. Donations can be made by clicking on CanadaHelps.org at www.tailsfromgreecerescue.com.
Donate your HBC Rewards Points to Tails from Greece Rescue by assigning them to Community Program ID#1008893.