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animal rescue report
Pride,
Poison and Prejudice around the Parthenon. Part
2 - Analysis (For Part 1 of this complete report click here) PRE-OLYMPIC
JITTERS Greece has long been a powerful and prosperous nation. It proudly boasts to have given civilisation to the world and offers itself as a cultural gem of cinematic proportions. In 2004 the Greek government and its public were more nervous than ever about international focus on one simple, infamous subject - the country's stray animal population; a highly contentious issue that continues to make this founding seat of academia look the least "civilised" of all European countries. Greece
represents one of the greatest paradoxes of all countries black-listed
for cruelty to animals. It enjoys international relations as the largest
industrial shipping trade in the world - along with huge profits through
its tourist industry. In fact, around eleven million visitors holiday
in the country each year - a number higher than its own population of
10.25 million. The paradox here
is that modern day Greece doesn't like to be seen from an international
viewpoint as the social cause of a problem, which commonly leads to
thousands of neglected domestic animals being flown out to caring homes
in other countries - all to save them from deliberate poisoning and
appalling living conditions year after year. And this is where an anomaly
bleeds though Greek culture and its authority, creating a bizarre double
standard in animal welfare. While a small but effective portion of caring
native Greeks battle to save the thousands of pets abandoned each year
from neglect and death, the rest of its population believe they are
treating their cats and dogs with true reverence.
But the double standards
don't end there: Although a new law has been passed, requiring pet owners
to register and identify their animals, many Greeks are opposed to neutering
on the grounds that their animals should enjoy a sex life. This extraordinary
logic means that thousands of abandoned puppies and kittens end up on
the streets of Athens and the country's beaches, dying of starvation,
disease or through deliberate poisoning. And because they are un-neutered,
the animals breed rapidly, creating an ever-spiralling problem. Many
animals born in these conditions don't survive, but those which do,
fall pregnant very quickly. Although Greek
authorities deny any connection with mass poisonings, Greece on the
whole seems un-willing to deal with its domestic animal care in a practical
and humane manner. Because of this, the government's recent ban on the
import and export of cat and dog fur is beginning to appear more of
a calculated gesture to show the international community that they are
"in control" of the trafficking of domestic animals. Although a compassionate
gesture in principle, there may be ulterior motives - and knock-on effects.
In this case, Greek authorities, both official and unofficial seem unwilling
to differentiate between a potential trafficker of animal fur and genuine
animal rescuers trying to fly out neglected animals to loving new owners.
This seems to indicate that there is an element of Greek pride that
is dictating an eccentric and damaging method of animal traffic control. Has Greece masqueraded a ban on cat and dog fur (which costs nothing to introduce) to divert focus on the continuing atrocities towards domestic animals taking place in its own country? In August 2004 when a visitor to the Olympic Games walked along clean streets near the stadiums - empty of the usual population of sick and dying animals - but also aware that Greece had banned the sale of cat and dog fur, then the country may morally have seemed a very impressive place. But little may he or she have realised how this tidy scenario was arrived at … because in a few months those same streets would be filling once more with pets abandoned by their owners. Continued >
Pride, Poison and Prejudice around the Parthenon MENU Part
1 - Main Story If you would like to find out more about Greek Animal Rescue Groups and donate to their causes, here is a list of some with direct web-site links: The
Greek Animal Welfare Fund (GAWF). You'll also find more animal rescue groups in our Global Charities and Groups Directories: *Registered
Animal, Environmental and Humanitarian Aid Charities Directory
This article was last updated in: August 2004
For more "Animal News" articles please click here For discussion on these issues see GGL's at VeggieGlobal.com
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