An appeal to Municipality of Chania Crete Greece to take responsibility of situation of stray animal

An appeal to the Municipality of Chania

As a member of the association ‘The Homeless Animals of Crete’ (registered association in Finland, 208.763) I’m approaching you with respect but also with the deepest concern. I’m not here to judge or insult, but to raise questions and issues on the table which really need your attention and concrete actions – urgently!

From a tourists point of view

Have you seriously thought about what kind of impression your uncontrolled stray animal situation and the way you treat animals (barrel dogs, poisonings, abuse, abandonments etc. and etc.) gives of you, your municipality and of all the people of Crete?

Have you ever thought what kind of impact it has on your tourists and on the island’s tourism generally?  
Not to mention the people who live and grow up on the island? The impact in the short run? And most importantly, in the long run?

Let me put it this way.
What I as a Scandinavian tourist might expect of Crete when I book a holiday. I choose Crete because I expect there to be culture and civilization, I expect there to be beautiful views with beaches and high hills as in the pictures, not to mention great food with your own olive oil. I’m also keeping constantly in mind that we are talking about an EU country with a long cultural and historical background.

As a tourist I’m ready to overlook many things in Crete since I’m on a holiday and the views truly are amazing and the price level is good. I can put aside few rainy days, bad hotel choice, I can even put aside the littered yards and overflowing garbage bins which are quite a contrast to what we are used to. All that I forget, it could happen anywhere.

What I as a Scandinavian tourist am NOT able to overlook, not able to forget and stop talking about it when I get back home is the HOW there where SO MANY stray animals, suffering and abused by you, and you are not doing anything but walking by and pretending the problem does not even exist!

Municipality sealing their own doom?

But there are few people who do care and who have been striving for a better future helping one animal at a time and showing that there is humanity in Crete after all. The sad thing is that there are only a handful of them. These people are working around the clock without any support from the municipality or any local authorities.

Few weeks ago Elizabeth Iliakis and Silke Wrobel were charged with for having an illegal shelter for the stray animals. They are two of the few people in Crete working to make the stray animal situation better- better for the animals and for the whole community. Their work over the years has been truly amazing and they have kept on going regardless of all the obstacles, constant lack of resources and means and with the unbearable amount of stress for any human being.

Because of them and their work we’ve had hope for better tomorrow for both animals and humans in Crete.  And now you are punishing them for helping the whole community. How can you afford to do that? How can you afford not to support their work officially when tourism is your primary industry?

The dirty work

We, all the people in our association, are actually your former tourists. We still come to Crete, but not so much to enjoy anymore. We come there to do same kind of work as Silke Wrobel and Elizabeth Iliakis but we consider ourselves to be the lucky ones. They do this 24/7 and we do it only for a short period at a time.

We come there to spend a week by collecting your half dead animals, puppies and kittens dumbed into your overflowing garbage bins or thrown to the motorway, taking them to the vet, sometimes to get treatment and sometimes to put them down. We come there to feed not only the strays but also the chained dogs maltreated by their owners – and there are A LOT of them. We have no time to enjoy your rich and vivid culture because we are doing the work that belongs to you.

There are already several associations abroad founded for the same cause – to help the Cretan animals and stop the abuse. These associations are e.g. in Finland, Sweden, Norway and Germany. Your tourists are taking actions to help and to make a change. Why is your municipality not?

What needs to be done

We are here to help but we have realized especially during the past year that we with ten or hundred other associations are not able to make the change alone. This problem needs your administration to act, your own people to act as well.

This is not a problem solved with money alone. Money is actually the least important issue which should be a relief in times like these. Solving this problem starts from the attitudes, first from your administration and then continues passing on the information and educating to your citizens too.

What needs to be done to make the situation better in the short term and within longer period if you don’t want the stray animals to be the face of Crete - permanently:

-          First of all the area needs an official animal shelter for dogs and cats supported by the municipality. The shelter is absolutely needed. Not having a shelter is same as denying the problem. Even in far more developed countries like Finland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark we have shelters even we don’t have a same kind of problem with stray animals. You already have ones taking care of voluteers, support them, don’t arrested them.

-          An official shelter also enables official medical help to be given and surgeries that are necessary in reducing stray animals (sterilization program). Official and supported shelter and medical center could also offer traineeships to vet students which can help in the procedures.

-          Campaign, events and lessons in schools to educate people how animals should be treated and how it effects on people and especially children who grow up in the middle of animal abuse.

-          Campaign to locals about the stray animal situation and letting people know that you care and are taking actions to improve it. Nothing feels more desperate than knowing that there is no one interested in this problem but only foreigners who live at least 3000 km away.

Yours sincerely and really hoping for a better tomorrow!

Finnish Association ‘The Homeless Animals of Crete’   Kreetan Kodittomat Eläimet ry

kreetankulkukoirat@hotmail.fi

Chairman NIna Haverinen                                    Vice-chairman Mari Rantanen