The Stray Problem

An overview

You probably have seen postcards with Greek cats on them and thought: "How lovely!" But unfortunately there is the other side of the coin - as nice and picturesque as they might be, there is also a lot of suffering. There are definitely too many stray animals in Greece that are not looked after, that die unnecessarily of easily curable or preventable diseases and/or are mistreated.

Many people here love animals but don't believe in spaying & neutering them or don't have the knowledge to take care of them properly. The main reasons why they are not spayed or neutered are, as I have experienced, as following:

	The strays are considered as wild animals that have to fend for themselves. "That's just life!"
	It is a common opinion that it is "inhumane" as the animals "won't have any fun" anymore once they are spayed/neutered.
	There is no vet available (i.e. on some islands).
	It is expensive to have an animal spayed/neutered and easier to "throw the litter away".
	People have never heard of it.

But, we say:

	Although they are strays, many of the animals are still fed more or less frequently. Cats and dogs are domesticated, and as soon as you take over some responsibility for them, you have all the responsibility. The more they are fed, the more they reproduce, and the more illnesses spread and the number of discarded litters increases.
	The animals don't "enjoy" their sexual life like human beings do. They are driven solely by their instincts and suffer a lot. Females are chased by males who often get into bad and lifeendangering fights etc.! Most people are bothered by cats and dogs mating, even though they don't favour spaying/neutering. They complain about the noise they make (cats); and I have seen the same people who say it is inhumane to spay/neuter the animals try to chase the males away from a female on heat (dogs). This causes more distress to the animals than if they are sterilised and neutered (and where is the fun???).
	Year over year animals are poisoned regularly and die a horrible death. We have already lost more than 6 of our beloved cats (strays, but we were taking care of them, had them neutered etc.!) that way.
	Throwing away - that means killing - three litters of kittens per year (for example) is murder and certainly less humane than avoiding the litters in the first place.
	Of the kittens or puppies that are left to live, only few survive - many get ill and die a horrible and slow death. Animals that survive the summer face hunger and illness in the winter, when the tourists and many locals leave the islands.

How can WE help?

In the long run, only educating people can make a real change. It means opening the minds and getting more people involved.

In the meantime, we have to keep on trying to make some changes and reduce the suffering by:

	vaccinating, spaying and neutering as many animals as possible
	volunteering to take care of strays and treating the sick (and making sure there is somebody there in the winter to feed them)
	getting more PAWS memberships and donations that will support the projects financially. The charitable organisation PAWS (Paros Animal Welfare Society) collects money to buy medicines, to pay for a vet visit and for food & care for the winter.
	initiating and supporting campaigns about animal care (posters, flyers, vet presentations in schools etc.)

THESE ARE ALL GOALS OF PAWS ("PAROS ANIMAL WELFARE SOCIETY"). PAWS is a registered NONPROFIT Greek charity run by volunteers for the well being of street animals.

Visit PAWS at www.parosweb.com/paws!

How can YOU help?

	By putting water out for the animals and supporting people who take care of strays all year around.
	By talking to locals and letting them know you don't like what you see. Many people don't realise this is a problem we can take care of and regard the animals as pests.
	By donating a money or food. Every penny helps. The charitable organisation PAWS (Paros Animal Welfare Society) has donation boxes in super-markets, shops, hotels etc. and the money is collected from these to buy medicines, to pay for the vet and winter feeding. Don't forget that many animal lovers living on the island spend lots of their own money and effort on the strays.
	By informing one of the volunteers (find telephone-numbers for example in "Paros Life") if you find a sick or abandoned animal that needs immediate treatment or taking it to the vet.
	By taking an animal that you fall in love with home with you! Why not? There are people on the island who know all about the laws and bureaucracy involved and will help you sort it out (Contact PAWS).
	By becoming a member of PAWS.

Should you feed a stray animal?

This is a difficult question to answer. Many people say no, because it will help increase the population of the strays and the animals will starve when the tourist season ends (especially since the restaurants close, too).

I think this mainly applies to people who feed the animals regularly, like all summer, and then leave them alone from one day to the next, when they leave the island. If you as a tourist are confronted with a hungry animal, this animal already has a problem and has to get food from somewhere, so you might as well give it something to eat if you feel like it.

Again, it has to be said that we have to get to the root of the problem and spay/neuter!

Is it safe to touch the animals (as some are pretty friendly)?

Be careful. If the animal looks tidy and clean and doesn't behave strangely, it's up to you. Make sure you wash your hands properly afterwards; most animals have worms, fleas and ringworm (= a kind of fungus that humans can catch, too). Try not to let cats scratch you.

Should you buy an animal a collar?

Definitely no! I do not understand why many vacationers buy an animal they get attached to a collar. This makes life even more difficult for the animal, as everybody thinks it has a home and therefore nobody feeds it.

Tips for the compassionate animal loving traveller here!

Some Statistics and Health Benefits of Spaying and Neutering:

	One female cat and one male and their offspring can produce hundreds of thousands of kittens in just a few years.
	One female dog and one male and their offspring can have thousands of puppies in just a few years.
	The number of destroyed animals decreases - less animals euthanised, "thrown away", (=killed), dying of negligence/diseases/starvation etc.!
	Animals are less inclined to roam and fight - therefore also less likely to get involved in a car accident - or to be injured in a fight - or to catch contagious diseases.
	Male cats stop spraying.
	Male dogs bark less.
	The animals live longer and healthier lives - no uterine or ovarian cancer - spaying before the first cycle reduces chances of breast cancer - neutering reduces prostate cancer and disorders.
	The animals become closer & more affectionate.

Find more information about spaying and neutering here:

"THE DOGHAUSE"

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