No to barrel dogs in Crete

no to barrel dogs living in crete The improvement of the living conditions of barrel dogs in Crete and the death of lambs and goats from stray dogs were the issues discussed at the Municipality Building of Chania by the members of the Stock Breeders Association of the Chania region and the members of the Animal Friends Association.

It was agreed that dogs should live in real dog houses instead of barrels. The pastoral dogs should be protected from the weather conditions. A dog house itself cannot provide adequate protection from high temperatures and cold and should be placed in the shade, i.e. under a big tree in the summer or any other construction during winter.

There should always be clean and fresh water and food – no raw meat that causes several illnesses harmful for the dog and public health. The food and water containers should be kept clean at all times.

A campaign of raising awareness and informing the stock breeders should be started start by the association, beginning in the main villages. The stock breeders should be informed on the protection offered to animals by the law, the fees and penalties imposed by the law and of course on the animal rights.

Stray dogs in Crete

Everyone accepted that stray dogs attack lambs and goats and cause fiinancial damages to the stock breeders.

It was also agreed that these attacks are not the dogs’ fault; it’s a responsibility of those who abandon them when tired of them or when the animals stop serving “their purpose.” It is also the fault of the State that doesn’t enforce the given laws regarding the placement of electronic IDs on the animals.

The State also doesn’t impose the penalties recognized by the law in the case of abandoned animals, and doesn’t launch educational and informative programs at the schools in order to teach children how to protect the nature, the flora and fauna of their region.

All pertinent bodies should address the State for this issue rather than punishing the animals, which do not bear any responsibility anyway. It was finally agreed that this meeting and cooperation has to continue and improve, because mindsets do not change from one day to the other; constant efforts and rundowns are necessary.

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Comments:

"Change!" by: Lydia posted at 08:51 pm on 2009-10-31
It's about time to make the live for the animals better here on Crete!! especially now that all the hotels are closing, many are dying on the road or from hunger...this has to end! we all need to take some responsibility!!
"Barrel dogs" by: vesna GAR posted at 11:35 pm on 2009-10-31
Interesting article, but they\\\'re all missing the point!!!!! Any intelligent person would laugh at the whole concept of keeping a dog chained and what their \\\'purpose\\\' is supposed to be!! How the heck can a chained dog guard any \\\'livestock\\\' like sheep who are walking miles every day while looking for grazing?! How can these \\\'farmers\\\' don\\\'t see this?? Or the farmers\\\' committee or whoever they are ...... can\\\'t they add 2 + 2?? It doesn\\\'t take more intelligence than that to realise how stupid it is to keep dogs chained in the middle of nowhere, supposedly \\\'guarding\\\' whatever...... absolute tosh!!!!!
"Barrel dogs" by: vesna GAR posted at 11:35 pm on 2009-10-31
I wonder what prompted this article? Sadly it is not only on Crete where dogs are being kept chained to barrels or whatever..... this is a widespread 'practice' all over Greece.... what a lonely and miserable existence!!!!!!
"Barrel Dogs" by: elaine posted at 11:50 pm on 2009-11-01
It is heartening that someone has taken the time to write about these long suffering barrel dogs. I too have often wondered how they are expected to guard property and or sheep on a short chain, perhaps the barking is supposed to be a deterent??? or is it some status symbol?? Whatever the reason, still doesnt excuse the hundreds of dogs left in extreme heat with no food or water ultimately leading to their death and then so easily replaced with another dog, and so on.......
"Animal Welfare" by: Val Peach posted at 01:33 pm on 2009-11-01
This issue is a burning subject with regard to complaints from tourists from all over the world. It is a sad and completely unnatural lifestyle for any dog. Life spent at the end of short chains in a lonely hovel far from civilisation, burning in the sun and freezing in the winter is completely alien to dogs. Dogs are companion animals. They adore human company, and are naturally pack animals. Was the question asked ‘why these dogs are kept in this fashion’ the only reason I have ever been given by the owners of these unfortunate animals is ‘for security’ This of course is no answer – if these animals are parked alongside a field full of sheep and howled all night because someone was stealing the sheep there would be no response to their barks........... If they are dumped inside an orange grove and someone was intent on stealing oranges, they would be able to freely steal sack loads without hindrance or threat from a tethered dog. The security answer doesn’t hold water...........so what is the reason for this dismal practice? This report does place the blame for the plight of these and stray animals in general on the right shoulders – totally irresponsible owners. Either by ignorance or indifference many animals in Greece are abandoned by the thousands year on year. This causes extreme suffering, disease and starvation, it leads to abuse cruelty and mass poisonings and it needs to be tackled. Yes the report is correct in its conclusions that public education on all aspects of animal care and responsible ownership is desperately needed, above all the full facts and validity of mass sterilisation and neutering programs for animals is absolutely vital. However, it is well understood that the cost of sterilisation is prohibitive for many animal owners here and this must be looked at with concern. There is an answer but it must have municipal backing. Many overseas organisations will provide sterilisations for free. They do however require certain assurances in order to be able to run their programs. There have been huge outcries from established Greek veterinarians in the past with complaints that their business’s suffer as a result of ‘free’ sterilisations but this claim is ludicrous in the face of the massive stray animal population where no one owns the animals in question and as such there is no one who could pay. It is not the state that needs to put Animal welfare and care into practice if by ‘the state’ you are talking about central government, the onus is on municipalities. The laws exist, the responsibility for their enforcement lies with Greece’s municipalities, who should, by these laws provide shelters and run caring vaccination and sterilisation programs.
"Barrel Dogs" by: Penelope posted at 01:40 pm on 2009-11-01
If we see a dog chained and without the adequate water, shade etc. who should we report it to and will they do anything about it?
"Barrel Dogs" by: elaine posted at 11:11 pm on 2009-11-01
Penelope, sadly, until the law changes, if in fact it ever does, there is very little you can do apart from maybe complaining to the owner, getting some friends together to make a fuss and embarrass the owner, if that is possible, and you or friends, assuming you live nearby, keeping an eye on the situation and perhaps supplying water if it is needed.
"Barrel Dogs" by: Katerina posted at 01:38 pm on 2009-11-02
The dogs are not there to prevent stealing. The idea is that they stop the sheep from crossing onto someone else's land, and grazing where they shouldn't. It's a cheap and effective way of doing it, but farmers should be encouraged to put more fences and gates.
"Barrel Dogs" by: Val Peach posted at 09:25 pm on 2009-11-03
I live in the foothills of a mountainous area in Crete and have found many ‘so called barrel dogs’, many of which do not even have the luxury of a barrel to crawl into. I have witnessed sheep and goats ambling past these dogs despite the dogs barking. It only takes a leader to risk it and then the rest follow – as you’d expect.......like sheep. Sheep and goats are wily they too know that they can get round a tethered dog.......A goat will bowl over a dog in any event especially when there are kids about. It may be just feasible and may be effective if the dog is tethered on a fenced track and has a chain long enough to get from one side of the track to the other but such freedom is not often given. These dogs are parked like rotting cars in god forsaken areas with no shelters at all. Many of them cope with a scrape in a ditch in places where there is no possibility that they could deter or contain wandering livestock. We have dogs close to our home tethered and housed in barrels. These so called security systems are for home owners. These animals keep me awake all night but their respective owners sleep through their incessant barking like babies......................Greek people will not lay claim to feeding anything which they consider does not earn its keep – I think the myth of the security tag label applied to barrel dogs gives them self justification for keeping these animals like this. Has anyone even considered the plight of tethered bitches? These poor creatures get pregnant from dumped and abandoned cross breed hunting dogs? They give birth to their pups on these squalid filthy sites amongst their own faeces, they have no choice.............there is no excuse for this practice, no justification whatsoever, the call should not be for plastic houses instead of barrels the call should be to end this sad situation altogether.
"Barrel Dogs" by: elaine posted at 10:17 pm on 2009-11-03
Well said Val Peach; the whole aspect is barbaric but sadly not surprising given the attitude towards animals by the majority of Greeks!
"Comment to Katerina" by: vesna GAR posted at 10:48 pm on 2009-11-03
How can keeping a dog chained be an 'effective way' to stop the sheep going on to somebody else's land??? The chain is usually only 2-3 metres long (if that) ... do you think the sheep are so stupid and can't figure it out that they can simply go around the dog???
"Akrivos, Val!!" by: vesna GAR posted at 10:51 pm on 2009-11-03
I wrote my comment to Katerina before reading what you wrote .... I totally agree with what you say ....
"Barrel Dogs." by: mollyfive posted at 11:01 pm on 2009-11-03
what a barbaric practice,what kind of life is this for any living animal, a life of misery and nothing else....a sad lonely pitiful life at the hands of man. I could go on, but no words can express my disgust at these people responsible.
"Barrel dogs" by: Cathie1954 posted at 12:10 am on 2009-11-04
Dogs are sentient creatures who by law should be given the same basic standards as humans: decent food, clean water, medical care and proper living conditions. The ignorant people who chain dogs deny them these. They also deny then other creature requisites being love and companionship.
"barrel dogs" by: Compassionate posted at 11:22 am on 2009-11-04
This rife all over Greece. I don't understand these cruel people, who decended from what was supposed to be such a civilised culture. What happened to them?
"EVOLUTION" by: christelperson@hotmail.com posted at 02:17 am on 2009-11-07
THE WORLD IS WATCHING U PEOPLE AS U HAVE PREHISTORICAL BEHAVE SHAME ON YOUR EDUCATION! start a bit of redponsability
"Barrel Dogs" by: Marianne Miltenburg posted at 05:07 pm on 2009-11-15
In 2006, when I saved a dog from a miserable life on Crete, I asked a Greek woman (who helped me saving this dog): why do the warmhearted Greek act so badly towards animals? Her answer was so simple: we simply never learned how to act, how to love and take care for animals... So, I think here's a task for the government to start educate its citizens. NOW!!
"barrel dogs" by: blodders posted at 07:45 pm on 2009-11-17
Laws, fees, penalties for mistreating barrel dogs? Who exactly do we contact to report offenders? I feed and water 3 barrel dogs daily and have built a shelter for one of the dogs,who is so petrified by the sight of his barrel he won\\\'t go in it, no matter what the weather. I started helping the dogs when I realised the shepherd was only coming around once or twice a week to see to them. The treatment of animals here is the one issue that has stopped me settling properly in this country. I can\\\'t believe the cruelty of some people - letting dogs starve, abandoning them to get run over and poisoning them. What the hell is going on? Helloooo, this is 2009, not the dark ages. I\\\'ve also been shocked by the attitude of one or two fellow Brits, so desperate to integrate into the community that they ignore these dogs, spouting \\\'There\\\'s nothing you can do, it\\\'s tradition, and we\\\'ve just got to accept that\\\'s the way it is here\\\'. Well, I\\\'m champing at the bit to do something - education is obviously the way forward in the long term, but it\\\'s exactly that \\\'long\\\', it\\\'s what to do in the short term, i.e. \\\'now\\\' that needs addressing. So, anyone have any ideas?
"barrel dogs (what else?!)" by: vesna GAR posted at 02:46 am on 2009-11-18
Well, I totally agree with the comment above!!! My life changed totally after a so-called holiday in Greece in 1987.... since then I've been doing my best to help the poor animals in that primitive (intellectually) country, where the majority of people (and yes, many expats as well!!) just shrug their shoulders at the sight of neglected & abused animals, dogs especially (but not only!). Those disgusting horrible 'barrels' are not only like an oven in the summer and freezing in winter, but imagine the horrendous NOISE OF RAIN when it batters on the barrels hour after hour, especially in the winter..... and in summer.... what possible shelter do they provide?!
"What to do?" by: Tikanis posted at 10:13 am on 2009-11-18
Well Blodders you’ve already discovered the short term answer and good on you for caring. I too have met fellow Brits who turn deaf ears and a blind eye to what’s going on. I personally believe that the excuses which they offer are just that, they simply don’t want to involve themselves in these issues, the sun and sea and the easy life is much more important. Whilst custom and tradition is certainly an important element of life here I have never met a Greek person who embraces cruelty or animal abuse as part of this. I don’t think that the law has been broken with regard to keeping a tethered dog on private land with just the provision of a rusty drum for ‘shelter’ but if there is a case to be proven concerning cruelty or abuse then that is illegal. How to proceed is another matter, it is very difficult. I think that the sensible approach is to first decide what you want to achieve for these dogs, do you want them moved out, do you want to adopt or do you want to improve their conditions? Joining up with likeminded people helps enormously and I think that the above reply gives you a good idea of where to go. Vesna Jones founder of Greek Animal Rescue has years of experience and has struggled against all the odds to help animals here. Very recently she featured in a three part series on Greek Skai TVs Paratrixa program where she raised amongst other distressing issues the specific case of a rescued barrel dog from Crete.
"Barrel dogs" by: Blodders posted at 09:01 pm on 2009-11-19
Thanks to Vesna and Tikanis. I dont know what the way forward is with my particular barrel dogs. I suppose in the short term all I can do is to try to improve their conditions, but as you know it is very difficult trying to upgrade a barrel. Two of the dogs are not under the shade of a tree, which is a nightmare for them in the summer. One of them has let me build him a shack of pallets waterproofed with stapled on shower curtains, this lot leans against his barrel for support, but the other dog just trashes everything I try to build for him (I think hes going stir crazy). Ive even sprayed their barrels white to try to deflect some of the heat. A proper kennel might help, but would probably be removed and sold pretty quickly - their owner is an unreasonable person. The subject of adopting one of them (for money) has also arisen, but a guarantee would not be given that another dog would not be put there, thus defeating the object. Would it be possible to contact Vesna to find out more about the Greek Animal Rescue? Thanks
"barrel dogs" by: Blodders posted at 09:33 pm on 2009-11-19
Me again, no need to reply, just found the GAR website!
"barrel dogs" by: nin posted at 11:10 am on 2009-11-20
i totally agree this appalling practice of keeping dogs chained for life and alone should cease. If there is legislation it should be used every time there is a breach. I have come to live in Crete only recently and the sight of my 'local' barrel dogs broke my heart, and I still can't deal with it. Education is the obvious answer, but it takes a long time for the message to filter through when people see an undesirable practice as a 'tradition' - having said that it must be done!
"Laws in Greece are not enforced!" by: Vesna GAR posted at 03:53 pm on 2009-11-20
That's the whole problem!!! Animal welfare laws are NOT enforced in Greece, so what can one do???? Shoot the buggers who abuse animals? I wouldn't last long if I had to live in Greece .... I'll be in jail before long.....
"What to do ?" by: Tikanis posted at 05:01 pm on 2009-11-20
For anyone who has contributed a response to the above article or for anyone who wishes to discuss or debate this situation further - please visit the Crete Gazette Forum (link at the top of the page on the right) Lets see what we can do