An open letter to Greece:

[Guest guest]

An open letter to Greece:

to its authorities, its media and its citizens

Anna Pouliou, Brussels

 

Serres 1981:

I would have been 8 years old. Our car hit a dog on the road. My

uncle got out and looked only at the license plate of our car which

was bent from the impact. He stretched it out and we left. Only

today do I wonder what became of that poor dog.

 

Thessaloniki 1994:

Penelope (that's what my friend Kostas baptised her), a grey cat who

lived on the University Campus of Thessaloniki plays with her two

kittens. It's a beautiful sight… A few days later we learnt of her

barbaric torture by passing drug addicts. The poor creature's

screams were heard for hours. Apparently, nobody was moved by them.

 

Athens 1997:

In Margarita's garden, a neighbour systematically poisons all the

cats (strays or otherwise) while in Kostas' neighbourhood, an old

lady is proud of the fact that she gives meat filled with ground

glass to all the stray dogs. Nobody says anything.

 

This is the country I grew up in. I think every Greek can remember

similar incidents from his or her life.

 

I don't remember that the Greek school, which I loved so much, ever

taught me how to behave towards animals. I learnt that for myself

much later when I searched for further information about animal

welfare when I was abroad and when I looked for the hidden wisdom in

the works of the ancient Greeks scholars. And I finally became a

better person when I rescued a starving stray who gave me his rare

absolute love (that only animals can give) in return.

 

Brussels, Belgium 1994 ...

A Turkish immigrant mercilessly beats his German shepherd dog and

throws him onto a road with broken legs. It seems the dog had become

sick and then a burden for the Turk, so he wanted to offload her.

Jacqueline, my current neighbour inBrussels, picked up Iluna (as she

named her), and with a lot of effort treated her and adopted her.

She loved and cared for Iluna for years. I saw Jacqueline cry when

Iluna died two years ago. Even today tears swell in hereyes when she

thinks of her. She doesn't ever think of the 2,000 Euros she spent

on the final operation to save her.

 

Milan, Italy 2000 ...

My friend Roberta's neighbours adopt a kitten. They want their

children to grow up to developing sensitivity, mercy and

responsibility. What better way is there to achieve this than by

adopting an animal!

 

I could give so many examples. And it's so difficult for me as a

Greek to admit that in no other European Union country (before its

enlargement) have I met such lack of sensitivity and ignorance as I

encounter within my own country. In no other town in Europe have

 

I met so much silent pain of animals that I encounter daily in

Greece.

 

Reims, France 2004 ...

In an antique bookshop I discovered a book in French dating back to

1817. It's called " How to care for animals " . 1817!! Think of it!!

Where was my country in 1817? And yet, since our liberation from the

Turkish occupation or, later, since our accession into the then

European Community - what steps have we taken to change our

sickening mentality towards animals?

 

In Homer's Odyssey, I remember the dog of Odysseus who waited

patiently for his master before he could die. What happened to the

sensitivity, the greatnessof spirit which the Greek had thousands of

years ago? I feel so sad because such examples from the depths of

our past make the pitiful state we are reduced to nowadays appear

even more tragic.

 

Greece today ...

 

The big news is the Olympic Games. [Vesna] And it is sad that its

meaning has beenchanged. Instead of symbolising the reconciliation

of states and culture as in ancient times, it has been reduced to a

preparation for a bean feast, a mockery of the international

community and an unfair and totally baseless and racist attack

against foreign animal lovers.

 

I will not refer to the details of mass poisonings. These are

already wellknown as a result of newspaper articles (Greek and

foreign) and television broadcasts. The scene of tortured and

starving animals will obviously destroy theOlympic celebration and

we search for ways to make them disappear (in essence with poison

and smashed glass!). The relevant law of 2003 was passed in order to

throw dust in the eyes of the international community. It is not

implemented but neither, it seems, is it going to ever be

implemented. Are we ready then for the celebration! How awful my

modern Greece has become! No mercy for a life which is struggling on

the roads of our country, noconcept of compassionate civilisation?

 

Unfortunately, you were right, great Giorgos Seferis: " Wherever I

go, Greece causes me pain. "

 

Meanwhile, in Brussels where I now live, I continually receive (to

my great embarrassment) articles on the shameful behaviour of my

compatriots in relation to strays. These articles circulate around

the globe damaging our culture, our tourism and our dignity.

 

I also received some writings from a few of my compatriots. I was

ashamed, because these letters - from Greeks - highlight lack of

education and ignorance. Some ladies woke up one morning and

imagined that some " foreigners " (as they call them) are taking dogs

and cats out of Greece for fur and experiments!!!!!! At the same

time, I wonder what the educational and

cultural level is of somebody who calls an unfortunate creature

a " scavenging mongrel " as these ladies repeatedly do in their

letters!

 

The scenario (according to the accusing 'ladies'):

 

" Foreign vets go to Greece, sterilise, vaccinate and give anti-

parasitic therapy to strays at the expense of foreign animal lovers

in order to transport them abroad for fur and experiments. "

 

Come on! Haven't my fellow country women comprehended that the cost

is so high that it's just not economically viable to use stray

animals for this purpose? I have sent many letters to companies

which undertake experiments and I know that they attempt to reduce

the cost. It is not necessary for them to pay around 10 Euro per

kilo for the transfer of animals from Greece. And why sterilise and

vaccinate them (additional expense) if they are going to use them

for experiments?

 

The scenario becomes more like science fiction:

 

" Foreign animal lovers are supposed to be `paid agents' of the

companies, otherwise how do they find the money and the time to

occupy themselves with strays? And more important, why do they

occupy themselves (with strays)? "

 

The truth is, because they have a heart and sensitivity. Because

they grew up in a society and went to schools which nurtured this

sensitivity. They already have animals themselves and they are used

to paying for their safety and health. Dear ladies, don't judge

everybody by your own standards.

 

Do you wonder where they find the money to fund their merciful work?

It comes, in fact, from people who fortunately do not think like

you. I myself have contributed by sending drugs and by helping raise

money as so have other colleagues and friends in Brussels. Many of

them are Greeks like myself, all of us ashamed of the phenomenon of

strays in our country.

 

Another argument by misled Greeks:

 

" Why don't they save the animals in their own countries? "

 

Who told you that they don't try to do exactly that as well? The

fact is, the phenomenon of strays in North West European countries

is nowhere near as severe as in Greece. You are fighting with

compassionate people who battle for the welfare of animals all over

the planet!

Have you thought why they all come to Greece to save animals? It's

because we Greeks are showing that we don't seem to care!

 

Finally, why does it matter to us what becomes to all those animals

(that are regarded as garbage by us the `civilized' Greeks) once

they are transported abroad? Let's suppose that they go for

experiments. If we are so concerned about that possibility, why

don't we take these poor animals into our own Greek homes? Why don't

we teach our children how to love them?

 

All these absurd allegations would have remained science fiction if

the Greek Veterinary Department of the Ministry of Agriculture had

not believed them, banishing the hope of many unfortunate animals

who could otherwise find a loving home abroad. Instead, with the new

procedure (as with every state bureaucratic procedure) it becomes

virtually impossible for a foreigner to adopt an animal in Greece,

and it becomes another golden opportunity for

 

a few public servants to perhaps go for some bribes from the good

people who are trying to send animals to homes abroad.

 

Do these stir-mongering women and the Department of Agriculture feel

proud of what they have done? They have even reversed the basic

Greek penal litigation principle by which it is up to the prosecutor

to prove the accused guilty and not up to the accused to prove

his/her innocence. But with the help of the misled Greek media, a

judgment of " guilty " was passed against completely innocent animal

rescuers.

 

My tone is critical against my one and only country. Whoever loves

his or her country, however has two paths:

1) to defend his country and its bad practices in every situation,

or:

2) to bring them to light and seek solutions because he/she believes

in his/her country.

I chose the second road in case somebody asks why a Greek decided to

write all this.

 

I would like to direct an appeal to Greece ....

 

To Greek teachers ... please sensitise our children towards animals

in school.

 

To Greek priests ... please sensitise your flocks to the silent

torture of God's innocent creatures.

 

To all my fellow country people - please turn around and look at the

sad sight of the suffering strays. Adopt one and sterilise it for

its own protection. There is no reason for animals in large towns

to multiply unchecked. The fate of these puppies and kittens will

be to end up under the wheels of a car.

 

And finally, I ask the Greek State (but with little hope), to

finally wake up. We Greeks are able to be better than we think.

 

" People who kill animals will kill each other, too. He who sows

death and pain

is naturally not able to reap the fruits of joy and love " .

Pythagoras