To beg for your help to fight this injustice?

[agapimou]

Apologies for posting here. An animal shelter in Santorini, Greece, is in crisis and I'm really at a loss at what to do. The shelter has been operating for several years is home to over 100 dogs and around 30 retired donkeys and horses. They have sent hundreds of dogs overseas to new homes and really do incredible work.

BUT, the corrupt mayor of Santorini has been sabotaging their efforts for years by bulldozing the road to cut off food and water supplies and trying to starve the animals, attempting to get them shut down, bullying the shelter president and threatening to poison or shoot the animals. He has now been attempting to open the shelter doors and force the animals onto the streets, but thankfully volunteers have been standing guard at the gates to prevent this.

More info here:

www.facebook.com/SantoriniAnimalWelfareOrganizationSawa?fref=ts

There is a court date set for 20th October to decide the fate of the shelter, but the mayor is attempting to close it beforehand so he can tell the court that there is no shelter anymore and get the case thrown out.

This behaviour is sickening, Santorini is such a wealthy island due to the millions of tourists that descend on it every year and the mayor happily takes their money but treats the local animals like pests that need to be exterminated.

What can we do to help them? I have written to the daily mail, tweeted celebrities, emailed and posted on the mayors face book page but so far it all falls on deaf ears.

Does anyone have any ideas how to raise awareness of this? There is a petition going here:

www.openpetition.de/petition/online/animal-shelter-in-danger-at-the-island-of-santorin

You can also write to the mayor and tell him your thoughts here:

Please write to
Anastasios-Nikolaos Zorzos
[email protected]
where you can send your protest.
Or call him - 0030 697 2336622
Or write him at facebook:
www.facebook.com/zorzosnik?ref=ts&fref=ts

• TELL him what you think!
  

Can we make something amazing happen here? I feel so angry and helpless and any help would be gratefully accepted.

[agapimou]

Bump - anyone?

[GoodnightDarthVader]

What can we do that the locals can't do? You say it's wealthy island.

[agapimou]

Thanks for replying.

To be honest the majority of the locals couldn't care less what happens, its mostly volunteers and tourists from other countries that help out.

I just want to raise some awareness really, the more people that get involved and add their voice the harder it will be for the mayor to continue abusing his power.

[Mermaidhair]

I have signed. It was very easy I hope you get many more.

[IJustLostTheGame]

Signed and tweeted here.
I hope it gets saved.

[Frizzit24]

Clearly he thinks the land is worth something and is trying to force the sanctuary to sell. They need to speak to lawyers about how to make the land it is on worthless, for example covenants and other legal stuff. Non of this will be about the animals, it is always about money.

[Mermaidhair]

And I just sent him a message on Facebook.

[agapimou]

Thanks guys, yes frizzit it is about money. The shelter is located in one of the only forests on the island as it provides the animals with much needed shade during the summer. The mayor wants this land so he can give it to the hunters so they can spend all day shooting birds out of the trees.

[MissingPanda]

Signed and posted on his fb page.

[HeartShapedBox]

Signed, hope it does some good.

[TidyDancer]

Signed. Really hoping this does some good.

[caroldecker]

Not sure about their stray dog policy.

[agapimou]

Thank you so so much

Carol - what are you not sure about?

[PlummyBrummy]

Signed x

[IonaMumsnet]

Hi folks. Just letting you know we've moved this over to our Petitions board. from AIBU.

[agapimou]

Thankfully the plea for help is starting to get some attention:

www.altpress.com/news/entry/oli_sykes_urges_fans_to_help_animal_shelters#.VhicdC6IpBA.facebook

[caroldecker]

Not sure that feeding and treating stray dogs but leaving them as strays is the right thing to do.

[agapimou]

It would be better to host them all but there is just not enough room at the shelter. They are overfull all the time and more dogs keep coming.

Priority is given to puppies and nervous or sick dogs. Dogs that have spent many years on the street and can safely navigate the roads are spayed and then set free, but their pictures still appear on the website for adoption.

Its not a perfect system, but its the best we can do with the resources we have.

[caroldecker]

Maybe the stray dogs should be PTS for everyone's benefit - leaving dogs roaming free and starving is not helpful and does not win friends and influence people.

[agapimou]

Maybe the stray dogs should be PTS for everyone's benefit - leaving dogs roaming free and starving is not helpful and does not win friends and influence people.

Umm, wow......

[agapimou]

Yes! The local news channel arrived today to interview Christina, the shelter president and 40 local residents turned up to show their support!

More information and pictures here:

www.facebook.com/SantoriniAnimalWelfareOrganizationSawa/posts/872733769500375

Hopefully this will help sway the courts decision on the 20th and protect the shelter in the meantime. Will keep updating!