In the humble suburb of Athens called Ilion, where I live, there is no animal wellfare for the stray cats. I dish out approx. 35 portions twice a day feeding stray cats. Sometimes a passing stray dog gets three portions and whenever I run out of food and there are cats unfed, I turn a blind eye and I feel ashamed. In a couple of months a new breed of kitten will soar their number. We live at the end of our teether in our impoverished country and people who care are unable to help the cats out with their restricted means ( to spay a female cat costs 50 Euros ). Many people bring litters of kitten to the local pet-shops. A saleswoman in the pet-shop ,I 'm a customer, asked me if I could adopt some more kitten because after a couple of weeks displayed and not adoptet they are being put to sleep. Wealthy people splurge money to buy hamsters, rabbits and ferrets leaving the poor kitten die. The problem is partially "addressed" in a couple of months in the "ordinary" way. Nasty passing drivers splash the innocent and unaware kitten who attempt their first steps in the world. In our impoverished country despite the overall insensitivity I know people who care and suffer being unable to help. Some of them ending up unemployed leave dozens of stray orphans behind.
Your signatures are valuable in order to put pressure on the European Commitee to make them tackle with the problem allocating the necessary funds. The current situation suits the greek vets who anticipate profits from the spaying surgury. People who care are in their majority poor and unable to pay for spaying them.
There is an utter necessity for a large spaying campaign in the European countries of the south ,as they are all in debt. A well targeted adoptions plan is also necessary. Well-off people from the wealthy European countries could adopt beautiful and sentimentally endowed pets for nothing. There is a need of certified adoptions-agencies to open. There is a need for stray animal refuges to be funded and located in areas, that provide protection against cars and against nasty neighbours. Younger an unexperienced cats can survive only there. A restricted number of animals in the refuges could be used for the conservation of the breed.
