So Sad! The Chained Barrel Dogs of Lesvos! (& Petition) tagged: , , , , , , , , ,

So Sad! The Chained Barrel Dogs of Lesvos! (& Petition)

Posted by keeptalkinggreece in animals

I arrived in Petra, a village in the north of Lesvos on a Wednesday night. On the way there driving by car from the port I saw nothing but a thick darkness and some village lights close or far away. I enjoyed Petra for a couple of days, and I refused to move around. I just wanted to enjoy the sea. I only paid a short visit to nearby Molyvos to meet some friends. But then the last day of my vacations on Lesvos, the day I took the bus to the port, I saw the whole drama: The Chained Barrel Dogs!

 What a disaster for the human race. What a tragic life for these dogs. All the way to Kalloni, on every acre and square meter of olive groves or mow pieces of land… the barrel dogs. So many. So lonesome. Held in chains. With an empty bowl in front of them. Often no water. Often no shelter around. Laying just there. Doing nothing. All their lives. “What the hell,” I thought. “What do all these dogs do there? Guard? on Chain?”. I grabbed my camera. But the bus speed and its dirty windows hindered me from taking any picture.

Then a couple of days ago, I received this e-mail featuring a petition about the barrel dogs of Lesvos and an animal welfare society that feeds these poor creatures. Christel de Haas writes in her petition for the chained barrel dogs of Lesvos:

All alone, in the middle of nowhere, with only some dirty water (in some cases no water) and no food. And a small shelter, such as a pile of stones with a plank on it, a wooden box, or a rusty barrel.

On the island of Lesvos, EreSOS For Animals a sanctuary for animal welfare, will try and feed as much dogs as they can. Very sweet dogs most of the time.

They sit there for the sheep, to keep them in place so they do not wander. Or in some cases they have to guard a construction site, or a house. Day and night! Winter and summer! Those hot summers there! Year after year. That is such a terrible life for a dog.

I’m trying to get as much signatures as possible to show the Greek government that the rest of the world is seeing this as animal abuse. Dogs as well as other animals need fresh water and food. They should be able to run and play and not be alone all the time. It’s time that Greece takes it’s responsibility and start unchaining these poor dogs on all the islands and mainland. I will be eternally grateful if you sign this petition. You cannot save all the dogs of the world but you can save the world for one dog!

Please, sign the petition and forward it for other to sign as well. Just Click the Link Here

Arriving at the port I saw all these stray dogs seeking some shadow in park surrounding the Lesvos castle. So many, holding together in small groups.

Thank God, there are some animal welfare societies on the island to feed, give water and take some care of these dogs. There is the Lesvos Animal welfare Society, for example.

If you happen to be in Petra, go visit Rebecca at her Travel Agency office (main street down to the port, turn left, after the supermarket) and drop a donation for the strays of Lesvos.

Another thing I didn’t like neither on Lesvos nor on Chios. The so many emaciated cats. Skin and bones. And a real sad look. And a shy mew here and there right next to my leg when sitting at a tavern…

 Really sad!