Greek Officials Accused Of Mass Dog Killings

by Sherry Morse

Officials in the city of Athens have been accused by Greek dog lovers of poisoning and burning more than 3000 stray dogs in an effort to clean up the city before the Olympics next year.

"The dogs have been killed, poisoned, burnt and dumped in garbage bins in various areas of the capital," said Marianna Polichroniadou, head of a new group, Initiative Committee of Citizens, which includes lawyers, politicians and actors among its members.

Polichroniadou said the dogs were killed in three batches this year: before the Greek presidency of the European Union (EU); during an EU summit in April; and while people were on holiday in August. She said Athens and the surrounding suburbs took advantage of the fact that many residents had left the city in August, and chose that month to capture and destroy the wild dogs.

Athens Olympics organizers and city authorities said they denied the accusations, although they are trying to deal with the problem of the more than 10,000 dogs who roam the city.

In June, officials had said the dogs would be rounded up, neutered and returned to their neighborhoods.

City official Paul Anastasi said the allegations of mass killing "are unfounded and malicious," adding that the mayor of Athens has a 1.8 million Euro plan to care for stray animals.

"We have embarked on a campaign of care, protection and adoption, the extent of which has never been experienced before in modern Greece," said Anastasi.

According to Anastasi, the new plan is designed to halt the growth of the stray dog population prior to the start of the games.

Under the plan which is being co-funded by the city and the government, two mobile vet units will apparently collect, sterilize and tag the dogs before releasing them again.

During recent test events, games organizers picked up sixty-two stray dogs who were then neutered and tagged before being released.

Serafim Kotrotsos, press officer of the Olympic Organizing Committee, said the claims of 3000 dogs being killed "insult the intelligence of us all and defame our society and our country."

© 2003 Animal News Center, Inc.