Greece controls population of stray animals through sterilization

By Derya Gulnaz Ozcan

ATHENS (AA) - Greece controls the population of stray animals through sterilization.

According to the law that became effective in 2021, the issue of stray animals falls on municipalities, which are generally helped by volunteers.

Therefore, the municipalities are tasked with collecting stray animals and then applying treatments, vaccination and sterilization. If the stray animals in municipality shelters are not adopted in three months, they are released back to the streets.

Speaking to Anadolu, Serafina Avramidou, the Athens municipality's animal welfare program manager, said that the law will also form a database of stray animals and require the issuance of a health certificate for all pets.

Pets will be allowed to reproduce once only if who will adopt their offspring is known, Avramidou said.

Also speaking to Anadolu, Irini Molfessi, the president of Greece's Animal Welfare Federation, said that rural areas host most of the country's stray animal population.

"Unfortunately, hunters in rural areas don't sterilize their hounds because they think a sterilized dog cannot be a good hound. They also want to sell puppies of the hounds," she said.

"Animal population should be kept under control. Therefore, sterilization should be a priority," she said.