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:: Testimonials ::
A walk along the port of Keratsini
In my work caring for animals and trying to find adoptive families for them, I met an exceptional lady who every day feeds about 120 stray animals in Alimos, Piraeus and Keratsini.Wanting to help her, I followed her in one of her ususal rounds, taking my camera with me in order to take a few pictures of some of these animals to put them in adoption advertisements.
I can say that it was one of the most painful experiences of my life. The lady warned me of course that the strays there did not bear any comparison with what I had seen until now.In the specific port they repair boats and there are only workers and foreigners living in abandoned boats and cars. It has nothing to do with Piraeus where there is enough food from the different yaghts.To be more exact it reminded more of a cemetary of boats, people and dogs.
Most dogs are in a famine situation, sleeping under trucks which start off suddenly and smash any dog found underneath them. We saw a poor soul with it's head smashed...The lady tells me that awhile ago a truck run over a pregnant bitch and her pups were expulsed from her open belly...Most animals there have broken more than one limbs.A dog's leg had stuck in an S shape. Puppies drawned in the sea, the hunger sometimes bringing some of the dogs to cannibalism. A bitch refuses to abandon her dead pup and pulls it fromthe rubbish to put it back with the others.I was also surprised by the case of an abandoned ship in the middle of the port, where an also abandoned dog lived alone and it waits for someone passing with a boat to throw him a little bit of food...Another dog tied with a very thick rope by the neck, which is cutting through it's flesh. Most animals are doomed...
Arriving at the port of Keratsini we made quite a few stops to feed different dog groups. In the first group there were 3 dogs in a deplorable condition, bones and skin, one of them was a mixed German shepherd who had had pups three weeks ago, but was still bleeding. She had 5 beautiful pups who are looking for a home.There was also a beautiful white little bitch, new in the group, a mix of griffon and Cocker, with lovely long ears. A family had her recently but they decided that they didn't want her any more. She is still in good condition and needs to be adopted.
Further down, another group of dogs of different sizes and colours, extremely thin are fighting for a bite of food.Two puppies black and brown are waiting with agony for the elders to let them eat too. They only manage to get a few bites.They also deserve to find a good home.Then comes a dog which had not hair at all and with obvious wounds. It doesn't have any more lips and a piece of the lower jaw is missing.Its gums ooze pus...Despite it's desperate state he still wags his tail... The lady told me that he was in a much worse state a month ago when she found it!!! I have the impression I am watching a horror film and that this creature I am seeing is the creation of some sick imagination...I just couldn't take a picture of him. Further down a beautiful mixed Beagle tries to get into the car to save himself.Every single day he runs after the car begging us to take him with us... Yet further down, a pure breed Belgian shepherd with an expensive collar is abandoned with her 12 pups.She lives here a week now since she was abandoned in a cement tube.In three days four of her pups are already dead.A truck run over three of them and another fell into the sea and drawned. Her babies as herself are beautiful! That day I was lucky to receive a call from someone who wanted two pups, when i explained the situation to himhe took three! they are about 45 days old, black and most of them are female. The mother is very friendly and could also be adopted. In the port they only have a few weeks to live...I am shocked to see a trucker drive towards one of the pups without showing any intention to avoid them. We get into his way and he is forced to break. Surprised he says that this would not be the first nor the last he runs over!...
I only saw a small part of the port, in the other docks there must be about another 100 dogs in a similar or worse situation.
I believe I do not have to describe more. Many of the doggies there are still in good enough condition to be adopted. On the whole there must be about 18 pups that need to find a home. If this is impossible for some of you, please at least remember them and go and feed them whenever you can. That would be a great gift for those poor animals.
Those of you who have access to the media, please make it known, publicize the issue.Some television channels have already been contacted and we hope this horrid situation will be made public.
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