# Looking for good home for two Andrex puppies



## Anglaise (Jan 25, 2011)

Hi all

I'm hoping someone can help. My dad is an expat living on an Ioanian island. The other day he found two adorable labrador puppies in the road near his house. All the locals denied owning the dogs so he ended up taking them home. The problem is that he already has 2 cats and 2 dogs (ex strays) to look after. 

I was wondering if anyone knows of someone in that part of Greece who would be interested in taking the dogs on. They would have to go as a pair because do everything together apparently. 

Thanks


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## GUAPACHICA (Jun 30, 2012)

Anglaise said:


> Hi all
> 
> I'm hoping someone can help. My dad is an expat living on an Ioanian island. The other day he found two adorable labrador puppies in the road near his house. All the locals denied owning the dogs so he ended up taking them home. The problem is that he already has 2 cats and 2 dogs (ex strays) to look after.
> 
> ...


Hi - what a great guy your dad must be! I'm in Spain so can't help, but wish him well in finding a new, kind home for the pups. 

I used to holiday in the Ionian islands, every year, but was eventually persuaded by my then husband to agree a change of venue - my distress at the treatment of animals there made it impossible for us to enjoy ourselves! Every Summer we'd encounter yet another appalling example of the Greek attitude to defenceless dogs, cats, horses or donkeys!

As short -stay visitors, it was so hard to be of any real assistance and there are so few animal welfare/rescue groups within the islands. As with my adopted homeland, Spain, a paradigm shift in culture would be required to change attitudes - so the poor animals will continue to suffer horrific abuse, with few, if any, penalties for their tormentors and persecutors! 

Tourists don't help, of course, when they pay to ride the little donkeys on Greek islands. As the British _Donkey Sanctuary_ advises; the top weight for those animals to carry is around eight stone, max. Any more is blatantly cruel - especially in the blazing sun, often uphill, without rest and with inadequate water to drink! 

So, well done, your dad! One day, hopefully, people of his calibre will be in the majority, although, I suspect, the Human race requires a few thousand years more of evolution, before we could hope to arrive at that point…!

saludos,
GC


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## aliland (Jul 19, 2013)

Sorry, I'm not any where near your dad, but I'd like to comment to Angaise. While I do agree that the overall attitude of Greeks towards animals seems worse that the overall British attitude, the opposite can be said of children. My Greek friends, find child abuse issues from the UK totally alien and teens here assume stories of pre teens ruining riot must be made up. When ever in the past I expressed distaste for the stray animals, Greeks have rightly suggested I might want to keep it to myself. As for the donkeys, I fail to understand why Greeks come under criticism for allowing over weight tourist to ride them. Greeks are usually disgusted that said tourist get on the animals, but are reluctant to refuse 'hospitality' as this is their livelihood. Animals do need to be treated better here, but people first is not so bad.


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## ratzakli (May 20, 2012)

I have to say your Dad is limiting the chances of finding other homes if he is insisting that the puppies go as a pair. They may do everything together at the moment and it would probably be nice to think they could be rehomed together but there are few enough people able to take one one dog, let alone two!

If they have to be rehomed separately, they will be fine as long as the homes they end up in are happy ones.


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## GUAPACHICA (Jun 30, 2012)

aliland said:


> Sorry, I'm not any where near your dad, but I'd like to comment to Angaise. While I do agree that the overall attitude of Greeks towards animals seems worse that the overall British attitude, the opposite can be said of children. My Greek friends, find child abuse issues from the UK totally alien and teens here assume stories of pre teens ruining riot must be made up. When ever in the past I expressed distaste for the stray animals, Greeks have rightly suggested I might want to keep it to myself. As for the donkeys, I fail to understand why Greeks come under criticism for allowing over weight tourist to ride them. Greeks are usually disgusted that said tourist get on the animals, but are reluctant to refuse 'hospitality' as this is their livelihood. Animals do need to be treated better here, but people first is not so bad.


Hi - I've never understood why any criticism of animal cruelty is met, invariably, by the response that we foreigners should 'keep it to ourselves' and/or that child abuse issues are of far more concern!

Speaking personally, the ill-treatment and/or abandonment of any living creature is a matter for huge concern (and, hopefully, action). As has long been proven - all sentient beings are capable of feeling pain and terror; why, then, should we need to discriminate between animal and child victims ? All such cruelty and neglect is loathsome, surely?

Personally, on witnessing cruelty/abuse regarding any living being, I I aim to speak out! I don't accept the view that we should 'keep quiet' when in another country - I, personally, do not leave my conscience at home when I travel - and nor should any 'local' inhabitant expect that I should! I'm not referring to mere cultural differences, but to clear, unequivocal examples of cruelty - which can be perceived as such by anyone with a modicum of compassion, imagination and humanity! Keeping quiet, in such cases, would be tantamount to colluding with the abusers - IMO. 

Of course, the most effective response would always be to follow up with support for efforts to change the conditions for the beings concerned! So, here's an example, from 2011, of the very positive effect that appropriate action by a group of UK and Greek 'Donkey Welfare' organisations. have achieved, together (or, would you rather they'd kept quiet - in which case the abusive behaviour endured by the animals concerned would still be continuing, at the same level..?).

I congratulate the UK's 'Donkey Sanctuary' for all that they've done - and still do - to relieve the appalling suffering experienced by these small, vulnerable animals, whether at home in the UK or abroad! I salute the courage and dedication of the compassionate humans concerned, who flatly refuse to turn a blind eye, wherever they may be..!

Greece | The Donkey Sanctuary

Saludos,
GC


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## GUAPACHICA (Jun 30, 2012)

ratzakli said:


> I have to say your Dad is limiting the chances of finding other homes if he is insisting that the puppies go as a pair. They may do everything together at the moment and it would probably be nice to think they could be rehomed together but there are few enough people able to take one one dog, let alone two!
> 
> If they have to be rehomed separately, they will be fine as long as the homes they end up in are happy ones.


Hi - sadly, I agree with you. Far better that these two pups should be rehomed, successfully, with separate families, than that the OP's father should have to struggle to care for them, in a quest to rehome them together! 

He's shown enormous compassion, already, in taking them both in - preventing them from suffering starvation, thirst and probably abuse at human hands! i wish him the very best in his search for new, humane homes in which these two puppies can each spend their lives! 

As for the individual who abandoned them on the road - there are no words adequate to describe him/her!

Saludos,
GC


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## aliland (Jul 19, 2013)

One thing I really dislike about posting blogs, is missing the tone of voice. Did my post really read as though I some how don't care about animals? I spent many years working for a conservation charity, actions speak louder than words. Protection of nature both flora and fauna are very important to me, I choose action through education these days, and as I am a teacher I can do this quite well. As well as teaching kids the importance of caring for the world around them, I also give practical help and advice how to make a difference. As I reckon simple achievable goals are much more beneficial for kids (teaches them the power of action), I usually stick to fairly local projects. Eg cleaning the local park, volunteering to help at local conservation zoo. Right now, 3 of my classes are working on a poster campaign against getting dogs for Christmas, as they believe this is one of the causes of so many stray dogs in our area. On a personal level, my husband and I have possibly been too kind to stray dogs and cats in our area, as I noticed recently the cats are a little overweight. My previous post was not meant to imply that I think its OK to do nothing (I'm a firm believer in 'if your not part of the solution, you part of the problem') I simply felt the need to point out that its erroneous to assume Greeks are cruel to animals in the same way it is wrong for Greeks to assume (as many do) that the English are cruel to children.


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