AR-News: GREECE .... Outrageous accusations against animal rescuers

[סמדר]

From: Marijo Gillis
TwinkiePerkyEbby at msn.com

GREECE .... Outrageous accusations against animal rescuers


2004 ATHENS OLYMPICS - GREEK ANIMALS RACE FOR THEIR LIVES

SUPPORT a continuing BOYCOTT of Greece and the 2004 ATHENS OLYMPIC GAMES

Marijo Anne Gillis - Founder
WAG-New York (Welfare for Animals in Greece - a Lobby Group)

www.canadianvoiceforanimals.org/WAG_NewYork.html


URGENT!  URGENT! URGENT!
OUTRAGEOUS ACCUSATIONS AGAINST ANIMAL RESCUERS!
PLEASE POST WIDELY AND PROTEST LOUDLY!
FOREIGNERS ARE BEING ACCUSED OF ILLEGALLY 'COLLECTING'  AND SENDING STRAY
DOGS FROM GREECE TO GERMANY, HOLLAND, BELGIUM AND OTHER EU COUNTRIES,
INCLUDING THE UK, TO BE SOLD TO VIVISECTION LABORATORIES OR TO BE SKINNED
FOR THEIR FUR.  GREEK ANIMAL WELFARE VOLUNTEERS HAVE ALSO BEEN CAUGHT UP IN
THIS WEB OF SLANDER AND LIES
As if to divert people’s attention from the real horrors of animal abuse
happening daily in Greece, malicious allegations against ‘foreigners’
resurfaced once again at the beginning of March. We are of course talking
about the totally ludicrous AND unsubstantiated claims that stray dogs from
Greece are being sent to Germany, Switzerland, Holland and other EU
countries (yes, including the UK!) for ‘experiments undertaken by cosmetic
and pharmaceutical companies and for manufacture of furs’. What’s worse,
these lies were repeated on Alpha TV channel on 11 March, after a ‘dramatic’
seizure from the ‘clutches’ of ... well known animal rescuers of six puppies
(who were being taken to Belgium for rehoming).
The TV report, emotively titled ‘CRUELTY PREVENTED’, deliberately focused on
the 'accusers' allegations, but failed to mention they had not been
substantiated with any evidence.
ALPHA TV reporter, Spyros Lambrou, was at the airport when the above
incident took place, so he knew exactly what happened, yet he chose to
sensationalise his reportage by quoting extensively one of the main
‘accusers’, Mrs I. Karagouni, who claimed that puppies were intended for
experiments or were to be put to sleep in order to use their furs to make
shoes and clothing.   She also claimed that dogs were sent abroad without
correct documents.

To find out what REALLY happened, please read the enclosed word file
document: Summary of airport incident.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------
As a result of the above report and other related newspaper articles,
suddenly everybody in Greece is talking about 'Greek strays being sent
abroad for cosmetic experiments and fur trade'.  If the situation were not
so serious, it would be comical.

How ironic that suddenly everybody should be so concerned about the ‘poor’
strays, yet they barely glance at those they see on the street.  A German
animal welfare volunteer recently summed it up nicely in one simple
sentence: ‘it's the bad people are trying to make themselves look good by
making the good people look bad’. How true!!
=======================================================
It’s incomprehensible why anybody would make such damaging allegations
against those who are trying to help alleviate some of the suffering and
giving a chance of a happy life to a few homeless urchins? What do these
people want?
Nasty rumours spread like wildfire in Greece and people are quick to believe
them, after all, it’s easier to point a finger at foreigners and question
their integrity, than take an honest look at themselves and how they treat
their animals.
                ------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------
PLEASE WRITE TO ALPHA TV & PROTEST AGAINST THE MALICIOUS LIES (email
addresses at the bottom)
****************************************************

On 15 March, a tabloid Greek newspaper - ESPRESSO – published an article by
C. Anastasaki, which is too incredible for words!  A ‘taster’ of the lies it
printed is included below, but you can read the whole article in the
attached word file: Espresso 15-0304. The editor’s name and email address is
included at the bottom of the page and we hope that you will write to them a
strong letter of complaint (but please keep it polite).

Horror at the Airport
Animal lovers uncover an organized network transporting animals to European
countries.
“… At midday on Friday at the Eleftherios Venizelos Airport the Greek police
authorities came face to face with an organized network transporting animals
to be used as experimental animals in Belgium and Germany ……………..

*********************************************************
Slanderous allegations against foreigners (individuals or recognised
organisations who help to rescue & rehome Greek strays have been sweeping
through Greece for many years, but they exploded about 2 years ago, with
articles by a certain MARIA TSATSOU who, for reasons known only to herself,
launched a malicious attack on both Greek and foreign individuals and
societies who were involved in the rescue & rehoming of strays.  This attack
is even more unusual when it is known that Mrs Tsatsou has herself sent a
number of animals abroad for rehoming.

The attached word file document is a so-called 'open letter' by Maria
Tsatsou, addressed to Mr Drys (previous government's Minister of
Agriculture), which beggars belief, because the contents are a fiction of
her imagination.

Without any evidence that there was even a shred of truth in the
allegations, the letter is reprinted on TETRAPODOLOGEIN website and in a
foreword (below), the nameless representative of Tetrapodologein appears to
agree that some kind of trade in Greek strays is taking place.

Tetrapodologein site  - March 2004

We publish something new from the issue 809 (19/2/2004) of the magazine
ANTI, an open letter to Mr Drys from the members of the “Independent Action
Group of Greek Animal Lovers”. Tetrapodologein wants to make clear that as a
result of these accusations, which are well recognized and broadly
discussed, it received a barrage of reassuring messages which were along the
lines that it is “a lot of noise about nothing”

The subject of the present letter is the fate of strays and the sending of
hundreds of them to different European countries with blatant disregard for
the current legal framework. The ‘advice’ we received contains suggestions
relating to the psychological state of one of the signatories of the letter.
It is not a coincidence that so many of those who went to the trouble of
‘enlightening’ us or trying to dissuade us, do themselves take part, either
individually or as [animal welfare] groups, in the above mentioned sending
of animals abroad.

It is also in a way paradoxical that nobody speaks openly. Either they
remain silent or dodge the issue. As regards the imbalance, either personal
or collective, of the signatories, we can only refer to  the well know
description of the Priest Bos “ the business of the stones” where the very
crazy “operate’ on the crazy.

We are prepared to host any essential, enlightening letter, accepting
whatever the psychological problems of those concerned. –
-------------------------------------------------- END

You would also be interested to know that somebody has even come up with a
'price tag' one dog is supposed to fetch  ... 10,000-12,000 old Greek
drachmas ….. a pricey sum of less that £25!  Well, considering the cost of
vaccinations, blood-testing (for Leishmaniasis, especially for adult dogs)
and transportation, one would need to be either a complete idiot or a very
poor business person to get involved with such a loss-making 'trade'.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------

THIS SLANDER MUST STOP!

IT'S INSULTING TO ALL 'FOREIGNERS', EITHER DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY AND
PARTICULARLY TO THOSE ANIMAL WELFARE WORKERS WHO HAVE MADE TREMENDOUS
EFFORTS TO SAVE GREEK STRAYS AND PROVIDE THEM WITH LOVING HOMES AND A SECURE
FUTURE.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Please address your letters to ALPHA TV and to the editor of ESPRESSO, who
instigated the ‘smear campaign’ with their reports (not forgetting Mrs
Karagouni and her so-called ‘Confederation of Greek Animal Lovers’). Please
copy your letter to those listed below.  After you have read the enclosed
files, you will be compelled to put pen to paper anyway, especially after
you read the Espresso article!
if you have adopted a 'Greekie' (a dog/cat) either in the past or recently,
please include 1-2 photographs (if possible) with your mailing, with details
of their name/age and where/under what circumstances they were rescued.

ALPHA TV:  news at alphatv.gr; webmaster at alphaworld.gr;
spyroslambrou at alphatv.gr
Editor of ESPRESSO: Mr Pavlos Dimitriadis: espresso at espressonews.gr
Tetrapodologein:  info at tetrapodologein.gr

Minister of Agriculture Mr Savvas Tsitouridis: tsitourdis at parliament.gr
Ministry of Agriculture PR office: info at minagric.gr or ax3u030 at minagric.gr


 PLEASE ALSO WRITE TO THE GREEK EMBASSY IN YOUR COUNTRY
A list of embassies:  http://www.atlantisnet.gr/cidag/embassies.asp

___________________________________

Arche Noah Kreta, a German based/registered animal welfare organisation
which has been helping animals in Greece (especially Crete) for many years,
have launched a campaign - STRAYS ALIVE – in response to the slanderous
allegations.  Though mostly in German, several articles and letters have
already been translated into English:  http://www.archenoah-kreta.com/sle

***********************************
WITH THE OLYMPICS LESS THAN FIVE MONTHS AWAY, GREECE HOPES TO ATTRACT A
RECORD NUMBER OF VISITORS ... MANY MAY RECONSIDER GOING TO GREECE, EITHER
FOR THE OLYMPICS OR ON HOLIDAY, WHEN THEY HEAR ABOUT THE MALICIOUS AND
TOTALLY UNFOUNDED ALLEGATIONS.

PLEASE SEND THIS EMAIL & ENCLOSED FILES ON TO LIKE-MINDED FRIENDS, THE
MEDIA, ANIMAL WELFARE ORGANISATIONS …

ANIMALS IN GREECE NEED YOUR VOICE!