Regional Impact by supporting to build the first ever private dog shelter in Mykonos
Saving 45 canine lives
How did we start?
In late 2015, a concerned citizen made the future founders of Zero Stray Pawject aware of a stray dog makeshift shelter where dogs were kept under horrendous conditions, in some cases for years, in Mykonos, Greece.
...Abandoned dogs were held on three-foot chains for years without being able to escape their ordeal of being chained 24/7. Others were kept in small overcrowded kennels, with dogs biting and aggressing each other. Dogs even bit each other to death. The dogs did not receive proper medical care, many had open wounds, lived in their own feces, sometimes went without food and water for days, and in some cases did not even have shade during the hot summer months.
Many dogs died over the years in that "shelter". Nobody, not even those with authority, intervened successfully to shut it down and save those dogs! Nobody !
What did we do?
The founders of Zero Stray Pawject were so appalled by those conditions and by the fact that nobody had effectively intervened for years. They could not just turn around and walk away. So they took a decision which changed their lives forever: They partnered up with a local hotel owner and together built the first ever private dog rescue center in Mykonos with their own money…
... and saved 45 dogs who became protected by the “Bill of Rights“ (regulating their well-being). Protection, that dogs in many other shelter don't enjoy.
For example, within a few months of our involvement, all dogs were kept in large living areas of at least 270 square feet/ 25m2, were not chained, and were paired with dogs of similar temperament, in small groups, so that the stress level was very low compared to other shelters. All dogs were vaccinated, neutered, and healthy, every dog had their medical records up to date, received food every day in the right quantity according to breed and size, had fresh water and was walked outside of the shelter (see “Bill of Rights”).
Due to the fact that dogs were kept under The “Bill of Rights” and lived with reduced stress levels, dogs were generally more easily adoptable compared to the average shelter dog.
This status was achieved, well before the end of December 2016.
Zero Stray Pawject has also helped to protect the community of Mykonos from the public health, public safety, and public image that could emerge if those 45 dogs were roaming the streets.
We left Mykonos in January 2017.