Greece isn’t a place noted for the highest quality of animal welfare with poisonings and murders being a frequent occurrence. Last summer, however, did see some positive developments.

Anestis the dolphin
Rethymnon, the same region where Sifis the crocodile is still roaming freely, also found another unexpected visitor stranded on its shore – a baby dolphin called Anestis. Cretan locals and tourists banded together to help rescue the baby dolphin by spraying it with sand. A Swiss tourist held it in his arms for hours –

The same dolphin it when it was first found –

Odysseus the stork
A stork stuck in its nest atop the dome of a village church in Karditsa was untangled using a crane and tedious rescue work.

Anonymous wandering donkey
A donkey was rescued on Salamis eight months after its owner died. The son had dumped the donkey with both its feet tied together. A kind lady who saw the donkey, wandering aimlessly and looking gaunt, signalled the warning siren so that animal protection could rush to the rescue.

Pavloukos and Fotis the Archelon Rescue Center
Two caretta caretta turtles recovering at the Archelon Rescue Center in Glyfakda, one from a head injury and the other after found with a missing front flipper.

And a baby turtle made its way to the sea after several attempts to overcome the sea swell and being repeatedly washed ashore.

The sad tale of Maggy, the stray dog
A Greek tavern owner lured a stray three-and-a-half-month old pup to his tavern using a bone and then brutally beat it to death in front of stunned customers. Refusing him to throw away the pup while it was still breathing, customers rushed it to the hospital and called the coastal guard who couldn’t find the owner because he had fled. The owner was subsequently tried and fined 30,000 euros for his act, unprecedented in Greece, and an optimistic message for those who are cruel to animals.

People calling for justice for Maggie in front of the tavern –