Fifty eight dogs were confiscated by Greek authorities in the Port of Piraeus, due to allegations of "dog trafficking" for commercial gain, by a terribly misguided Greek citizen!

They were transported to an unknown location and a court battle ensued. The animals had been rescued and therefore "owned" by a German rescue organization, dedicated to the alleviation of hideous animal suffering in Greece. Dog trafficking! Nothing could be farther from the truth and a Greek court exercised prudent judicial thought and handed down a judgment in favor of a new life for these lucky pups.

The frightened dogs were freed from bondage and returned to their benevolent rescuers, the Germanorganization, Arche Noah. Thank God, each and every one of the dogs have been adopted into permanent and loving homes throughout Europe. Reckless and unsubstantiated allegations that these abused and abandoned dogs are being used in the fur trade, for vivisection and winding up as breakfast sausages on European plates are ludicrous!

This disinformation campaign, waged against the hard working rescuers in Greece, is ongoing and has become an obsessive "mission" on the part of a few Greek citizens who have expressed xenophobia and resentment that Greek animals most definitely are delivered to a secure and peaceful life abroad with loving "parents"!

The unrelenting allegations of dog trafficking are clearly unsubstantiated and no proof whatsoever has been offered to the prosecutors or courts by the the complaintent, Ms. Ioanna Garagouni, at any time during these proceedings
and investigation.

Numerous reports from horrified animal rescuers and advocates
on the "ground" in Greece, indicate that Ms. Garagouni will
stop at nothing to stop the transport of animals needing homes,
from Greece to more animal friendly venues. Ms. Garagouni, has
stated to the press, "the animals were born in Greece and will
die in Greece". And die they do, from poisonings, shootings,
beatings, hangings and the cold hearted indifference of officials.

Furthermore, the highly exaggerated misinformation delivered to the media of Greece by Ms. Garagouni and her small following of Greek Nationalists will indeed destroy any semblance of animal welfare in this country. What a tesitmony to the destructive force of man.

This organized and systematic destruction of a grassroots effort to elevate the status of animals in Greece is heartbreaking to say the least and makes one wonder question humanity. We can only hope that this systematic pillage and plunder of animal welfare in Greece comes to an abrupt and permanent end.

The following letter circulated the Internet and was sent to us by animal activists on the ground in Greece. Both Greek and foreign animal advocates state that the writer is allegedly, single handedly constructing road blocks for anyone attempting to alleviate
animal suffering.

We are told that Ms. Garagouni appears on nationwide tv, radio and in the print media claiming that animal advocates are dealing in "dog trafficking" for commercial gain and she apparently believes that abandoned Greek dogs are winding up as tasty breakfast sausages on European plates.

We have been informed that she is a firestorm of frenzied activity; she spends more time filing frivolous lawsuits against advocates and animal welfare societies, both Greek and foreign, and clogging the Greek judicial system than she does breathing.

Would it not be more compassionate, productive and intelligent to channel legal fees for ludicrous litigation into a much needed nation wide viable spay/neuter campaign? How about harmonizing actions for the good of the animals? But wait a minute; that would make good sense wouldn't it?

Sadly it appears that she has convinced the bewildered, and some less than lucid luminaries within the Ministry of Agriculture, that her unsubstantiated allegations are true! And so another Greek drama takes center stage and the spotlight yet again illuminates the wide angle portrait of the tragic existence of Greek animals!

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A Letter from Ms. Garagouni to the Italian Authorities who confiscated the "Padua Pups". In other words, "send the abandoned "Greek" dogs back to Greece" so they can be poisoned, shot, set ablaze or hung from a tree!"

Ladies and Gentlemen,

According to the above mentioned European Regulation, every pet animal must travel with its owner or with a person responsible on behalf of the owner.

In the case of the 39 dogs traveling from Greece (Corfu) to Dusseldorf (Germany), it is clear that the animals were not accompanying their owners.

We know from the TV news (italian and greek TV channels) that the transport of dogs were stopped in Padova.

We would like to please you, not to let the dogs travel to Germany. Please send them back to Greece, as they are stray dogs and they don't have owners!!! According to the greek law, the documents required are many more.

Please note that every year about 10.000 dogs travel from Greece to Germany, Holland, Switzerland etc., and nobody knows were all these dogs go. This is not animal welfare, this is a commercial movement of animals, free of tax and very dangerous for the human and animal health.

Please send the dogs back to Greece,

CONFEDERATION OF GREEK ANIMAL WELFARE SOCIETIES (2550/82)

Ioanna Garagouni
President
17, Evergetou Yavassi
15341 Agia Paraskevi

To: Justice Ministry Officials, Padova, Italy
April 14, 2006

Dear Sirs:

 It is with great concern that we learn of Ms. Ioanna Garagouni's communication with your department. Her e-mail, addressed to your attention, was forwarded to me by a concerned animal welfare advocacy group in Athens and follows this memo.

Please be advised that according to animal welfare societies in Greece, this self proclaimed president of a very small and inconsequential confederation of animal welfare societies has allegedly single handedly gone about destroying any semblance of animal welfare in Greece. I am told that her motives are questionable and continue to be a mystery to all concerned.

Ms. Karagouni has slandered and libeled the good name of many animal protection societies in Western Europe and the United States, including my own with her seemingly irrational thoughts and ludicrous and unproved allegations. She has been the catalyst for several harsh encounters between foreign diplomats and Greek officials and continues to harass animal welfare advocates throughout the nation of Greece, as well as those European advocacy groups striving desperately to elevate the standards of companion and farmed animal welfare in Greece. She appears to assume an obstructionist stance as she clogs the nations court system with frequent litigation and absolutely no substantiation of her questionable allegations.

The transport of dogs from Corfu was certainly not the most comfortable for the dogs involved. But their exit from an animal phobic country where tens of thousands of dogs and cats a year are poisoned, shot, set afire and deprived of food and water would soon afford them a life of safety and security with their adoptive families in Germany and other countries outside of Greece.

Gentlemen, I lived in Greece for 14 years and I can attest to the fact that Greece's animals suffer more than anyone can imagine. It appears from her actions, that the media hungry Ms. Garagouni, would prefer that  the animals die in the streets and back alley ways of Greece of starvation, neglect and disease rather than be transported to safety elsewhere.

Ms. Karagouni's mantra at times is, " those foreigners will not tell us what to do with our animals." This statement tells us another story as well; perhaps xenophobia due to  an extrmeme sense of nationalistic pride motivates Ms. Garagouni? Needless to say, a  picture is worth a thousand words. The graphic photos I shall attach to this memo will  tell you a the real story of the animals in Greece.

Please contact me via telephone as soon as possible. I will immediately return your telephone call to spare your department any expense.  

With respect and the hope that you will contact me immediately, I remain

Sincerely,
Marijo Gillis