Ways you can help - Write to your MEP!

Here is a wondeful draft that Mike kindly put together for us, just change add the names that are relevant to you. Thanks Mike

Dear **Insert MEP's name here**,

REFERENCE: Brussels, 19 January 2012 – The European Commission today adopted a new four-year strategy (2012-2015) that aims to further improve the welfare of animals in the European Union.

Whilst as an animal lover I broadly welcome this new strategy, I can’t help but be concerned that the new plan does not specifically relate any improvement towards the welfare of cats and dogs within member states. However, it does mention” the Commission does not envisage such legislation now, but if deemed necessary it will take specific measures for cats and dogs.” It is on this basis that I now wish to bring the following matter to your attention:

Greece – Issue of mistreatment of stray cats and dogs and lack of welfare concern.

Historically Greeks have not viewed cats and dogs as companions to live within the household, but since the 1980’s this situation has slowly started to improve but it is still far below an acceptable standard. Greece is currently awash with stray cats and dogs due to an apathetic approach to sterilization and thus the populations are out of control and the Greeks treat these strays as pests, which leads to much abuse and suffering to the animals as well as reduced life expediency. It is thought that the average life expectancy of a stray dog in Greece is 2.5 years due to poisoning, automobile accidents and starvation as opposed to a natural average of 11 to 13 years.

There are volunteer who run shelters in Greece and who try to take care of these strays however, this task has been likened to trying to empty an ocean with a teaspoon due to the poor enforcement of any population control through a spray/neutering process and due to lack of Greek municipal support. What these shelters need is a bigger spoon and a smaller ocean and a co-operative approach from the local Greek authorities.

Example: Trikala Animal Welfare Society, Trikala, Greece.

This shelter is run by 5 volunteers who whilst trying to keep down jobs and run families face an uphill struggle every day. They receive no municipal support (they are supposed to under Greek law) despite caring for 200 dogs and 100 cats and are heavily dependant on foreign donations. Their situation is critical as the shelter is now full and costs, especially medical, are spiraling out of control. They are turning away cats and dogs one day only to find them killed or abused the next day.

What help can you give?

As a M.E.P you are my voice in Europe and I ask and need you to speak up on behalf of this critical matter. I am aware that there are other member states whose record on animal welfare is similar to Greece and I am only using Greece as an example as I know that country best as I am a supporter of 3 shelters there. I would suggest that the E.U initially adopt a 3 step approach to cat and dog welfare and adopt some “specific measures” alluded to in the four-year strategy (2012-2015):

Step 1: Member states to be required to enforce current internal legislation on animal abuse and funding obligations and reduce the amount of animal suffering and help those (the volunteers) who are trying to help the animals.

Step 2: Specific additional measures to be considered and introduced in order that the cause of the problem is addressed rather than the effects. Such areas such as compulsory micro chipping of all cats and dogs are often cited as a positive step forward towards accountability and responsibility towards a cat or dog.

Step 3: Population control. This is the area where ultimately the battle will be won and lost. A female dog is in heat 4 times a year and will produce an average litter of between 3 to 6 pups each time. Unless this area with strays is urgently addressed through a humane co-ordinated spray/neutering program the problem will never improved and every other effort will ultimately be in vain and the abuse and suffering will continue.

In summary, I am asking you to take the issue of stray cat and stray dog abuse in Greece up on my behalf with the Greek representatives in the European Parliament and with the European Commission. I appreciate that Europe and especially Greece is currently facing a financial crisis, however we all share a common goal and that is to work towards a better Europe for all its citizens – and that includes the animals we have a shared responsibility of care towards.

I look forward to hearing your thoughts on this important matter and I thank you in anticipation for your efforts in making Greece and Europe a better place for all to live in,



Yours sincerely

**Insert your own name**

Nice one! Sxx

Fantastic Sara - that's a brilliant link. I will get sending letters tomorrow

Hi folks,

I am delighted to say out of the 6 Scottish M.E.P's I have contacted, I finally have my first response from Conservative M.E.P Struan Stevenson. I am delighted with the response and will be following it up to gather more information about the campaign he is wroking on. This man deserves to be encouraged all the way

The response I received is shown below:

Dear Mike,



Thank you for your email to Struan Stevenson MEP regarding animal welfare in Greece.



As you may be aware, Struan has a keen interest in animal welfare issues and has a history of successful campaigns; the most prominent is his success in banning the trade of cat and dog fur in the EU.



Moreover, you will be pleased to know that Struan is currently working on a campaign to spay and neuter the stray dogs in Greece and prompt higher animal welfare standards in the country.



Furthermore, Struan was one of the first MEPs to sign Written Declaration 026/2011 on Dog Population Management.





Please rest assured that Struan will take your suggestions into account as he continues to do his utmost to advocate for animal welfare issues. For more information on his commitment to animal welfare, please see the link to his website below.





[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]





I hope you find this information helpful and thank you again for your email.





Best wishes,





Catriona



Catriona Meehan

Office of Struan Stevenson MEP
President of the Iraq Delegation
Senior Vice-President of the Fisheries Committee

This has absolutely made my day, I will get my letters sent today too via the info from the link Sara posted.

We're not always aware of things that are happening out of out sight eh?

Indeed we are not always aware I have asked for more details on the campaign he is working on and how I/we can help given we all share a common goal

And finally, I wonder if Janey is dying to change the M.E.P's response

Best wishes

Mike

xxx

Cheeky monkey! lol

That's fab, as you say, we don't know what goes on behind the scenes, wish we did though.

Fab response Mike, well done you!


PS you spelt working wrong!

I can't add emoticons anymore! damn!

Hi Ladies,

Lib Dem M.E.P George Lyon, replied by post and advised the following:

"I hve written to the European Commission, on your behalf, asking them to respond to the concerns you have raised. I will contact you once I have received a response."

Go George! It will be interesting to see what the E.U commission have to say

Happy Easter

Mike

xxx

I e-mailed my 6 MEPs some while ago and got 3 helpful replies and 1 not so helpful (very political). The three I had good replies from were Catherine Bearder and Nija Deva, who gave emails and addresses of the appropriate members of the Greek government to contact, and also Keith Taylor, who seems to be very interested and active in many areas of animal welfare.

Hi Jackie,

Would you be able to email me all the replies along with the name of the M.E.P's you have contacted in order that I can collate the responses?

I received a follow up from Struan Stevenson, which is a little disappointing as although he has started a campaign called "every dog counts" to help Greek dogs, this campaign has been shelfed till he gathers more support from the Greek authorities. He also included the "every dog counts" campaign document. His reply was as follows:

Dear Mike,

Many thanks for your email and kind words of support. Struan's campaign is called Every Dog Counts and I have attached his campaign document for your perusal.

Struan has put a lot of work and time into this campaign that he strongly believes in, yet unfortunately, given the current economic situation in Greece, none of the organisations he contacted have agreed to contribute funds. The campaign has thus regrettably been shelved for the time being, until it can receive sufficient support.

Nevertheless, the idea for the campaign originally came up when fellow animal-lover and Greek vet, Dr Kosta Vanheerswynghels, met with Struan in Brussels in 2010. Kosta has put a lot of effort into this campaign and I have pasted his email address below should you wish to contact him directly.

[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

I hope you find this information helpful and thank you again for your email.

If you send me your email address I can send the campaign document. I will also be contacting the vet he mentioned,

Kind regards and thanks

Mike