By kyrahaltman
While volunteering with Pet Grooming House, an "animal-friendly" entity which provides free grooming and health services to stray dogs, I have also had the opportunity to conduct research. By exploring how the adoption of stray dogs is supported by “animal-friendly” dog groomers and veterinarians in the city of Athens, I was able to use findings to make suggestions to the Greek government regarding the promotion of stray dog adoption and improvement of the wellbeing of all dogs in the city.
Drawing from dialogue with a groomer, veterinarian, and two owners of (formerly stray) dogs, I made the following recommendations to the Athenian municipality: facilitating public education campaigns about responsible dog ownership, investing in technological advancements and online infrastructure, enforcing existing animal welfare laws, and financially incentivizing locals and “animal-friendly” entities to promote adoption. The research concludes that “animal-friendly” organizations are the city’s secret weapon to promoting stray dog adoption by residents and should have government support.
After returning home to the States and refining my research, I intend to send my recommendations to numerous municipal departments and newspapers in Athens. I hope that this information and my time at Pet Grooming House will contribute to policy change and catalyze local discussion about the important and escalating issue of stray dogs. As Arthur Schopenhauer once said, “The assumption that animals are without rights and the illusion that our treatment of them has no moral significance is a positively outrageous example of Western crudity and barbarity. Universal compassion is the only guarantee of morality.”
To read my full research or to send a personal comment, please email me at kyrahaltman@gwu.edu!