Kyrah Altman – GW Blogs from Abroad

The Agora Dog in Athens, Greece

AdminMay 7, 2018December 14, 2018

My service at the Pet Grooming House has resulted in a 40-page essay about the "animal-friendly" entities who serve stray animals for free and without medical paperwork in Athens. These entities, unknowingly to the locals and the Greek government, are singlehandedly promoting stray adoption and animal welfare in the city without any financial incentivization. My research on this topic, through work-based learning at the PGH, has resulted in many surprising findings and recommendations for the government to care for the stray population and promote stray adoption by locals. I am excited to share these findings with the GW community, as well as the Greek government and Athens municipality when they are done being evaluated.

Moreover, I had the opportunity to conduct ethnographic research on the topic of my paper. I actually went to the Athenian Agora, the home of a very friendly and large stray dog named Brandt. My teacher had known this dog for ten years and offered to come with us to coach him to my site. I then walked him one hour to the PGH to be groomed and cared for free. It took over ten bottles of soap to get the dirt out of his fur, and we must have pulled out over 10 plants from his tail and back. He was also the most well-behaved dog I had ever seen being groomed at the PGH. After his grooming, I put on his new collar I bought him, gave him some treats, and brought him back to his home. My favorite part of this experience was that the owner of the PGH actually let me do the grooming myself. For the first time, I went through the entire (3.5 hr) process myself, cleaning this loving bear of a dog. I also was able to observe the process of taking a stray dog from the streets myself (not just asking people about it), the criticism from nearby Greek police/soldiers who saw us, the looks from different people as we walked together, and the difference in looks after he was cleaned. This experience contributed to my research and added a different element to the findings. I am overwhelming grateful for these experiences in Athens, and the kindness of the PGH.

Plot Twist! (Seriously.)

AdminApril 2, 2018December 14, 2018

By kyrahaltman

The last few weeks have been personally and professionally challenging. At the beginning of March, I made the decision to completely change internship sites and my research focus. Due to a variety of reasons, I decided to leave my current unpaid internship placement and begin pursuing a longstanding but unexplored passion: stray animal adoption in Athens, Greece.

I am now incredibly happy, volunteering each week with "animal-friendly" organizations who provide services to stray dogs at no cost. Many of these organizations, like grooming parlors and animal clinics, act as "secret weapons" to promote stray dog adoption in Greece. However, they receive no credit from the public and residents are not incentivized by the government to adopt stray dogs. Seeing these organizations interact with the stray population has been more rewarding, thought-provoking, and fascinating than ever imaginable!

I also have pivoted my research to focus on the vulnerable and growing population of stray dogs in Athens, Greece. By the time the semester ends, I will have conducted research, written a report, and sent my findings to the Greek government regarding the relationship between Athenian grooming parlors and the stray dog population in Athens, Greece. Within this topic, the aim of my research is to answer the question, “How are Greek grooming parlors’ practices supporting adoption of stray dogs in Athens, Greece?” More specifically, how is the denial or acceptance of stray dogs for grooming services affecting the adoption of stray dogs by residents in this municipality? By speaking to a dog groomer, veterinarian, and two individuals who have adopted stray dogs, this complex relationship will be explored and deconstructed. Findings regarding the motivation of grooming parlor owners for servicing stray dogs in their parlors will also be analyzed.

I am SO excited to analyze the findings of this research and continue this volunteer work! I feel very grateful for this opportunity.

Language Barriers to Social Change

AdminMarch 6, 2018December 14, 2018

By kyrahaltman

Kalimera (good morning), friends, family, and colleagues! I have officially survived one month of studying abroad in Athens, Greece and I am feeling more resilient than ever! Nothing has gone as planned and adventures into unknown territory are becoming as common as Greeks drinking coffee (24/7), but I have had incredible learning opportunities and chances to find myself along the way.

My time here has been complemented by a once-in-a-lifetime volunteer opportunity to intern with Inter Alia, a civic-action meeting point working to promote educated decisions of migrant populations from Africa and inclusion of youth with disabilities with youth and adults without disabilities. So far, the language barrier has been my largest challenge within the organization.

While the organization's employees speak English, many of its programs are described in language that confuses me or has different meanings than in the United States. For example, the words "refugees" and "migrants" are used interchangeably and the words, "intellectual disability" and "mental illness" are also not distinguished clearly. I plan to overcome this challenge by asking the employees' to define terms used within the organization. I also plan to do outside research to understand these populations' experiences in Greece.

P.S. The healthy Mediterranean diet" is a lie. Greeks eat pastries, cheese, and more pastries. There are almost as many bakeries than coffee shops in Athens!

Ya sou!

AdminFebruary 5, 2018December 14, 2018

By kyrahaltman

"Ya sou" (hello) from Athens, Greece!

After five days of living on another continent, I am humbled by the culture shock I have experienced and amazed by the architecture and ancient structures of Athens. I look forward to beginning classes next week at Arcadia University, studying archaeology, anthropology, Greek art, and philosophy, as well as meeting my internship supervisor at Inter Alia. Yes, you read that correctly. I am studying PHILOSOPHY in ATHENS! Excited to be part of a program that values cultural education, social justice, and experiential learning, Arcadia in Athens was my first choice!

Inter Alia is self-described as the "Civic Action Meeting Point" of Greece. I have chosen to intern with this organization because of its various initiatives that use education to empower young people across Europe. I will be working specifically on a project called, "Grapes of Wrath." Many may recognize this title, as it is inspired by the famous book read in schools around the world. You can visit Inter Alia's website at interaliaproject.com! Their mission is to "bring people closer to each other and to Europe through breaking stereotypes, analysing and deconstructing conflict, engaging actively in key political issues and dialogue."

...continue reading "Ya sou!"