Just outside the bustling Greek city of Athens lies Aspropyrgos – a vast, semi-rural area of scrubland, Roma camps and deserted buildings
This lawless wasteland is also home to thousands of starving, abandoned dogs.
This is where unwanted dogs are discarded and left to die.
Credit: NFA/Justine Haralambous
Close to the city and with few prying eyes, Aspropyrgos has become a dumping ground for heartless dog-owners who no longer want their animals – and who don’t care whether they live or die.
Forced to fend for themselves for the first time in their lives, the terrified creatures find shelter in abandoned buildings and hide from anyone who approaches, not knowing whether they are there to help or harm them. This is how the ‘ghost dogs’ earned their name – when anyone approaches, they simply vanish into the shadows.
Their owners have forsaken them. The authorities aren’t helping. And every week, more dogs are cruelly abandoned and left to die.
For the rejected ghost dogs of Aspropyrgos, there is just one glimmer of hope – a dedicated group of animal-lovers who fight to save as many dogs as they can.
Without access to immediate medical care, many of the dogs succumb to disease and injury. Our partner does their best to tend to all but are in urgent need of funds to conduct more on-site care. Credit: NFA/Vic Dobry
Every week, Ghost Dogs of Aspropyrgos goes out to feed and care for these lost souls. With help from Network for Animals, they provide the only lifeline these animals have.
My team joined them on a recent outreach mission and in just two hours, we found seven new dogs that had just been dumped, bewildered and frightened. One of them – a gentle, wide-eyed girl – is in the early stages of pregnancy. She will need immediate veterinary care, and if she gives birth, her puppies will need protection from the harsh life that awaits them here.
One of the greatest dangers the ghost dogs face is being caught for use in dog fighting by the Roma people who camp in the area. If that happens, all they can expect is to be torn to pieces in a fighting ring.
The dogs only have us to rely on – and we, in turn, are relying on you to help us save them.
Unless we help, these dogs face starvation, disease and abuse.
With the dogs hiding and living between construction sites many of the kind workers erect make-shift kennels – it’s up to us to provide the animals with medical care, food and new homes. Credit: NFA/David Barritt
With your support, we can:
- Provide emergency vet care for dogs with life-threatening injuries.
- Feed the dogs through harsh winters and scorching summers.
- Spay and neuter as many as possible to stop puppies from being born into suffering.
- Find new homes for the dogs who still trust humans.
Without us – and without you – the dogs have no one.
Please donate generously to Network for Animals today and help us save the ghost dogs of Aspropyrgos – because every life matters.
