Puppies in Greece are deliberately positioned to be hit by cars.

It is commonplace for owners to take an entire unwanted litter, pack them into a car, drive them some way from their home, and dump them on a road. Often, heartless people deliberately choose a busy road to dump dogs. What happens then is a litany of horrid deaths as the squirming puppies wander this way in search of their mothers, with no chance of avoiding tons of metal smashing into their tiny bodies. The owners do this on purpose, avoiding slaughtering the puppies themselves by putting them where they are most likely to be hit and killed.

One of the most horrible things about this is that puppy dumping is a daily occurrence.

If the road is a rural one, then a different but equally ugly fate awaits the poor creatures – they crawl into the undergrowth, and there, starvation and thirst get them. It gets very hot in Greece in the summer – up to 91.5°F (33°C) can be reached in the afternoon, with many days reaching a sweltering 100°F (almost 38°C). In this sweltering heat, puppies suffer horribly before they eventually succumb to heatstroke or thirst. In winter, Greece gets bitterly cold, windy with heavy rains, then the puppies die of exposure.

Fortunately, there is hope for these helpless animals: the three musketeers of Little Friends Lefkas.

On the Greek island of Lefkas, three tender-hearted people could not bear seeing dead puppies strewn on roads or hearing the whimpering of injured puppies crying for their mothers. They formed an organization called Little Friends Lefkas and became the three musketeers of puppy rescue, seeking out unwanted little animals and saving them.

Supporting these small, needy creatures, many of whom need intense care – is not easy. They need food, vaccinations, shelter and care – and very often, treatment for their injuries. Importantly, each one must be sterilized to help break the cycle of puppy abandonment.

As you read this, there are 19 hungry puppies, six permanent residents and 16 adult dogs in their care, ready for a forever home, who need food and medical care. They expect more animals to arrive any day now. Given time, most of these puppies will go to good homes, but right now, they need help to survive and thrive until they can be with their forever families and live happy, comfortable lives.

The cost of puppy food has shot up 58 percent in Greece. It now costs up to $60 (£55) a day to feed all the rescued animals in Little Friends Lefkas’ care. After their tragic beginnings, will you help keep their bellies full by donating now?

Puppy food has gone up 58 percent and is now $60 (roughly £55) for a 33-pound (15 kg) bag. Most of the time, that bag lasts a day. Transport costs are also rising, and in some cases, the cost to send a single puppy to a home can be $200 (around £160). Getting these animals to their new homes is critical because it is the only way to free up space for more rescued animals.

It is animal lovers like you, who save puppy lives. Can these little animals count on you today?

Little Friends Lefkas is a perfect example of the kind of caring animal welfare organization that NFA supports – they are on the ground, protecting the helpless, caring for needy souls, and taking direct action to save lives. They get no funding from authorities – it is animal lovers like you, who save puppy lives and give them a second chance at life. Your donation makes a big difference.

Although Little Friends Lefkas puts puppy rescue first, they sometimes have dogs who cannot be rehomed. Dogs like Renai, who was hit by a car when he was a puppy; his pelvis was crushed and he has permanent urinary problems that need daily treatment. He will live with Little Friends Lefkas forever. Long-term residents like him really need the support of animal lovers like you.

We can’t save every dog in the world, but we can save as many as possible and help prevent more unwanted puppies from being brought into a world where all that awaits them is hunger, abuse and neglect, so please donate right away.

Your donation will help ensure hungry tummies are full, wounds are treated, animals are sterilized, and transport can be arranged for each one to reach a loving forever home.

Please donate today so we can continue saving animals – one puppy at a time.

For the animals,

Gloria Davies (and Max and Flora!)
Founder and CEO
Network for Animals

P.S. We know there are dogs all over Greece who need your help. We try our very best and hope you will do everything you can to help defenseless puppies. Please donate to Network for Animals right now if you possibly can.