Over the last few days, the world has watched in horror as one of the deadliest tragedies of recent times unfolded in Greece. The devastating wildfires in Attica last week left behind a horrendous number of human casualties with reports of 87 deaths and hundreds more people wounded. It seems likely the numbers will rise.  An entire coastal town (Mati), has been wiped off the map and many families have lost everything they owned and been left homeless.

Among the many casualties are the forgotten victims of this tragedy… the animals.  It’s too early to say how many have died or been wounded but it’s already clear that there are pets wandering lost and alone, seeking their owners or their usual haunts and finding nothing but ash and rubble.  Even the surviving stray dogs, used to a hard life on the streets, cannot return to the area.

Animal Action Greece / Animal Action Greece Hellas’s Team, in collaboration with volunteers, local veterinarians and animal welfare organisations such as Dog’s Voice, immediately mobilised to provide emergency aid to animal victims of the fires, assessing medical and other needs. We also immediately allocated 1,000€ to cover the cost of some of the most urgent treatment.

Following careful needs-assessment, we appealed for help through our online media and, thanks to the international nature of our organisation and our strong supporter base, we have received donations from all over the globe in response.  At the time of writing, the total amount in cash stands at 5,000€ (£4,460) and we will add this to the numerous ‘in kind’ donations we have received in the form of veterinary supplies, such as dressings and medicines.  We have pledged to use all of these resources to provide relief to as many as possible of the fire-affected animals in Attica.

In parallel, we mobilised international specialised veterinarians who offered their services free of charge to animals wounded by the fires.

If you contributed, we cannot thank you enough for your caring support.  Knowing that so many people are concerned for the animals and want to join us in helping them leads us to redouble our efforts to reach the victims of the fires in time.   If you wish to become part of the rescue and recovery effort you can do so by making a donation here.

Thank you for standing with us as we respond to this emergency.