OUR Anastasios Gavanidis he thought of Rocky’s tragic last moments as he made his way to Kilkis for the second time to testify in court in the case of the forcible murder of a stray dog ​​he had cared for along with other fellow citizens in Kufalia.

Although the violent incident shocked the local population and was covered in the media, Mr Gavanidis, as a member of the local animal welfare organization, was the only one who went to the police to report the incident, so the prosecutor intervened ex officio. and the judgment took place. “As an animal lover, I considered it my duty to enter into this process,” he declares to “K”, specifying, however, that the process he speaks of is not at all easy, as it requires time, money and mental strength.

“The eyewitness did not want to cooperate. We needed to find money to cover the costs and time for the necessary meetings with our lawyer,” he notes. Luckily, a video from a nearby store provided solid evidence. His struggle was justified. After a nine-hour trial on May 4, the defendant was found guilty and sentenced to five years and four months in prison and a fine of 25,000 euros. “Obviously this doesn’t bring Rocky back, but sends a message that cruelty to animals will not disappear. We cannot turn a blind eye to such incidents,” the animal lover emphasizes, admitting that he was intimidated by the defendants.

From the complaint to the court

The Rocky case, when the complaint was taken to court and granted, is not the norm, as it requires conscious effort and knowledge that is not self-evident. As Elena Dede, a lawyer and founder of the Dog Voice public organization, clarifies, it is one thing to file a complaint, and another thing to punish the violator in court. “This distance is sometimes a person or organization has the strength and organization to go through it. However, too many times we don’t get through it because there is no proper guidance and information,” he stresses.

This is the gap that his new initiative fills. The Voice of the Dogs “Animal Defenders of Greece”, created with the aim of raising the level of animal representation in Greek courts and developing animal law as a discipline worth developing. As Ms. Dede points out, there is a lot of room for improvement to fill in the gaps that are associated not only with companion animals, but also with other animals.

In the first quarter of 2023 alone, 705 cases were initiated, 138 people were arrested and 659 fines were imposed.

In recent times, there has been an increase in citizen awareness of animal cruelty, at least to companion animals. According to the police, in the first quarter of 2023 alone, 705 cases were opened, 138 people were arrested and 659 fines were imposed. At the same time, as it became known to “K”, after the adoption of the new law, complaints against five-digit number 10410 where citizens can report animal cruelty twice as compared to previous years. However, many of them are not fully aware of their duties and rights, nor the rights of animals to protect them, nor are they aware of the time, cost and effort that this process will require.

50 legal support requests in one month

This deficit is confirmed by the reaction of the world to the creation of the initiative. Already in the first month of its operation, the Hellenic Animal Defenders received 50 requests for legal assistance, which mainly concern animal cruelty, neglect, such as pastures in the countryside, and illegal breeding and sale of animals. animals.

As Ms. Dede describes, the initiative evaluates each case with the help of experts, provides free initial information and advice to a citizen or organization who wants to file a complaint and then go to court, with the help of collaborating lawyers trained in animal law, while time as, finally, the conduct and financing of affairs of national importance.

Right to Surveillance

According to Ms. Dede, of the incidents brought to the attention of the organization, ill-treatment, which is often videotaped, is not the norm. “The cruelty that occurs everywhere and on a massive scale is to condemn animals to a terrible life, ignoring them as sentient beings with independent rights to enjoy life as much as we can,” he says, adding that in Greece, images of a dog who spends her whole life on the roof. “A citizen can help these animals by protecting both himself and the animal,” he emphasizes.

In these cases, however, things can be more complicated because there is often no evidence of repeated abusive behavior or because people are afraid to come forward. “Publicity for a court official comes when someone reports violence to the police. Often this does not happen because people are afraid, especially when they know the criminal and live in the same area with him, so they worry about possible revenge. Here we have the question of how the animal will be presented when, for example, the witness wants to file an anonymous complaint, or when he finally does not come to court to testify to what he saw. We guide the citizen so that they do not think that with an anonymous accusation the case is settled or that they will not have to go to court to tell what they have seen and what they have heard, ”explains the founder of Dogs’ Voice.

He even clarifies that an anonymous complaint does not give the right to follow the progress of the case. “If we report and the police don’t come, we won’t succeed. We do not have a cover that can protect the animal. The lawyer, however, will insist and ask for information, he will ask about the results of the autopsy,” he states.

Severe penalties are a deterrent

A case of passive violence was also associated with a donkey in Koropi, which was targeted by the Gaidurohora – Greek Donkey Centre. According to the complaint, the unfortunate animal was tied to a tree and tried to free itself from the rope for several days until it was found dead in a field owned by a 75-year-old man. The organization removed two more horses from the site, also in disrepair, handing them over to their facilities. As she said in her statement, “this is the first time that a prosecutor has characterized as a criminal offense the heinous act of the slow and painful death of a horse due to severe passive violence.” At the same time, the owner was fined 30,000 euros.

Regarding penalties, Ms. Dede said that it is positive that they have become more severe as a deterrent to abuse, but from a prevention perspective, the problem is still big. “When penalties come, it’s definitely good. And indeed, severe punishment can prevent such actions, but we must make an overall assessment,” he emphasizes.

It is noted that 19 lawyers are already participating in the Hellenic Animal Defenders initiative, while free training for lawyers on Animal Law will be provided. The initiative, supported by Pet City and the Law Library, also created the first Animal Rights Seminar with students and faculty from the country’s university institutions, which explores issues and writes papers that will be presented at the first annual Animal Rights Conference to be held December.