MISSING THE EVENING NEWS

From: "Karen Dawn" <news@dawnwatch.com>
To: <DawnWatch@dawnwatch.com>
Sent: Sunday, August 01, 2004 7:21 PM
Subject: DawnWatch: Pre Olympic mass poisoning of dogs in Athens in New York
Post 8/1/04

The mass poisoning of stray dogs in Athens, as that city prepares for the
Olympic Games, is featured in the Sunday, August 1, New York Post. Julia
Szabo's article is headed "Olympic Shame."

We learn:

"Greek animal activists allege that the strays, which once numbered between
30,000 and 50,000, are being deliberately poisoned.
The Greek government has denied involvement in the dogs' disappearances. But
witnesses say they've seen dead and dying animals rounded up by trash
collectors. Parks in the city and suburbs of Athens, once teeming with
strays, are now mostly empty."

There is a quote from vet assistant Angela Fleming, of the Athens group
Caring for the Animals:

"Dogs are being left a cocktail of poison in food scattered across the city.
It is barbaric. These animals are hungry, so they will eat the bait. And
then they froth at the mouth and convulse and die a lingering, horrific
death. Whoever does this doesn't see the pain."

Szabo adds, "New Yorker Marijo Gillis does; she traveled to Athens to
document it. Her graphic five-minute video, viewable on
www.ua4a.org/Greece.mov, depicts terrible animal suffering and is very
difficult to watch.

"But Gillis, founder of the non-profit Welfare for Animals in Greece, hopes
people will protest what they see. 'Please join me in conveying outrage and
shock over the compassionless treatment of animals in Greece,' she urges. To
make a tax-deductible donation, call (212) 427-0587."

(You can also get in touch with Gillis at: WAG_NY@msn.com )

You can read the full article on line at:
http://www.nypostcom/living/28280.htm

Appreciative letters will let the Post know people care about such issues
and will keep the story alive.
The Post takes letters at:

Always include your full name, address, and daytime phone number when
sending a letter to the editor. Shorter letters are more likely to be
published.

Yours and the animals',
Karen Dawn

(DawnWatch is an animal advocacy media watch that looks at animal issues in
the media and facilitates one-click responses to the relevant media outlets.
You can learn more about it, and sign up for alerts at
http://www.DawnWatch.com.
To unsubscribe, go to www.DawnWatch.com/unsubscribe.php. If you forward or
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Wed, July 21, 2004 Athletes enraged over dog killings SAY COC SHOULD TAKE A STAND By KEVIN CONNOR, TORONTO SUN SOME OF Canada's Olympic athletes are outraged the Canadian Olympic Committee won't take a stand against Athens officials who are poisoning up to 15,000 stray dogs in the city so the country looks pristine during the games. "It's horrible, but it has nothing to do with us. We have no official comment," said COC spokesman Stacey Smith. Since Athens officials are doing this for the Olympics, it has everything to do with the COC, said Olympic runner Leah Pells. "It makes me sick. The COC is pathetic and they need to take a stand. It's embarrassing to me that they won't do anything," Pells said. 'ILLS OF SOCIETY' "Sporting organizations can and should influence the ills in society," said Olympic gold medal-winning wrestler Daniel Igali. Poisoning is a slow, agonizing death, Lynda Elmy of the Toronto Humane Society said. "We should all stand up and there should be a huge outcry against this because we are sending athletes to the games. It's just appalling," Elmy said. AESTHETIC REASONS Athens officials have said the city needs to be dog free for the games for aesthetic reasons, said Dianne Alden of Greek Animal Rescue Canada, which is working with international animal protection groups to stop the slaughter. "It's deliberate, appalling -- people need to know," she said. It's not a situation we are proud of, said George Ayfantis, spokesman for the (Greek) Embassy of the Hellenic Republic in Ottawa. "It's not automatic that 15,000 will be killed. Poisoning dogs is traditional but now illegal. Local officials have extended autonomy and it's done at night. It's considered a minor offence and public prosecutors and police don't want to go after elected officials," he said. "There are animal lovers around the world expressing their fears. The embassy is doing their utmost for their cause."

Contact Canadian Olympic Committee PRESIDENT Mr Michael A. Chambers SECRETARY GENERAL Mr Christopher H. Rudge RECOGNITION DATE 1907 ADDRESS 21 St Clair Avenue East, Suite 900 CA-Toronto Ontario M4T IL9 TELEPHONE (1 416) 962 02 62 FAX (1 416) 967 49 02 EMAIL webmaster@coa.ca (coa.ca) 2070, rue Peel Bureau 300 Montréal (Québec) Canada, H3A 1W6 Tel: (514) 861-3371 Fax: (514) 861-2896

85 rue Albert Street 14th Floor Ottawa, ON Canada K1P 6A4 Tel: (613) 244-2020 Fax: (613) 244-0169