Adopt a Greek Stray

Step 1

We discuss your lifestyle, family status, experience, motivation and commitment, and help you find the right dog.

We know the dogs' personalities, energy levels and needs, and we are completely upfront about the care and environment they will need.

The goal is for everyone to be happy with the match.

Step 2

We do a house visit, to understand the living conditions for the dog. If long-distance, we conduct video calls.

If you've owned dogs before we may ask you for a reference from your vet.

If you're living in a rented property we may ask you to provide approval from your landlord.

The goal is to make sure everyone will be safe, healthy and happy.

When we have a confirmed match, we take the dog to the veterinarian for the required health tests and EU passports, then arrange appropriate transportation.

The costs are only associated with travel and vary depending on destination.

We do not collect an adoption fee.

Step 3

Why adopt from Greece?

There are millions of stray dogs in Greece. You’ll rarely see them in the tourist areas of central Athens, but in the suburbs, in rural areas, and on islands, the situation for stray dogs is dire. They often struggle with starvation, parasites, and untreated injuries.

  • Lack of Neutering: This is the core driver. Historically, there was little culture of neutering animals, leading to unchecked reproduction. Some municipalities now have a catch-neuter-release effort, but there is a severe shortage of resources and political will.

  • Abandoned Pets: Many people abandon their pets, either when they can no longer afford to feed or treat them, or due to other inconveniences. There is a hefty fine for surrendering a pet to the municipality, so people abandon them on the street to fend for themselves.

  • Misconceptions: Many locals incorrectly believe the government operates massive, well-funded shelters that will take care of abandoned animals, which lowers the friction for abandonment. In fact, shelters are completely overcrowded, underserviced, and typically have subpar care standards.

  • Lack of enforcement: In 2021, Greece passed a progressive Animal Welfare Law (No. 4830/2021), which legally mandates: neutering or DNA registration for owned pets; microchipping for all pets; and significantly stiffer penalties for animal cruelty and abandonment. But in reality, enforcement severely lags behind the legislation.

  • Lack of resources: Most municipalities lack the funding, staff, and shelter space to enforce the rules or handle the sheer volume of animals. Because of this, the heavy lifting falls almost entirely on volunteer-run animal welfare NGOs who organize neutering campaigns and manage makeshift, overcrowded shelters supported by donations.

Help alleviate this dire situation, and change a life by adopting a Greek stray.