WHAT IS SPAZ?
SPAZ (the society for the protection of stray animals, in Greek) was created by a group of teachers from a private British school in the southern suburbs of Athens in 1986.
It was established following the death of Sammy, a stray dog that had been adopted by the school in 1984 after she appeared seeking food and affection from the children. Sammy was vaccinated, neutered and dewormed, and quickly became the school pet. She had a pillow in every classroom and was free to move around the building and courtyard, becoming the children’s special teacher.
When Sammy was killed by a passing car, witnessed by the children, a group of teachers decided to do something to help the local stray animals. They wanted to reduce their population and to teach people to respect and love animals. So, in memory of Sammy, SPAZ was founded.
In those years, Glyfada and the surrounding areas had MANY stray dogs. And because they were not neutered, they moved around in packs and, of course, grew in number.
SPAZ’s main goal was – and continues to be – to sterilise as many stray animals (dogs and cats) as possible. In its 40 years of activity, SPAZ and its volunteers have sterilised more than 30,000 strays. The first group of volunteers were mainly expats from the US, Canada, the UK, South Africa, Australia and Germany. They were people with a common vision and goal, patience and persistence. They had an action plan and an appetite for hard work.
They were volunteers in every sense of the word. They understood the need for continuous action, were consistent in donating their time and supported one another. Without them SPAZ would simply not exist.
Most of those initial volunteers have now retired. We hope they are still watching what we do and are proud of us, because our ongoing success builds on what they started 40 years ago with the same love for animals, dedication and effort to helping them.
Since 2015, SPAZ has also been implementing a crucial educational programme in schools. This is funded by the UK’s Dogs Trust charity, which also trained Niki Klainou, who oversees the programme. By June 2019, more than 10,000 children had attended our “Paws in Schools” programme. Children are the future. We believe that with the right information, they will be all- round better people.
The economic crises that our country has been experiencing in recent years have significantly affected animals – both stray and domesticated. Too many animal abandonments, fewer volunteers and supporters.
Stray animals need you. SPAZ needs you. It needs people who will offer their time and energy so that it can all continue to help the animals. It also needs financial support. You may not be able to offer your time, but you may be able to help financially. A little from everyone, rather than everything from a few. We have achieved a lot, but we still have a lot to do.
If you would like to support SPAZ in its work with stray animals, please contact us at
info@spazgreece.gr or send us a message through our Facebook page.
Thank you from the SPAZ volunteers