One of the most shocking things on this trip has been how pets are viewed here. During my two days in Athens, I only saw four people walking a dog. Other than that, all the animals appeared to be strays. Here in Crete, the dogs are not kept as pets, but rather as guards of the owner's house. The dogs are kept outside on chains. And while most of them appear to be well cared for, it still boggles my mind that the are used like this.
I come from a family that has been fostering dogs since 2011. This means we take in dogs from pounds and care for them like our own until they are adopted. When Bailey and Sarah found the stray puppy on the side of the road, I didn't think twice about any one having a problem with it being at the institute. Yet when others found out, there was anger and the pup had to leave immediately. This surprised me because there are stray cats all around the campus. So why then are dogs looked at so poorly?
It is definitely a culture shock to see the way animals are viewed here. I struggle to not go up to every stray dog or cat and take them home with me. The good thing, though, is that the communities have taken it upon themselves to leave food and water out for the strays. I brought this up to Yota at her cookout and she told me that for people on the island, having a pet is too financially difficult. This is why they don't keep the animals, but they still make sure they are fed and watered.
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