By Pam Price

Prime Minister of Greece Kyriakos Mitsotakis paid a different visit to the shelter for homeless and abandoned animals in Ilioupoli, near Athens, on April 4 on World Stray Animals Day. Mitsotakis had the opportunity to meet the dogs hosted in the shelter, many of which are trained to be adopted. The Prime Minister was also informed about the official's and volunteers' challenges at the shelter. The Zoophilic Association of Ilioupoli managed and congratulated them for the animals' love and care.

"Because of the World Stray Day, I wanted to be with you, to thank you for the great work you are doing and to discuss, of course, the new bill for pets, which we will put to public consultation within the next ten days. We will wait with a great interest for your comments, and I believe that it may be voted by the end of May," said Kyriakos Mitsotakis, speaking to the shelter's former volunteer, Emy Papagiannopoulou, and the Mayor of Ilioupolis, George Hatzidakis.

Mitsotakis stated that he has personally dealt with pets. The bill is a product of extensive preparation, in consultation with all stakeholders, but looks forward to fruitful participation in public consultation, especially of "front line" people on animal welfare issues. The Prime Minister happily joined his voice with the staff members of the shelter regarding animal adoptions, urging the citizens to lovingly welcome stray animals as members of their family: "Friends are not bought. Open your arms and save a homeless person," he said, and also expressed his support for the organized adoption by contractors abroad.