Although the practice of tying up an animal’s legs is now prohibited by law in Greece, in much of the Cyclades people still use this method as a means of restraint. And while everyone knows this is illegal, most times it is quietly tolerated by locals. It takes tourists visiting the island who, appalled by what they see, take action and call the police.
This happened a few days ago in Amorgos on the beach of Aegiali. Some tourists were surprised to see a badly limping donkey there. Two of its legs were tied together and the rope had cut a deep wound into one of its legs, which was covered with flies. The poor donkey was clearly in pain and walked with difficulty. The tourists immediately sought help by calling the police and reporting the abuse.
The police officers soon arrived with a representative from the Municipality. After fruitless attempts to find the owner (fines for such cases ranges from 5,000 to 15,000 euro), they handed the donkey over to the Municipality of Amorgos, who then brought it to AZI’s shelter the next morning.
The donkey is an old boy, approximately 30+ years old, malnourished, and has great trouble walking due to the many years of having his legs bound together. We decided to call him Napoleon.
Napoleon is hesitant and fearful of people. On the day he arrived, local veterinarian Dimitris Simos cleaned the wound on his leg. In one way Napoleon was very lucky because on the day after, the equine team from Animal Action were coming to Amorgos for their annual spring visit. Through this amazing program, Napoleon received comprehensive healthcare that included a dental exam, an overall physical, and care for his hooves.
Three days later, another veterinarian, this time from Naxos, examined him by request of the police (required in cases of animal abuse). Each of the veterinarians determined that Napoleon was not fed enough and developed mobility problems due to the practice of tying his legs together for long periods of time, so much so that even after the rope was removed, he continued to walk stiffly (see video).
We hope in time Napoleon will recover from this abuse and learn to trust humans. It is a terrible shame that after so much publicity and education regarding this outdated practice, it still continues. Our work isn’t complete until the day this abuse is eradicated from the island. If you can help us with this cause, please donate here. Thank you!
