A year after Attica fires, animal welfare NGO calls for disaster plan

Loukoumakis was only 2 years old when he was discovered in a fire-ravaged home in the east Attica seaside town of Mati after last summer's devastating wildfires, frightened and injured. The young dog was among 530 animals rescued by Dogs' Voice, a Greek nonprofit animal welfare group that spearheaded efforts in Mati and other affected areas to locate and treat pets that were trapped in the fires.

One year later, Dogs' Voice is pushing the state to establish a protection authority for animals that would create a formal state protocol for dealing with the animal victims of natural disasters.
"This is not a job to be performed by our NGO or any NGO," said Elena Dede, founder and managing director of Dogs' Voice. "We need to create a digital and policy protocol within each city so that people and the local authorities have a specific process for managing animals in need...

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