07/06/2026
Symi 🤔
Greece is scaling up its fight against the stray animal crisis in a way few countries have attempted. The Zero Stray Academy, the country's first institution dedicated entirely to free municipal training on stray prevention and management, has just opened registration for its new program cycle running June 9 through July 3.
More than 200 municipalities have already completed the academy's training since it launched. Through a cooperation agreement with the Hellenic Police, over 2,500 frontline officers have received formal instruction in animal protection law, and that number is expected to climb past 3,500 before the end of 2026.
The five-week "Zero Stray Program" teaches local governments how to tackle the problem at its roots. Curriculum includes abandonment prevention, microchipping protocols, sterilization programs, and proper enforcement of Law 4830/2021, Greece's national animal protection legislation. Registration for the new cycle closes June 8.
Greece has one of the highest stray dog and cat populations in Europe, a problem that has drawn repeated criticism from animal welfare organizations and sparked public debate for years. The academy's approach treats it as a public administration failure as much as an animal welfare issue, training the officials and officers who deal with strays on the ground every day.
Municipalities nationwide are being invited to enroll. The program is free, and with more than half of Greece's local governments already participating, the initiative is one of the most broadly adopted animal welfare efforts the country has seen.
