Volunteers from Adespotoulia Xanthis, an animal welfare association in northern Greece, are working to create a retirement home for elderly dogs, offering them a safe place to live with proper care, comfort and dignity until the end of their lives.
The project is a long-held dream of the association’s president, Anna Maria Zafeiriadou, who hopes to establish a different kind of animal shelter — one without cages, where dogs can live in small houses with yards, stay warm in winter and cool in summer, and receive the attention they need in old age.
But the initiative faces a major financial challenge. What was estimated to cost about €300,000 three years ago is now expected to approach €1 million, while the association currently has just €32,500 available.
A different kind of shelter
Zafeiriadou describes the elderly dogs rescued by the volunteers as survivors who have endured hunger, illness, cold, extreme heat, fear, abuse and abandonment. Some have also escaped being hit by cars.
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By the time these animals reach the association, she says, food and a place to sleep are no longer enough. They need age-appropriate nutrition, veterinary care, warmth, quiet surroundings and a comfortable bed.
Above all, they need affection and someone to stay beside them at the end of their lives.
The proposed sanctuary would provide small houses and yards rather than rows of cages. It would be designed to offer elderly dogs a peaceful environment where they could live comfortably and receive care for as long as they need it.
An 11-year dream
Zafeiriadou says she has carried the idea for 11 years and remains determined to see it through, despite the setbacks along the way.
She stresses that the sanctuary is not intended to become her personal property. Instead, she wants it to remain a lasting example of how animal shelters in Greece could operate.
The site would also welcome school groups and children, giving them an opportunity to learn about kindness, respect for vulnerable beings and responsibility. It would be open to people with disabilities as well.
The association also hopes to welcome volunteers from across Greece, allowing them to gain experience and take what they learn back to their own communities.
Zafeiriadou believes shelters do not have to resemble prisons, with animals confined in rows of cages. They can instead include yards, small houses, trees and spaces where animals and people can interact.
Dignity, even without adoption
A central aim of the project is to change how people view elderly animals that spend their final years in shelters.
Zafeiriadou argues that a dog’s life should not be considered a failure simply because the animal was never adopted. What matters, she says, is whether it lived safely and comfortably, ate well, received affection and was not left to suffer.
The association cannot promise every elderly dog a family, she acknowledges, but it hopes to ensure that none has to die feeling forgotten or alone.
Costs rise to nearly €1 million
The financial challenge has grown substantially since planning began three years ago. At the time, the project was estimated to cost approximately €300,000. Increases in construction and material costs have since pushed the projected budget close to €1 million.
With only €32,500 available, the volunteers faced a difficult choice: begin construction with limited funds or postpone the project until the full amount could be raised.
They decided to proceed, intending to build gradually as money becomes available.
“If we wait until we have €1 million first, this place may never be built,” Zafeiriadou said, describing their plan to move forward step by step.
Appeal for public support
The association has approached more than 40 companies seeking sponsorship, but the response has been limited.
Most did not reply, while five politely explained that animals were not currently included in their corporate social responsibility programs, according to Zafeiriadou.
The volunteers are now appealing to individuals and businesses that support their vision to help fund the project.
“The animals waiting for us have already grown old,” she said, emphasizing the urgency of the initiative.
A project meant to outlast its founders
Zafeiriadou hopes that one day she will be able to hand the sanctuary over to someone who will continue developing it.
She wants to pass on the work with the message: “We managed to get this far. You take it further.”
Despite years of difficulties and disappointments, she says she is not ready to give up.