Marina Dogs : Gouvia Marina Corfu

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Jamesuk

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In many marinas you will meet a collection of dogs that roam the place- some cared for some total strays but all are free to roam. They can be troublesome and in most cases are gathered up and "taken to the woods".

First experience of marina dog treatment: At the beginning of the Sunsail season new staff just 18 would witness the horrible grounds man pick up a collection of puppies dump them into a sack and drive off with them. Some of the tackless 18 year old male staff would joke, (after the cries from the girls "where are they taking them") would say "they are off to be drowned in a bucket and chucked into the pit for the vultures" at which point the girls would burst into tears and the scummy boys looking sheepish would act out some how but usually be sacked within a couple of months and never get anywhere with the ladies ;-): be nice. Although usually it was the English guests complaining about the dogs. They do of course need to be controlled. Come March I've been told the unwanted puppies will be roaming free scavenging for food.

In Gouvia we have a couple of lovely dogs that occupy their grounds and one in particular I know to be called Sandy. A Golden Border Retriever (I think having Googled), she is the most calm, chilled out dog I've ever met while sailing. She even lets you brush her teeth with no fuss.

As a 'Border' she likes to travel and you may offer up some food and perhaps demand she take it but what she really wants to do is either have her tummy rubbed or go for a run, the latter helps out both parties.

Has anyone come across Sandy or have a similar scenario in their marina? She is looked after in the summer by a retired Norwegian/Swedish Master Mariner onboard a Naiad 44 and then in the winter by an English live aboard couple who have two dogs of their own.

I fed Sandy some tuna one night and those dental bones every other day and now she runs along side me when I'm out for a jog and does the same when cycling. Some owners try and train their dogs to do this Sandy does it for a tummy rub every few days :-)

Not the best photo but this is Sandy waiting patiently outside of the boat at the same time I fed her the night before.

 
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There's a pack of stray dogs here in Licata, Sicily. They appear to be well fed, a few of the males look slightly dubious. I have altered my path on the odd occasion to avoid them. It's mating season so give it a few weeks and there'll be pups about, I've asked what the rules are here. Apparently dogs get rounded up and taken to the pound but are not put to sleep, having lived abroad for the majority of my life this surprised me. Unfortunately there's no funded "snip" scheme which is the best form of control with strays.

There's a lovely bitch called Lulu, she's only a year or so old and is a good playmate for our "snipped" Jack Russell. She's well liked by everyone here and I know several women would like to adopt her. Very playful and gentle, enjoys nibbling on handbags etc and the subsequent tug of war.. The marina staff are very fond of her so at least that's one who won't go hungry :)
 
We had a similar problem in Agios Nikolaos on Crete during the summer, they were starting to get a pack mentality and becoming quite aggressive so the marina "dealt with" the problem. We all know what that meant. One of the problems seems to be (at least here) that the Greek men seem to think that castrating a dog is akin to castrating them. They just won't do it. We know of a few Greek dog owners who have uncastrated male dogs and we can't convince them that castration is better for the dog (when bitches are in heat) and that it helps reduce the stray population. When a bitch gives birth to half a dozen unexpected puppies the owners often abandon them, the strong ones survive to become strays (and produce more puppies) and the weak die.

There are people in the marina every winter who care for a few of the strays. We've had two particularly regular and friendly dogs in the marina these last few winters (though one is not a stray, he just has an owner that isn't that interested in him) and over the years they've been taken to the vets and had their fur clipped by several different yachties. That's great (in my book) and as long as the dogs are not a nuisance then everybody is happy.

Sadly one of the dogs was obviously badly mistreated by children and he barks at (local Greek) children in the marina. Sooner or later one of the parents will put poison down to kill him and so take out many of the (useful) cats and probably one or two of the other dogs too. We have had poison put down by locals in the marina before (not by the marina itself). Last winter on one of our group walks one of the yachties dogs was poisoned when he gulped down some poisoned meat. The locals think it was probably put down by a hunter keen to kill off his rival's dogs.

So the Greek (or at least the Cretan) people seem to have a strange attitude to dogs (and cats). They won't castrate or neuter their animals (though a local animal charity group does do that with genuine strays) and they deal with the resulting explosion in dog (and cat) numbers by randomly poisoning everything. They also don't seem to treat their pets as members of the family or even as sentient beings, they are just things to be used and discarded when you no longer need them. Different cultures I suppose.
 
I remember visiting Bucharest on business over ten years ago and being amazed at the packs of stray, feral dogs roaming the city. One such group delayed one of my return flights until it could be chased off the airport runway. At the time they struck me as being timid as they searched for food but recent reports, putting their numbers at about 65'000, indicate that they have become more aggressive and have been killing people. Thousands are treated for dog bites in Bucharest every year. New laws are attempting to clear up the strays and kill them but is meeting strong opposition both domestic and international.

The problem began when the madman Ceausescu demolished vast areas of gracious houses in Bucharest for his grand boulevards, cement palace and ugly blocks of flats, forcing the owners to abandon their dogs. Austerity is also reported as contributing to pets being abandoned, especially by the elderly who can hardly afford food for themselves.
 
Jamesuk said:
In many marinas you will meet a collection of dogs that roam the place- some cared for some total strays but all are free to roam. They can be troublesome and in most cases are gathered up and "taken to the woods".

First experience of marina dog treatment: At the beginning of the Sunsail season new staff just 18 would witness the horrible grounds man pick up a collection of puppies dump them into a sack and drive off with them. Some of the tackless 18 year old male staff would joke, (after the cries from the girls "where are they taking them") would say "they are off to be drowned in a bucket and chucked into the pit for the vultures" at which point the girls would burst into tears and the scummy boys looking sheepish would act out some how but usually be sacked within a couple of months and never get anywhere with the ladies ;-): be nice. Although usually it was the English guests complaining about the dogs. They do of course need to be controlled. Come March I've been told the unwanted puppies will be roaming free scavenging for food.

In Gouvia we have a couple of lovely dogs that occupy their grounds and one in particular I know to be called Sandy. A Golden Border Retriever (I think having Googled), she is the most calm, chilled out dog I've ever met while sailing. She even lets you brush her teeth with no fuss.

As a 'Border' she likes to travel and you may offer up some food and perhaps demand she take it but what she really wants to do is either have her tummy rubbed or go for a run, the latter helps out both parties.

Has anyone come across Sandy or have a similar scenario in their marina? She is looked after in the summer by a retired Norwegian/Swedish Master Mariner onboard a Naiad 44 and then in the winter by an English live aboard couple who have two dogs of their own.

I fed Sandy some tuna one night and those dental bones every other day and now she runs along side me when I'm out for a jog and does the same when cycling. Some owners try and train their dogs to do this Sandy does it for a tummy rub every few days :-)

Not the best photo but this is Sandy waiting patiently outside of the boat at the same time I fed her the night before.

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I think Sandy is the little dog that we call Scruffy. Big Black Dog is cared for by everyone too. I remember there being a whip round in The Beer Bucket when he needed treatment from the vet.
 
paulineb said:
I think Sandy is the little dog that we call Scruffy. Big Black Dog is cared for by everyone too. I remember there being a whip round in The Beer Bucket when he needed treatment from the vet.
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I would t say Sandy was small :-) I know which small one you mean tho. It was passed out on the sofa at Blue Cafe a few weeks back
 
Moodyjim said:
Last year there was a dog at Gouvia that used to attack passers by or at least have a good bark. Bloody thing bit me (quick hospital visit) and I saw it attack someone else - so they aren't all benign!
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There's one that still does that but it isn't a stray. It was chasing the car and almost bit Mr B's elbow as he was driving onto D pontoon. He pulled his arm into the car just in time. It's a menace.
 
paulineb said:
There's one that still does that but it isn't a stray. It was chasing the car and almost bit Mr B's elbow as he was driving onto D pontoon. He pulled his arm into the car just in time. It's a menace.
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A few years back the problem was even bigger and getting to the showers or even just off the pontoon was a dash through a wild animal park. I had one bite through by jeans but my phone stopped it's teeth doing any harm, except to the phone.

The locals have their way of dealing with them and being visitors we should not interfere, IMO. Now, if someone would start a fund to get them neutered rather than feeding them, the cause would be removed at a snip!
 
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In Polynesia they eat the strays, even though people also keep pet dogs. Actually, these aren't really strays as they belong to someone, but run free in packs like goats until they are "needed". They are often in poor condition and can be intimidating.

We were invited by a family to a Polynesian feast in the Marquesas, where dogs are the only indigenous source of meat. Have to say, they didn't taste bad.

Maybe the same solution for Gouvia?
 
AndrewB said:
In Polynesia they eat the strays, even though people also keep pet dogs. Actually, these aren't really strays as they belong to someone, but run free in packs like goats until they are "needed". They are often in poor condition and can be intimidating.

We were invited by a family to a Polynesian feast in the Marquesas, where dogs are the only indigenous source of meat. Have to say, they didn't taste bad.

Maybe the same solution for Gouvia?
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The Greeks are not QUITE that uncivilised.

Sorry if that offends but then, you see, unlike some here, I don't go around putting my own culture at the bottom of the heap.
 
Steve C Cronin said:
The Greeks are not QUITE that uncivilised.

Sorry if that offends but then, you see, unlike some here, I don't go around putting my own culture at the bottom of the heap.
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In the post-war period, Londoners used to eat their pigeons. Not really so very different. So it's not about culture, Steve, it's about adaptability. If your "culture" means never changing to the circumstances, then you are welcome to it.
 
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We are also in Licata and as Sam said there this lovely dog lulu which everyone is very fond off But there are one or two not so friendly and it only a matter of time before some one get biting as I nearly did a day ago , the marina have insisted that there nothing they can do , I tend not to Agee , now before some one label me as some dog hater , we lost our 17 year old very loved dog just two weeks ago and its been heart breaking for my partner and me but these dogs are on marina property and the marina have to take some responsibility if I was going around damaging their property they would evict me out the marina ,
there answer is , the local council dog pond don't have the money to remover the dog and care for them I say for the safely of the marina client and staff , not to mention the mess these dogs leave surely they could contribute toward helping the town dog pond to look after these dogs till an home can be found . Or am I asking too much
 
In total agreement with you Vic but unfortunately it's a different mentality in many countries, not just a financial aspect or so I've found.. Definitely in the Algarve and many parts of Spain you find that it's predominantly an ex-pat group who get together with vets etc and have fund raisers etc to organise "snip" runs and part funded treatments.

I've yet to be in a marina where they accept responsibility for strays even when they're not so friendly..

Just read the post about the "feast", put me off my breakfast for sure :ambivalence:
 
AndrewB said:
In the post-war period, Londoners used to eat their pigeons. Not really so very different. So it's not about culture, Steve, it's about adaptability. If your "culture" means never changing to the circumstances, then you are welcome to it.
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I'll adapt UP but NEVER down!
 
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