Animal deaths at shelter for strays during wildfire being probed
An Athens prosecutor has ordered an investigation into official complaints and a storm of social media claims concerning the deaths of more than a dozen cats and dogs at a privately run shelter for strays in Lagonisi, East Attica, that was consumed by Monday’s big wildfire.
The animals are said to have died in their cages, unable to escape the wildfire that broke out on Monday in nearby Neos Kouvaras, before spreading to Lagonisi, Saronida and Anavysos, leaving widespread destruction in its wake. A few were rescued by volunteers who ran into the facility and opened their cages.
The judicial investigation is expected to focus on conditions at the shelter before the fire, but also on whether any members of staff were there when the blaze approached.
Some reports have indicated that there may have been as many as 30 dogs and 30 cats at the shelter at the time of the fire. How many perished is not clear.
