As technology becomes increasingly integral to our lives, Greece is making strides in adopting innovative solutions for the effective management and protection of pets and stray animals. The digital platform EMZS (National Registry of Companion Animals) marks a significant advancement, enhancing the management of animal populations while also playing a critical role in preventing and addressing issues of abandonment, abuse, and trafficking. The EMIS, launched by the Information Society, serves as the central hub for planning, developing, and executing initiatives from the Ministry of Digital Governance, spearheaded by the Secretariat General of Public Administration Information Systems. This pioneering tool is crucial for the protection and welfare of companion animals, promoting responsible pet ownership, and efficiently monitoring compliance with regulations regarding stray animals. It also facilitates efforts to significantly reduce their numbers through adoption programs while adhering to animal welfare standards. Access to the platform is granted to veterinarians, pet owners, foster caregivers, animal welfare organizations, and shelters.
Since its inception, the platform has registered a remarkable total of 1,378,645 companion animals, reflecting robust community engagement in improving data management. About 43% of these, or 728,322 owners and foster caregivers, are already registered, demonstrating a societal commitment to animal welfare and registration. Additionally, since the platform’s launch, there have been 85,846 new registrations for owners and foster caregivers, and 242,828 new animals have been added in the last few months, indicating ongoing enhancement in data collection and updating.
In terms of stray animals, Greece has over 323,303 registered, with 1,055,342 labeled as adopted pets. Among the 1,378,645 registered animals, there are 292,143 cats and 86,502 new dogs registered since the platform’s rollout, illustrating the increasing momentum and success of these initiatives.
Registered Spay/Neuter and Treatment Programs
This enrollment growth extends beyond just pets to include spaying and treatment programs. To date, 292,143 animals have been spayed or neutered, with 241,282 new procedures since the program’s initiation. This represents a significant effort to prevent shelter overcrowding and manage the stray population. Additionally, the system supports 2,652 registered veterinary services and organizations, alongside 235 animal welfare associations, enhancing registration and effectiveness in control, adoption, and preventive actions. The platform is actively tracking 85,864 new owner/adopter registrations to ensure that the overall situation is current and accurate.
Key Project Entities involve the management of information housed within SubRegistries for various animal-related categories, including: Pet Animal Registration and Monitoring SubRegister, SubRegister of Animal Welfare Associations and Organizations, Shelter SubRegister, Professional and Amateur Breeder SubRegister, Voluntary Blood Donation SubRegister, Panhellenic Stray Pet Adoption Platform, and Pet Animal Passport Repository.
The project’s objectives are as follows:
- Digital enhancement of the relationship between citizens and the state by providing an integrated platform to simplify service procedures for pet owners, ultimately increasing pet adoptions.
- A comprehensive approach to manage data and processes handled by civil servants at various government levels, ensuring efficiency and accountability within a unified and secure system.
- Digital management and transparent publication of actions related to stray pets conducted by state or local government entities, as well as animal welfare organizations.
- Clear funding support for animal welfare organizations from local governments, along with established objectives and programs.
- Budgetary oversight by municipalities on their actions concerning stray animals, including performance indicator publication.
- Facilitating legal breeding and marketing of companion animals and ensuring breeder traceability within the legal framework.
- Providing a user-friendly platform for recording veterinary actions on companion animals to enhance disease traceability and facilitate health monitoring for owners.
- Securing the lawful movement of pets, both within Greece and internationally, by digitally preparing all necessary documents.
- Encouraging a higher number of adoptions through the accessibility of a secure platform designed to streamline the adoption process.
- Establishing a voluntary blood donation database to gather information from authorized veterinarians for pet medical emergencies.
- Offering quality open data on companion animals residing in Greece for citizens and businesses.
- Continuing to supply data for the enforcement of Law 4830/2021 (A’ 169).
- Developing a system to monitor adherence to Law No. 4830/2021 (A 169), particularly concerning violations.
- Creating a knowledge base and network for professionals, volunteers, and others to exchange best practices and experiences from legal actions.
- Facilitating educational initiatives on the welfare of companion animals.
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