Nearly 18 months after the Animal Protection Police Unit began operating in Heraklion, more than 1,800 inspections and 300 complaints have put animal welfare firmly on the local agenda. Authorities say owners are increasingly complying with the law, while practices such as chaining dogs and keeping so-called barrel dogs in the countryside are becoming less common.
For visitors to Crete, animals are part of the island’s everyday landscape. Dogs in villages, working animals in rural areas and pets in homes are a familiar part of life here.
But behind that familiar picture is a growing effort to make sure animals are properly cared for — and that owners understand what the law actually requires.
1,800 inspections and 300 complaints
The Animal Protection Police Unit in Heraklion has now completed almost a year and a half of active inspections.
Its work has resulted in:
- More than 1,800 inspections
- Around 300 complaints
- Dozens of case files
- Follow-up inspections where owners have been given time to correct problems
According to Second Lieutenant Theodoros Perivolas, who heads and coordinates the Heraklion Animal Protection Inspection Unit, the objective is not simply to issue fines.
The aim is to educate owners and achieve compliance.
And, he says, that approach is producing results.
Owners are increasingly cooperating with inspectors and understanding that animal welfare is a legal responsibility, not a matter of personal preference.
The end-of-the-barrel dog?
One of the most recognizable problems in rural Crete has been the “barrel dog” — dogs kept outdoors with minimal shelter, traditionally associated with livestock and rural properties.
Perivolas says the practice has declined dramatically and that inspections have made a significant difference.
Authorities are now also paying closer attention to illegal breeding, particularly in cases involving hunting dogs.
The message is straightforward: keeping an animal outdoors does not remove the owner’s responsibility for its welfare.
Chaining a dog is no longer permitted
One point that still causes confusion is the use of chains.
Some owners still believe that keeping a dog on a chain is legal, provided the chain is a certain length.
Perivolas said this reflects older legislation.
The current animal-welfare framework, established under Law 4830/2021, has abolished that approach.
Simply giving a dog a longer chain does not make permanent chaining acceptable.
What owners are required to provide
Animal welfare obligations apply whether an animal lives indoors or outdoors.
For outdoor animals, owners must provide appropriate shelter, food, water and protection from the elements.
Animals also need exercise and appropriate veterinary care.
For dogs kept as household pets, regular walks are part of responsible care. Perivolas said dogs should generally be taken outside two or three times a day.
Owners are also responsible for requirements including microchip identification, sterilization where applicable, and regular vaccination and veterinary care.
Fines are not the goal
The Animal Protection Police take a different approach.
The objective is not to collect penalties.
Perivolas said the preferred outcome is for owners to understand what is required and correct problems before enforcement becomes necessary.
Follow-up inspections can therefore make a significant difference.
In many cases, he said, inspectors return to find that owners have made substantial improvements.
A changing relationship with animals
The wider message from Heraklion’s Animal Protection Police is about changing attitudes as much as enforcing legislation.
Crete has a long rural tradition in which dogs and other animals have often been treated primarily as working animals.
That tradition is changing.
Animals still have practical roles across the countryside, but their owners also have clear responsibilities for their welfare.
And increasingly, those responsibilities are being enforced.