- The Municipality of Sfakia received 20,200 euros to cover health, medical, and veterinary expenses for stray animals.
- An earlier 6,720-euro grant was also approved for markings and sterilizations carried out in 2025.
- The money covers sterilizations, vaccinations, treatments, microchipping, registry entries, foster care, adoptions, transport, burial, cremation, and veterinarian contracts.
- Mayor Ioannis Zervos says the municipality keeps a steady animal welfare program in place, with volunteers and veterinarians involved.
Sfakia now has another round of support in hand, after a joint decision by the ministers of Interior and Finance. The amount is 20,200 euros, and it is tied to stray pets veterinary care, health needs, and other duties the municipality must handle.
A separate grant had already gone to the municipality, with 6,720 euros approved under Ministry of Interior decision No. 22225/2026 for markings and sterilizations completed in 2025.
The spending data breaks down like this:
- 20,200 euros, for health and medical needs, veterinary care, and related work for stray companion animals
- 6,720 euros, for electronic marking and sterilizations carried out in 2025
The funds cover sterilizations, vaccinations, treatments of every kind, electronic tagging, recording the animals in the National Companion Animal Register, finding foster homes, adoptions, transport to shelters, foster homes, or veterinary clinics, collection of dead animals, burial and cremation contract costs with veterinarians, and other municipal expenses tied to duties under Law 4830/2021.
What Sfakia Has Been Doing on the Ground
The municipality has kept a regular schedule of two-day sterilization actions since 2024. Over the past year, more than seven such actions have taken place, with help from volunteer veterinarians, members of animal welfare groups, and organizations such as Förderverein Arche Noah Kreta e.V.
In the latest campaign, held in March 2026, 88 stray animals were sterilized, 85 cats and 3 dogs. By early 2026, the municipality had already recorded more than 450 cat sterilizations and more than 70 dog sterilizations.
Mayor Ioannis Zervos described the approach:
“Over the past years, since taking office, the municipal authority has focused on managing the population of stray companion animals through systematic actions, veterinary care, and partnerships. Our strategy as a municipality includes, among other things, sterilization, marking, vaccination, and medication, with the goal of improving the living conditions of stray companion animals.”
He also pointed to the municipality’s annual contract for animal care and said:
“It should be mentioned that our municipality keeps an annual contract for the care of strays, aiming to control the population and improve the living conditions of the animals already here. Culture also passes through the protection of animals, and there is a need for constant education on animal welfare, not only in adult life but also in school classrooms and in the homes of our children and young people.”
The municipality keeps residents updated through its Facebook page and the official site, sfakia.gov.gr, where it posts information about campaigns and calls for participation when animals need to be collected.
