After the incident in Grammeno of Ioannina, where the owner tortured his donkey and then the unfortunate animal was euthanized, many complaints concerning similar incidents came to light
He has big ears, goes to the dentist often, takes care of his limbs by doing …pedicures, is a loyal friend, a very patient character and often stars in cartoons.
Who could tease this lovable mischievous creature? And yet, it happened. After the incident in Grammeno of Ioannina, where the owner tortured his donkey and then the unfortunate animal was euthanized, many complaints regarding similar treatment of these companion animals came to light. Along with these, however, come the acts of love for the lovable four-legged animals that they only know from offering to humans.
Because luckily there are many people who have lived and live with the lovable, patient four-legged friends, which – as they say – are an integral part of their lives. In Edessa there has been, for years, a statue dedicated to the offering of the donkey during the past decades, while two friends in Koropi are currently raising 19 donkeys, which will soon “meet” online the students who do not have the possibility to be in their place.
In the past: “Menios” and “Dinos” of Edessa
At the beginning of the sixties, “Menios” and “Dinos”, two of the dozens of donkeys in Edessa, made daily routes to carry crates of cherries or wood for the large stoves of the stone-built houses. They were the inseparable friends of their owners. Companions and helpers of the farmers and breeders who worked in the area of ​​Pella and started their work together from dawn.
The people of the labor respected their animals, they had them in their yard and they were the ones to whom they said the first good morning when leaving the house. A pat on the head, a friendly chat and together they went up to work, together they earned the daily wage. For their offer, a statue of the donkey with its rider has been erected and has even become an attraction, attracting the eyes of young and old, Greek and foreign tourists.
“Perhaps one of the most visited places in the city at the moment is the statue of the donkey» says the mayor of Edessa, Dimitris Yiannou, speaking to the Athenian/Macedonian News Agency, injecting the reasons it was set up as well as its semiology. “The bronze donkey is located at the beginning of Varosi, and all the tourists rush to take a photo both for its picturesqueness, but also because they have learned that it was the means of transportation for the inhabitants and was their helper in almost all daily tasks”, he explains.
The distance that had to be traveled by those workers who went to work in Kanavourgio, the tobacco processing factory, was long and difficult and as noted by the grandparents unfolding their memories, almost all of them had a donkey that carried them with patience and generosity.
The mayor notes that the word “abuse” had nothing to do with the behavior of the people of that time, who loved their donkeys, took care of them and relied on their help to make a living. They all had names, usually of loved ones.
In those difficult times when there was no other means of transport, the donkey assumed all the responsibilities. It was established by the majority of the Edessians as a companion animal. He not only carried their treatise to sell their fruit in the city and in the alleys of the neighborhoods, but he was a friend, notes the mayor
The residents said that Mr. Babis was passing by with “Dino” and the donkey … was stealing many caresses on his way, as the older people remember or the younger ones who have photos of their ancestors “hugging” with their donkeys have learned.
In the present: Lessons in love and companionship from the donkeys in Koropi … Coming soon and online
Not one, not two, but 19 donkeys he has Dimitris Stoupakis, photographer, co-founder and administrator of the Urban, non-profit company “Gaidourochora”. As he says, incidents like the one that saw the light of day with the brutal abuse of the donkey also happen elsewhere in Greece, a fact that he characterizes as sad and condemnable.
His own involvement with donkeys began when he was given two colts in 2014. The growth of “Manous” and “Lili” who were only one year old, was what made him and his company at the estate, to be introduced to their world and today 19 sweet donkeys are “introduced” to those who visit them for caresses and kisses.
He himself knows everything about the behavior of donkeys and their characteristics. As they say the donkey is the best ambassador to introduce someone to the animal world. “The children who come here have an experiential experience being next to the specific animals. They take care of them, comb them, love them, learn the elements of their almost intact character. Through this experience, visitors learn where the donkey came to our country and its characteristics are explained. The big ears, for example, are a tool to keep his temperature low. They also learn how many fingers he has, what care he needs, such as his podiatrist, farrier, and nine out of ten don’t know that he needs a dentist more than anyone else.”
The photographer aims to meet as many of his animals as possible and for those who cannot and are not close to “Donkey Country”in a short time technology will work its miracle.
“Due to the bad news, our effort to make the lesson of love offered by these animals as much as possible has become even more intense. We intend to approach school units so that children can be informed online and meet our donkeys, even remotely, in order to develop a greater awareness of all animals“, he notes.
Mr. Stoupakis explains that we must not forget that these animals came to our country from the desert, in which in order to survive they developed certain characteristics such as resistance to difficult conditions but also a behavior that is so social and caring for each other and for humans . He even describes an experience of his own that proves the love generously given by the full of feelings four-legged.
“One afternoon when we were lying down to relax with friends on the estate, the donkeys came around us and touched our paws to protect us from possible danger… They were used to seeing us standing, so when they saw us on the ground they felt that we were in danger and that they need to be there to protect us».
RES-EMP
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