Hampshire stylist calls for support for Greek dog shelter

Miranda Holder, 47, is calling on Winchester residents to find ways to support the dog shelter Dash, which is located near Kalamata, in the Messenia region.

The shelter, which operates entirely through donations, has seen increased demand for its services since the outbreak of the ongoing wildfires across the country.

Dash is the largest dog shelter in Greece (Image: Miranda Holder)READ MORE: Hampshire surgery helps beloved pet cat after it suffers multiple broken bones

Miranda, who has been an ambassador for Dash since she first encountered the charity in 2018, said: “Fortunately, the fires haven’t reached Dash yet, they were 15 miles away at the weekend, and it’s all about the wind direction, really. There are helicopters passing the shelters throughout the day, collecting water and dumping it on the fires.

“It’s 45 degrees there, so it’s intolerable conditions for the volunteers and there are many sick and injured dogs there who are really suffering because of the heat. They have conditions like leishmaniosis, and the heat makes this 10 times worse, so they have a lot of critical medical issues too, but of course, medicine is at a premium and they are having to prioritise water.”

Dash can be supported via donating, adopting or sponsoring a dog in its care or by volunteering at the shelter (Image: Miranda Holder)Miranda, who is from Appleshaw, near Andover, explained that there are a range of ways Hampshire people can help the shelter.

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She said: “There are lots that can be done. Firstly, donations. The wonderful thing about this charity is that it’s tiny – there are a lot of dogs there but there are a handful of volunteers. So, people can donate via PayPal or Just Giving, and every penny that is donated goes straight to the animals. And the first thing is water because the local municipality has started limiting the water.

Miranda Holder has been an ambassador for Dash since she encountered the charity in 2018 (Image: Miranda Holder)“When things are more stable, people can volunteer – they can go out and work there. It’s quite tough, but you can do it for one or two weeks. And the other thing is sponsoring or adopting a dog. So, you can set up a monthly donation to sponsor particular dogs. We have many disabled dogs whose back feet have been run over, they need wheelchairs and medicine. Or you can adopt, which is what (my family) has done – we’ve actually got three dash dogs at home.”

For more information about Dash, visit dash-dogs.com.