At a time when technology plays an increasingly important role in our daily lives, Greece is moving forward in adopting innovative solutions for the effective management and protection of companion animals and strays. The digital platform EMZS (National Registry of Companion Animals) is a highly significant development, which not only improves the management of animal populations, but also contributes decisively to the prevention and treatment of problems related to abandonment, abuse and trafficking of animals. In particular, the EMIS, which was implemented by the Information Society and is the central node for the planning, development and implementation of the Ministry of Digital Governance (the project is led by the Secretariat General of Public Administration Information Systems), is an innovative tool that makes a decisive contribution to the protection of companion animals and ensuring their welfare, strengthening the responsible ownership of pet animals, effectively monitoring the implementation of the regulatory framework for the management of stray pets and facilitating the strategy to drastically reduce their number through adoption programmes, in strict compliance with animal welfare rules. The platform is accessible to veterinarians, owners and fosterers, animal welfare associations and shelters.

Since its launch to date, the platform has registered a total of 1,378,645 companion animals, demonstrating the high level of community participation in the effort to upgrade data and management. It is noted that about 43% of these, i.e. 728,322 animal owners or fosterers, have already registered, reflecting society’s intention to contribute universally to the prevention, registration and welfare of animals. In addition, the platform has registered 85,846 new owner and fosterer registrations since its launch to date, while 242,828 new animals have been registered in the last few months since the services went live. This means that the digital platform is continuously enhancing active data recording and updating.

Regarding stray animals, Greece counts over 323,303 registered animals, while 1,055,342 are adopted, i.e. pets with owners. Of the 1,378.645 animals registered 292,143 are cats, while 86,502 new dogs have been registered since the launch of the platform, showing that the effort is intensifying and paying off.

Registered spay/neuter and treatment programmes

The expansion of this enrollment is not limited to just pets, but also to spaying and treatment programs. Specifically, 292,143 animals have already been spayed or neutered, with 241,282 new spay/neuters since the program’s implementation. This number represents a significant investment in preventing shelter overcrowding and managing the stray population. In addition, the system supports 2,652 approved veterinary services and organisations (veterinarians) and 235 animal welfare associations and organisations were registered, enhancing the registration and thus the effectiveness of controls, adoption and preventive actions. In addition, the platform is actively recording 85,864 new owner/adopter registrations, ensuring that the overall picture of the situation is up-to-date and accurate.

It should be noted that the key Project Entities relate to the management of information held in the Project’s SubRegistries, namely: Pet Animals Registration and Monitoring SubRegister, SubRegister of Animal Welfare Associations and Organizations, Pet Animal Shelters SubRegister, SubRegister of Professional and Amateur Breeders, Pet Animals Voluntary Blood Donation SubRegister, Panhellenic Platform for Adoption of Stray Pet Animals, Pet Animals Passport Repository

The objectives of the project are:

– The digital upgrading of the citizen-state relationship by providing a coherent and integrated digital platform to serve pet owners, through which the service procedures for owners will be simplified for the benefit of pet animals and the increase in the number of adopted pets.

– A holistic approach to managing the data required and the processes performed by civil servants or local government officials (first and second level), so that in a single secure and easily accessible system the roles of public administration are performed at reduced cost in reduced time and with accountability.

– The digital management and publication of actions performed for stray pets by state or local government bodies or animal welfare organisations and associations.

– The transparent subsidy of animal welfare organizations or associations by local government bodies (first and second level) with objectives and programs.

– The budgetary and accounting control of the Municipalities for the actions they perform within the boundaries of their Municipality, related to stray animalsand the publication of performance indicators for these actions.

– Facilitating the breeding and marketing of companion animals within the framework of the law, and the traceability of breeders, together with legal restrictions on births.

– Providing a friendly and secure platform for completing the record of veterinary acts on companion animals that ensure greater traceability of diseases that occur and also significantly facilitate the monitoring of animal health by their owners.

– Ensuring safe and legal movement, within and outside Greece by digitally completing all required documents for pets

– Increasing the number of adoptions through the operation of an easy-to-use and secure platform to facilitate the adoption of pets.

– Establish a voluntary blood donation database to manage information from authorised veterinarians to deal with pet animal medical emergencies.

– Provide quality open data to citizens and businesses on companion animals residing in Greece.

– Continuous supply of data to the services for the implementation of Law. 4830/2021 (A΄ 169)

– Development of a system for effective control of the implementation of Law No. 4830/2021 (A 169), especially in matters of infringements.

– Development of a knowledge base and a network of connected individuals, professionals and volunteers for the exchange of good practices and experiences from the actions carried out by the law.

– Facilitate educational actions related to the welfare of companion animals