Pavel states Challenges and Solutions for Thessaloniki's stray animals!

Pavel Peterka, ESAI EN ROIVolunteer; Candidate Youth Worker || Czech

ESC volunteering in teams  be SUSTAINABLE SPORTIVE & CULTURAL project 2/12 to 21/12 2025

2024-1-EL02-ESC51-VTJ-000200188

During the mission, I experienced Thessaloniki as a dynamic city with visible social and environmental challenges. Our work focused mainly on researching and reviewing the current situation of stray animals in the city. This allowed me to better understand the scale of the problem, its causes, and the limitations faced by volunteers, organizations, and local authorities. The group I worked with was diverse but very cooperative, and teamwork was practical and effective.

Our main achievement was collecting and structuring information about stray animal welfare, existing practices, and gaps that need to be addressed. On a personal level, I improved my ability to work in an international team. This experience strengthened my social and civic competences. For the future, I hope the campaign will build on this research and lead to concrete, long-term actions, better coordination between stakeholders, and increased public awareness about responsible animal care.