Furry friends and their pawrents can visit Athens’s National Museum of Contemporary Art for free this weekend, reports Hyperallergic
This Sunday, April 2, the people of Greece get to live out my lifelong dream and bring their dogs to the National Museum of Contemporary Art in Athens for a “World Stray Animal Day” event. To rub salt in my wounds, the museum said visitors would be welcomed by a “puddle of puppies” from the Socrates Shelter looking for forever families.
The museum partnered with the shelter, opened and funded by Athens’s Municipal Department of Urban Fauna in 2021, to encourage the adoption of stray dogs in need and shed light on the dangerous daily conditions stray animals face. Professionals and volunteers run the shelter to help lost pets find their families and stray animals find new homes, and ensure every animal that passes through their doors is treated with love and kindness. The shelter is responsible for medical care, food, and collecting all stray dogs within the municipality.
The National Museum of Contemporary Art boasts that it is the only museum in the Attica region to welcome dogs, stating that its current Artistic Director, Katerina Gregos, prioritised that objective when she took up the post in July 2021.
The visiting guidelines indicate that the museum is pet-friendly year-round, not just on the event day. Visitors and their pets are encouraged to view the museum’s current exhibition Modern Love (or Love in the Age of Cold Intimacies) to “spread a different message of love.”
The “World Stray Animals Day” event is from 11 am to 2 pm on Sunday. The museum does list some simple ground rules for furry friends: Owners should come prepared with their dog’s vaccination records and waste bags in case of an accident and all dogs must be kept on a close leash at all times, no flexi-leshes allowed. Female dogs in heat will not be allowed to enter.
On the occasion of the World Stray Animal Day (04.04.2023), the National Museum of Contemporary Art (EMΣT) and the Department of Urban Fauna of the Municipality of Athens are organizing an event dedicated to our four-legged friends on Sunday 2nd April 2023, from 11.00 to 14.00.
Pets and their owners are welcome to visit the museum free of charge and to view the exhibition Modern Love (or Love in the Age of Cold Intimacies), as well as in the other exhibitions currently on view in the museum.
EMΣT is the only museum in Attica that welcomes our four-legged friends!
The event is being organized to “Socrates Shelter”, a temporary shelter for homeless dogs, funded by the Urban Fauna Department of the Municipality of Athens, with the aim of encouraging the adoption of stray dogs and spreading awareness about the plight of stray animals. The organization is dedicated to the welfare of stray animals in Athens, improving their condition and fostering human-animal bonds through adoptions, reunification and education.
The Department of Urban Fauna of the Municipality of Athens is responsible for gathering, medical care, feeding and treating stray animals within the municipality's boundaries. One of the pillars of the department is the “Socrates Shelter”, which began operations in 2021. The space is more than just an animal shelter. It is a place where dedicated professionals and volunteers share their commitment, passion and talent to help the animals and people of the municipality so that:
Every stray animal can be adopted and find a home.
Every lost animal can be reunited with its guardian.
Every lost animal is treated with kindness and respect.
We look forward to seeing you on Sunday, 2nd April 2 with your four-legged friends to spread a different message of love. We will be joined by some of the puppies who are currently hosted at the “Socrates Shelter” and are looking for their new families, accompanied by volunteers.
ACCESS
Entrance is free from 11.00 to 14.00 for all those who visit the Museum with their pet.
We are sure our furry friends will be on their best behaviour!
Pet owners should be aware that:
1. Female dogs in heat are not allowed entry.
2. All dogs must be close to their guardians at all times and on a leash (no flexi leads).
3. Necessary accessories: Your pet’s health booklet and waste bags in case of an “accident”.
