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The KEPZ “shelter” in Agios Ioannis, Corfu has been responsible for the deaths of thousands of dogs in the more than 25 years it has been in operation. This concentration camp for dogs is run by the Tsagaraki sisters (Shown below) and is supported by the municipality of Kerkyra (Corfu), whose only interest is having a place to put stray dogs in order to get them off the street and out of their faces. What happens to the dogs after that is not an issue for the officials of Corfu.

No one is allowed to visit the KEPZ facility, in fact, if the sisters see you there, they will pound on your car and throw rocks at you. This has happened to us several times. And once when acquaintances of ours climbed the fence and went inside, a man appeared and tried to hold the gate shut with our friends inside while he phoned someone saying “Come right away!” Fortunately he was outnumbered and our friends managed to escape, even though this determined person hung onto the door of their car as they drove away.

So the sisters and their associates, whoever they are, want to keep what goes on inside a secret, and if you look at the pictures here and on the next page you can understand why.

At any time there are around 100 dogs, sometimes more, at the facility. The place is filthy and overrun with rats, which spread leptospirosis among the many puppies that are born there, but never survive to adulthood. Leishmaniasis is rife, and goes untreated. There is no veterinary care and no neutering. Dogs are never euthanised, no matter how bad their condition. And dogs are never allowed to be rehomed. Once they are in there, they are there until they die.

For more photos click here

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