A 55-year-old man in Thessaloniki has been fined €270,000 for abandoning nine kittens in an isolated area of the Kalamaria district — €30,000 per animal under Greece's revised animal welfare law — in one of the country's largest penalties of its kind, while prosecutors examine the case and the man says the fine exceeds everything he has earned in his lifetime.
The incident came to light when two women spotted the suspect arriving on a scooter with pet carriers and alerted police, suspecting he intended to leave the animals.
Officers confirmed he made two separate trips to deposit the nine kittens at the site and identified him the same night.
The kittens were recovered and are being cared for by a neighbour pending transfer to an animal welfare organisation.
The man told police and local media he could no longer afford food and cat litter for the animals, which had multiplied from two unsterilized cats his son had brought him.
He said he was aware of legislation against animal abuse but did not know abandonment carried a separate criminal penalty.
The case reflects the severity of penalties introduced under Greece's updated animal welfare framework, which is part of a broader government effort to address the country's long-standing stray animal problem through mandatory pet registration, sterilization requirements, and substantial fines for abandonment.
The gap between the law's intent and public awareness of its consequences is emerging as a recurring issue in enforcement.