Inside/Out Announces 2010 Greece Humanitourism Volunteer Adventure Helping Greek Street Dogs Suffering In Country-Wide Animal Welfare Crisis
inside/out will take adventure travelers on a unique voluntourism experience of Humanitourism™ May 21-31, 2010 to help homeless street dogs in Greece, where dogs and cats are struggling to survive in an environment of immense overpopulation and inh
Online, February 9, 2010 (Newswire.com) - BOULDER, CO - February 9, 2010 -- Innovative voluntourism adventure tour operator inside/out announces a 2010 animal welfare Humanitourism™ responsible travel volunteer adventure (www.theinsideandout.com) to help homeless street dogs in Greece May 21-31, 2010 following the overwhelming success of their initial voluntourism program there in 2009.
Travelers will assist at the KAZ shelter south of Athens on much-needed shelter improvements and continue the educational program in Ioannina begun in 2009. KAZ is one of the few fully functioning animal shelters in a country where dogs and cats are struggling to survive in an environment of immense overpopulation and inhumane treatment. Ioannina, located in the northern mountains of Greece, is home to one of the small movements of Greeks dedicated to improving the conditions and lives of Greek animals.
Dogs and cats in Greece face a largely unknown crisis of overwhelming overpopulation, neglect, abuse, cruelty, abandonment, poisoning, starvation and apathy. inside/out's Humanitourism™ participants will be responding to requests from Greek animal welfare advocates to help them change the conditions and attitudes in Greece. In addition to dedicating themselves to shelter improvements at KAZ, they will assist in education about sterilization and abandonment and will work on care and feeding programs for the homeless dog population. No special skills or knowledge are required.
Following their voluntourism work with animals, travelers will gain further insight into the culture by partaking in various eco-tourism adventure activities in the local region, including trekking, sea kayaking and river rafting. Adventure activities are specific to the region and facilitate a more intimate exploration of the area's culture and history with an emphasis on responsible travel. A complete itinerary is at www.theinsideandout.com.
"We had such an immensely successful trip to Greece in 2009 and so much interest that we added another for 2010," says inside/out founder Zoe Katsulos. "The impact of our work was surprisingly evident, and there are so many more opportunities for us to make a difference alongside the Greeks who are making change in their own country."
The 2009 Greece Humanitourism™ group of volunteers brought veterinary supplies to KAZ and some even made personal donations to the facility. In Ioannina, the group built feeding stations, distributed educational materials, helped in microchipping, vaccinating, bathing, rehoming preparation and organized a silent vigil with local animal welfare advocates, which became one of the largest gatherings for animal welfare in the history of the region.
Humanitourism™ (www.humanitourism.net) is a unique concept developed by inside/out combining humanitarian volunteer project work with adventure eco-tourism, allowing travelers to connect more authentically to the people, land and culture they visit with an emphasis on responsible travel. inside/out offers travelers the opportunity to provide hands-on help to a variety of projects which are underserved or under recognized around the world. Humanitourism™ also incorporates a philanthropic contribution to implement and/or sustain each of the projects.
"Our Humanitourism™ efforts that focus on animal welfare give people the opportunity to truly connect with a culture while making a difference in the lives of hundreds of stray animals," says Katsulos.
inside/out's voluntourism animal welfare efforts have been endorsed by Best Friends Animal Society, World Society for the Protection of Animals, Greek Animal Welfare Fund and the Achaiac Animal Welfare Society of Greece. Those who may not be able to participate in these trips but still want to help can consider donating funds or supplies.
For more information, contact inside/out by phone or email: 303-517-3400 or info at theinsideandout.com or visit www.theinsideandout.com.
Other upcoming inside/out Humanitourism™ adventure travel includes Patagonia in March, a sea turtle conservation trip on the Greek island of Zakynthos in June and Africa/Mt Kilimanjaro in August 2010. Projects vary by destination in conservation, education, building, animal welfare and the environment.
Humanitourism™ is a proprietary responsible travel experience provided exclusively by inside/out.
About inside/out:
Inside/out Humanitourism™ combines humanitarian outreach with cultural immersion and guided active eco-adventures. This approach promotes deeper and longer-term relationships between travelers and the communities and cultures they visit and emphasizes responsible travel.
Each inside/out travel experience features stays with local hosts or in small culturally significant accommodations, and exposes travelers to authentic local cuisine and customs. Small group sizes, from 6 to 12 people, allow each traveler to personally interact with the local population, hosts and each other.