Every Night, Café Owner Opens The Doors To Give The Local Strays A Safe, Warm Place To Sleep

Even though there aren’t as many strays in America as in other countries, those who are here frequently get picked up by animal control and placed in shelters unless someone has the heart to adopt and rehome them.

In Greece, one café owner has a unique approach to stray dogs. The restaurant is located in Mytilene, Lesbos, and goes by the name Hott Spott.

Even though it’s just your typical pleasant coffee shop during the day, the establishment opens its doors to welcome many furry pals without homes during the evening.

To help the dogs feel as at home as possible, the staff even allows them to sleep on the couches.

In an interview, Niki Belissary, the owner of the café said:

“We have been here for 26 years and have always been an alternative place for people to meet.”

The staff at the restaurant said that the city where the coffee shop is situated has a large number of stray dogs.

In fact, it’s estimated that there are almost 1 million stray animals in all of Greece.

Therefore, it is imperative to ensure that the issue is resolved and that each and every one of these animals is kept safe.

Although the café’s open-door policy is undoubtedly kind, it also illustrates how different Europeans often feel about stray dogs.

As the head of Athens’ Stray Animal Service explains: “In most European countries, they solve this problem with euthanasia. But Greek culture is against that. Our law is about rehabilitating the dogs.”

The approach seems to be working—and the dogs in question don’t seem to have any complaints, either.

Though the fine folks at Hott Spott are setting a great example, more businesses must try to follow in their footsteps.

Dogs make wonderful companions for people and have enhanced our lives through the years; it only seems fair that we give back to those who are in need.