'ANIMALS SHARE WITH US THE PRIVILEGE OF HAVING A SOUL' ~ Pythagoras

'THE GREATNESS OF A NATION AND ITS MORAL PROGRESS CAN BE JUDGED BY THE WAY ITS ANIMALS ARE TREATED' ~ Mahatma Gandhi

I left the UK and came to live in this beautiful part of Greece with two cats in 2005. Never did I think that animal welfare/rescuing would take over all other planned activities. The plight of these helpless innocent souls is heartbreaking.

29 January 2012

The 3 Musketeers

How anyone can leave 3 beautiful little puppies on the roadside is just beyond me.  In this particular area, there are some cats that are fed daily.  On this day, I heard a rustle from across the road.  Sitting huddled up together were 2 gorgeous puppies.  Behind the long grass was another gorgeous puppy. Had they had wandered into the middle of the road, then they would have been targets for some nasty people.  What were we doing to do with these little furry friends?  We don't have land, we don't have a garden, there is no-one to help, because in some cases, if people have to spend out of their own pockets, then as much as they might class themselves as animal lovers, helping is another issue.  I rang round and someone very kindly agreed to foster them.  These 3 muskateers are the lucky ones, because soon they will be off to Germany, where they will be re-homed.

24 January 2012

Good girl Lara .....

Lara & Lucy
Yesterday it was lucky Lara's turn to be sterilized. This was only made possible by a very kind person who paid 150 Euros for a stray dog to have this operation.  The prices are horrendously high, but with no competition, the local vet can charge what he wants.  Lara has never been in a box before, or even in a car, but with the re-assurance of her good friend Lucy, she behaved very well.  Both doggies deserve a good home, can anyone help to re-home?





20 January 2012

Tracker is sick .....

Tracker
Poor Tracker, he is very sick.  Most of the Greek strays have been sick with coughs/running noses and breathing issues.  With my wonder medicines, most have recovered. Tracker is the only  one who has come out worse.  Took him to the vets and it cost 40 Euros + 9.20 Euros for his medicines. The prices charged are wicked, but we don't have any choices.  We call this big fellow Tracker, as wherever you go, he follows you all the time.  Such a big softie, he gives lots of affection and is such a gentle giant.  He will be OK, but it will take a few more days.  With the weather being as cold as it has been, it is not surprising most strays are sick.


http://www.ermioni.info/content/animal-welfare
https://www.facebook.com/Greekstrays 
https://www.facebook.com/Greekstrays/app_362564237108797
http://www.ermioni.info/things-to-know/greekstrays-donations

15 January 2012

Pampoushka ..... her story

Very sick
One white whisker only
This is my story............  They called me Whisker, because they didn't  know what sex I was and I only had one white whisker.  I am about 4 years old with long black hair. Nobody loved me, because I looked so bad. But a friendly couple used to come daily to feed the colony, which was nice.  My dad was black and he was in a bad state too.  When people saw him, they harmed him, but it wasn't his fault he looked the way he did. Being a feral, stray, we are prone to all sort of diseases and die very quickly.  We don't have the luxuries of calling any place home!  One day I was snatched together with some of my friends. I fought and scratched and really didn't know why I was being put into cage.  But it was my turn to be neutered.  Oh no more babies..............how nice.  Our babies don't survive either, because there is no food for them, and we are too weak to nurse them.  The vet took one look at me and decided she wasn't going to neuter me. Why?  Because I had a very runny nose and had cat flu. My chances of survival were pretty slim.  A few months passed and I was finally neutered by a different vet, who really felt sorry for me and didn't want me to have any more babies.  As time went by, I continued my life of poverty.  One day, I disappeared.  When I came back, I was in a terrible state. My jaw was dislocated as I had been kicked, I had a massive wound at the back of my head and cat flu.  I was pretty awful. This is what bad Greeks do to us.  We will never know why we are always harmed.  I needed help, but had never allowed anyone to touch me before.  One day, I took my chances and followed the couple home who fed us daily.  I didn't fight when they picked me up and put me in a cage.  It felt like sheer luxury.  I was taken inside a big home, which was warm and they tried to clean me, but it was so painful.  Sadly I endured a few weeks of pain, vet visits and living inside a big cage.  I was fed by syringe and my chances were pretty slim.  No-one thought I would make it.  After a few months, I made a full recovery and am now an indoor house cat with them.  You cannot believe what a difference the love of people can do to us Greek feral strays. With food, water and shelter, it transforms our lives forever.  I am so lucky and thankful that I took my chances to their home.  They have been so caring and loving, including my 3 adoptive brothers, who like to play with me.   The transformation in me is so amazing.  This is me now...............can you believe the difference?
'Smelling of roses'

The Marathon Runners .....

Billy
Fluffy
Billy and Fluffy both deserve medals. They are probably the only 'cat marathon' boys in Greece.  There story is a sad one, and sadly there is nothing we can do about this. For many years, they, together with many other strays, were fed outside a house in a village. One particular day, the surrounding neighbours decided to put a stop to this. The cruelty that followed is beyond words to describe.  Watching animals being kicked and deprived of food and much more, is something that will live with us for a very long time.  With this, all the strays had to be moved away immediately.  Many phone calls were made, asking for a temporary home, even for just one cat, but to no avail.  The local charity suggested that they were all taken 14kms to another village and left by some bins, with hope that someone might feed them.  This is not what was expected.  Instead, over a 3 day period these strays were moved to a field far away from the village. It meant that they would be outside all the time, with only trees as shelter, in oppose to old houses.  But as the cages were opened and the cats released, a few darted and to this day have never been seen again.  It hurts not knowing what has happened to beautiful strays which one has befriended, especially when one stray was a little cripple girl.  As usual, these strays were fed in their new surrounds, but some mornings all the strays were soaking wet!!!!!  Anyway Billy and Fluffy had other ideas. There was no way either of them were staying at his field, no matter how nice it was. They decided to run away, but luckily for them, there instincts were good, they always made it back to the village.  Each time they were taken back to the field, but each time they kept returning.   Billy returned 12 times and Fluffy over 20 times. This was a journey of 4 kms each time. So now, Billy has adapted to being a house or outdoor cat, whereas Fluffy on the other hand, is still a village street roamer.  He roams the village streets, wails outside our gate, comes in periodically and sadly, has to take his chances.  He would suit an indoor enviroment, but where there are no other cats. He is fed twice a day behind closed gates, with view of no-one seeing this.  Each time, cat cries are heard in the village, we think that maybe some of the other strays are being harmed.

12 January 2012

Lara and Lucy .....

Lara
Lucy
Lara and Lucy are the most beautiful female dogs and would love loving homes.  Both are great with other animals and people.  Both enjoy affection, walks and playtime.  They both turned up in the field where some of the cats are, but Lara had horrific wounds all over, a rope/chain round her neck, which showed she had broken away.  With careful love and medicines, she recovered.  Bruno belongs to a Greek family within the area, but he plays and gets fed everyday too.

The story of Golly boy .....

Golly Boy
Big blue eyes
Golly Boy was thrown over a garden gate together with his brother. Sadly his little brother did not survive, but Golly Boy soldiered on.  Loves affection and is very loving, but with many more GreekSTRAYS to look after, it might be just a stroke or a little cuddle some days.  Would make a wonderful house pet.  Now he has grown a little, he has become a delightful little boy.  Very affectionate, wants lots of hugs, is safe in the field we hope, together with the rest of his other dear GreekSTRAY friends.



10 January 2012

Very cold day today.....

Today was a bitterly cold day, with strong winds.  The poor GreekSTRAYS in the field were all huddled up trying to keep warm.  I wish there was more shelter for them. The local farmer is abusing the water supply for his goats.  Lack of rain means there is shortage of water, but he does his own thing as we are not at the field all the time.  

http://www.ermioni.info/content/animal-welfare  
https://www.facebook.com/Greekstrays 
https://www.facebook.com/Greekstrays/app_362564237108797
http://www.ermioni.info/things-to-know/greekstrays-donations