Neutering more pussy cats in the open field . . .

Over the years of living in Greece, we have organised annual cat neutering as a result of our passion, for the welfare of strays.  In some cases we have had charity vets visit 3 times per year, which has been a huge help. With this, it has allowed us to accomplish neutering over 400 feral cats.  We originally used the local vet during the early days, but because all our activities are self-funded, it become hugely expensive.  Sadly though, many locals might not agree to neutering any animal, however, when one walks past waste-bins and hears the tiny me-ows of kittens, or when one sees starving kittens being abused, kicked, sprayed, stoned, poisoned or thrown into the sea, then neutering is the only solution to stop unwanted kittens and hopefully stop this type of behaviour.  Equally when you hear tiny yelps and find new born puppies, which are past saving, it is very upsetting indeed.  For animal lovers, sights like these are heartbreaking, and keep many visitors away from Greece.  

Neutering cats is one of the most important steps in reducing overpopulation.  A single unneutered female cat and her kittens can produce hundreds of kittens in just a few years.  Neutering a cat, male or female, will mean that the cat will be healthier, have less chance of getting uterine infections (pyometra), or breast cancer, and virtually no risk of any sexually transmitted diseases.  They become cleaner, territorial, calmer, less aggressive and less likely to go wandering for a partner 'on heat'.  If you see any cat with the top part of its left ear clipped, then you know it has been neutered.  Food, water, love and care will always be welcomed by these little furry friends.   

Sadly over the last 12 months, I have not received any opportunities for visiting charity vets, and really don't know the reasons why. Hence the reason that over these last 12 months, I have been collecting kittens, kittens and more kittens!!  Rescued from bins, barely alive and only just  few hours old, it can't continue.  I have written to many to see if I can get help from someone or somewhere. Nothing positive came back, until the day I helped a German couple, who were on holiday here and rescued a half dead puppy. I helped them, together with a German charity.  

From this day, this very kind lady is supporting me with some of my activities, which means I have been able to take between 5 - 10 cats regularly to my local vet for neutering.  Not many, but it does help the cause.  However, things have progressed even further.  I am now in discussions with an organisation in Holland, who wish to be involved in a long term project somewhere in Greece.  Sounds terribly exciting, so who knows what might develop from this.

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

Surprises for the innocent souls . . .

One realizes that there are so many kind people in the world who dearly want to help the plight of strays.  It is with this, that I am so lucky to have met many of these new friends, and all as a result of our love and devotion towards the helpless innocent souls.  Many have pledged their solemn promises to continue helping us with our GreekSTRAYS here in Ermioni, Greece. It truly is hard and very much a huge financial burden, especially when there is hardly any money coming in, naturally as a result of people loosing confidence in Greece.  So when parcels, or large consignments arrive, it is hugely an exciting time for us and for the strays. It doesn't happen often, but when it does, the furry friends think Christmas has come early for them.  Equally for the short period it gives us a financial breathing space.

ASSEMBLING THE CLIMBING FRAME

With this, I would like to say a huge thank you to all the people who to date have contributed. Either in monetary terms or in terms of sending food, medicines, climbing frame and other items, to which I am so grateful.  Anything that comes my way is all for the welfare of the animals. Living in a very nice part of Greece, I do not have the choice of perhaps the capital Athens, so am very limited as to what I can buy.  Equally in terms of buying kitten food, there is little choice.  At one time, I did have an Amazon wish list, but because they stopped free shipping, sadly the animals surprises started to decline, which was a shame.

We feed many strays and food is always in the car, because if any innocent soul crosses our path, 'it' will get food and water.  It might not be much, but at least it will help.  With this, I wrote to many pet food companies asking for help.  I asked whether they would consider sending me pet food as a donation, or would they consider selling me pet food at cost price.  Sadly to date, not one company had the decency to reply back!!!!  Maybe because they are so inundated with many requests, I will never know, but my policy is that is doesn't harm being polite.  I also think, because I am not a registered charity, people have doubts about my activities.  I have seen some comments written, but people do have their own opinions.  I do not need to justify my actions at all.  Here in Greece, I thought I had found a great person, who worked in a very high position in Pet food logistics.  I wrote to him and he gave me names of who I was to address my correspondences to. Again, not one of these professional individuals had the decency to reply.  So I am sure with my determination, I will find a door that will open for me. 

Over the last few days, I got a huge consignment from a UK charity. With the help of some dear friends, we managed to get it brought down from Athens to Ermioni.  The sun was shining, the cats were in their elements, sniffing at all the food, knowing that it was sheer good stuff from the UK.  The choice for them is amazing. Equally food for the doggies too.  They got an added treat too, because some of the pouches were damaged.

Not only food, but cribs for the winter months and lots of warm blankets. I cannot begin to thank all these kind people.  Opening the boxes, one realizes, that other animal lovers also contribute many items to this charity, making everything more possible.

THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH xxxxx

https://www.facebook.com/Greekstrays?ref=hl

https://www.facebook.com/Greekstrays/app_362564237108797

http://www.ermioni.info/content/animal-welfare

http://www.ermioni.info/things-to-know/greekstrays-donations

Sad story of my family . . . ROSIE, BILLY, their 7 babies and HAPPY . . .

ROSIE and her babies

The horrors of living in Greece hits home, when you are faced with situations that you have no control over.  Animal welfare is a nightmare, tearful, heartbreaking, frustrating and much more. The tears that are shed are just unbelievable. ROSIE was a female doggy that we had befriended for many months.  She was a gentle soul and never caused any problems to anyone. As long as she got food and water, she enjoyed affection and a kiss on the nose.  Sadly though, she always appeared pregnant and had her babies, but we never found any of them.  I vowed that I would get her sterilized, but the cost was pretty expensive, but there were ways to try and get round this.  After her last litter, we still didn't find her puppies. However, one day though, driving up the country lane we saw ROSIE walking down. I just thought that maybe she was just taking a walk. Then on the other hand, I thought she might be moving on to another location, or perhaps to go and be with her puppies, wherever they might be.  We continued on our journey as we had an appointment to attend.  But on our return down this same country lane, ROSIE was walking up slowly with something in her mouth.  It was an animals foot of some sort.  The car was turned round and we kept our distance.  ROSIE kept stopping and looking round.  So we stopped too.  Then I jumped out of the car and started to walk a a great distance behind her.  Into the fields she took me.  Up and over the barbed wire fencing.  Bloody me with being scratched to high heaven, but it was worth it, because I think she was taking this leg to her babies.  Further through the thicket I ventured, until I came to another open field, which looked pretty secluded.  Then I heard the yapping of the babies and saw ROSIE.  She came to me and so did her babies.  It was such a delight to watch the activity and be part of this.  This was her area to protect them and keep them safe.  Away from cruelty and hatred.

The puppies were fed daily and on some days you could hear them yapping away.  But they were playful little soldiers.  On other days, they were nowhere to be seen and that included ROSIE, which was alarming.  Anyway things settled down a little.  We continued to feed, whilst at the same time being vigilant in case we were spotted.  But these were open fields.  No houses within the area, so hopefully no-one should bother us, or so we thought.  My main concern was to ensure they didn't have Parvos and I wanted to take each of them to the vet to get them checked out.  Sadly though, even though they were fed, it was difficult for them to trust us, or come near us.  The food was left and slowly one by one they came out to eat, but as soon as a hand was put out to try and stroke, they fled.  

No matter what, they deserved a chance and so did ROSIE.  My priority was to try and find homes for them and get ROSIE sterilized, which I managed to do with a few donations received.  I added more and it was made possible to get her done.  Ah the sheer delight of knowing that she would not have any more babies was great.  After the operation, she went for post op care for about a couple of weeks and then came back to the open field, which was a huge mistake.  

ROSIE waiting at the vets

I will never forget the day we took her to the vet. Immediately after, I got a call from him, enraged that ROSIE was full of fleas and ticks and had contaminated his practice. She was a field dog, what was I supposed to do?  Wasn't it up to him, to spray her?  I wouldn't have minded, but his practice wasn't exactly squeaky clean either.  I was taken aback and asked whether he wanted me to go and clean up, but he said no.  I apologised and said that this was the first time, he should have advise me that before she was brought in, we had to spray her.  His last words to me were "Never again with you".  So did this mean he would not help us again?  Only time would tell.  Sometimes they are so pathetic and need to be in the real world.  All the strays that we care for are full of fleas and ticks. They live in the open fields.  We do our best with the resources we have and care for them as best as we can.  It is not enough, I know, but at least it is better than ignoring their plight. 

MY FAMILY

What we didn't realise was that we had a family. BILLY was the dad, ROSIE the mum and their babies.  Another puppy was part of this group and he was called HAPPY. Anyway, shortly after ROSIE returned, things changed drastically.  My family went missing for a good few days. Something didn't feel right at all in this particular area.  It was like an air of cleanliness. Totally empty.  My insides just churned away and I felt very sick.  Why would they just disappear? Had they been harmed or what?  On one of our very early morning feeds, they were spotted miles away from the usual feeding area.  Mid morning this particular day, we went searching for them and there was no sign of them at all.  So they must wander. As the days passed, they did turn up again, but it was hit and miss. Sometimes they were in the usual spot, other times there was total emptiness. What is noticeable is that when a dog is sterilized a red collar is put on with an ID number and contact number.  This collar had been removed.

HAPPY

Nothing prepared us for what was to happen further and the pain still lives inside me today.  We went to feed as usual, under the big tree, but noticed HAPPY didn't come bouncing up like usual.  He was probably about 4/5 month old and such a delight.  Full of energy, full of life and deserved a home.   I went down to him and noticed he didn't stand up.  I put food down and saw that he ate, so I wasn't too alarmed, but then I noticed some wounds on him and when I tried to touch him, he yelped in pain.  This didn't look too good for this soldier, so it was a case of getting him into the car as best as possible and off to the vets.  Various options were discussed of what might be with happy or what might not be, but it depending on the X-Ray results.  Within a few minutes, we were given these and it was disbelief.  His poor little spine had been shattered in 4 places.  There was no hope for this soldier and no chance whatsoever.  I sobbed and sobbed my little heart out.  It couldn't be true, but it was.  He had been harmed, viciously!!!!  As a result he was put to sleep.  I kissed the brave soldier and prayed that the angels would care for him now.  He didn't deserve any of this cruelty.  Why I will never understand.

A few days later after finishing feeding, we were walking back to the car when a Greek lady stopped and starting chuntering about problems with dogs.  She couldn't speak English and we couldn't speak Greek, but we understood.  I just shouted at her and said she and the Greeks were the problem of animal welfare.  We were nowhere near the houses, so what was her problem.  Looking back, I think I was enraged with her. Maybe a little overboard, but I couldn't help it.  But each day after this, it wasn't the same.  HAPPY had gone, what next was waiting for us, I wondered?We had a friend.  The local farmer, whose field we thought we were trespassing told us to feed the puppies and doggies closer to his farm, because of FOLAS. Folas is a food that is given to innocent creatures, which effectively is poison.  He also said that the Greek people were very cruel towards animals.  What a nice farmer he was, but it was much to late for us.  

Days had passed and there was no sign of my family.  Had this woman done something that we weren't aware off or what?  Searching and searching was painful.  I posted SOS's on social networking sites, but didn't get any response at all.  Did I expect the Greeks to react?  

One day, we were driving back from feeding the strays and I noticed in the distance some black things in the field.  Was it my imagination or was I hoping to find something?   We stopped the car and I jumped out and went into the field searching. I just broke down, because I couldn't believe what I found.  Dead puppies.  They had been poisoned. Only 2 bodies were ever found, so I am not sure what happened to the rest of my family.  This was a bloody living nightmare.  They didn't deserve to be poisoned, neither did HAPPY deserve to be beaten horrifically, to shatter his spine in many places.  Many times, I in particular feel like running away from the horrors of all of this.  But you can't.  One has to continue, because there are many more innocent brave soldiers that need our help.

Weeks have now passed and there is still no sign of BILLY or ROSIE.  Even though the bins were searched at the time, further bodies have never been found.  I only hope and pray that they are still alive and some kind soul has taken them in.  With ROISE this is possible, but with BILLY this will not be possible.  

Good bye dear friends wherever you might be.  Never a day goes by, without me thinking that I might see them again.

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