News & Events
We have built a temporary cat shelter on land that has been lent to AZI by Monks of the famed Monastery of Hozoviotissa. A strong, tall fence has been put up and we plan to move cats, dogs and saved goats there until a permanent place is available.
Even as a temporary shelter, it is very beautifully constructed and we believe our cats will love it here. The first residents—6 cats—arrived this week, and as you can see they are happy to run and play in the trees, sunbathe and enjoy themselves.
The Greek Animal Welfare Fund/Animal Action Greece equine team will return to Amorgos on June 9 & 10, 2014. The team, invited and partly sponsored by AZI, consists of a veterinarian and a farrier who will offer their services for working animals (the donkeys, horses, mules) of the residents for free.
On June 9th, they will be in Kat Meria and Katapola. On June 10th, they will be working in Aegiali and Chora. Last year they treated 48 animals in total. We hope this year will be as great a success!
GAWF poster for June 2014
Every year Filozoiki Merimna Amorgou organizes an Easter bazaar to raise money for the animals. The bazaar ran from April 15-17, 2014, in the central square of Katapola. For sale were many beautiful candles, decorative Easter baskets, liqueur, tasty biscuits, sweets, jams and juices--all handmade.
Visitors were also able to learn about the actions of the Filozoiki and how much work is being done to help the animals of Amorgos. It's wonderful when people support the efforts of the organization and buy their candles from the Filozoiki!
At the end of March, we began a vaccination program with veterinarian Dr. Despoti. First, the cats at the center were vaccinated. Next, we focused on the cats in the various colonies in Xylokeratidi, Katapola, Ag. Georgios Valsamitis and if we still have vaccines left we'll continue with Ag. Barbara and Aegiali. Each cat was also given a medical exam. Our goal is to vaccinate 150 cats--wish us luck!
With the help of four volunteer vets, Dr. Maria Despoti, and a final year veterinary student, we completed a two-day program of sterilization and vaccinations with great success. 88 cats (46 females and 42 males) and 1 dog were spayed/neutered, vaccinated for rabies, and examined and treated for fleas and ticks. Thank you, thank you, thank you to all who were a part of this huge effort!
The team of EDKE with the volunteer Mairi Tavernaraki and Litsa Passari
With the help of three veterinarians of EDKE and Dr. Maria Despoti, 109 cats and 2 dogs were sterilized on Amorgos over the weekend of November 9-10, 2013. We have to thank our volunteers who worked for two days without a break for the success of the program. They are:
From Aegiali: Giwrgos Kantarakias, Lily Clevede, Mairi Tavernaraki and Jack Mestre From Chora: Νikoleta Kolyda, Anna Kolyda, Marina Pistevou, Giwrgos Anzoulakos and Spyros from Cafe Giasemi From Ag. Georgios Valsamitis: Εvangelia Mavrou and from Katapola: Angeliki Palioura, Litsa Passari, Lamia Enan, Hariklia Psaki, Eleytheria Psaki, Rania Thiraiou, Giannis Vassalos and Gewrgia Symidala and the policeman Konstantinos Kypriotakis from Chora who brought 2 cats
Mairi Tavernaraki (volunteer from Aegiali), Litsa Passari, Angeliki Palioura (president of Filozoiki) and Rania Thiraiou (volunteer from Katapola)
Cat Waiting Room
Below, left: Stefanos, the son of the president of Filozoiki Merimna Amorgou Mrs Angeliki Palioura, has become best friends with the donkey Lambro. Stefanos takes Lambro out for walks very often, and Lambro stays very calm with him. Below, right: Maria comes almost every day to visit the center with her babysitter. You can see how much she enjoys the company of the animals. She and Liza, the rescue dog, are good friends. She also gives big smiles to the kittens.
On October 4th, World Animal Day, Animal Zone International and Filozwiki Merimna Amorgou visited several primary schools and kindergarten classes in Amorgos. The teachers and students welcomed us with great joy and they happily participated in our program. Children were taught about the rights of animals, heard a fairytale that spoke about love for people and animals, and learned the proper way to approach a dog. Copies of the children's books that AZI published were also distributed.
Luigi Ballerini, Deputy Mayor Stamatis Simos and Peter Fasseas
Paula Fasseas feeding Daisy, an AZI rescue dog
Donald, an AZI rescue cat, sleeping at our facility
Rita, member of the Philozoike, with her rescued dog Cicla in Muros, Amorgos
Litza feeding an abandoned kitten at our facility in Pera Raxidi
Alexis and Josephina
The visit with the Fasseas family is going well and has been especially lucky for Josephina, one of the many stray dogs of Greece—she's been adopted by Alexis! As you can see, they have already become good friends. A dinner was given in honor of the Fasseas family, hosted by the Philozoike of Amorgos. Here are, from left: Peter Fasseas, Alexis Fasseas, Paola Mieli, Paula Fasseas. From the right are: Panaghiotis Coveos; Nicolaos Fostieris, the former Mayor of Amorgos; and Angelike Palioura, the president of the Philozoike.
Dinner in honor of the Fasseas by Pholozoike of Amorgos
Fasseas and Angeliki
AZI is pleased to welcome Paula and Peter Fasseas and their daughter Alexis to Amorgos. Paula Fasseas is the president and founder of Chicago Paws. They are here to tour our shelter and consult on our animal rescue project. Below are some first photos of their visit--more to come! (top) Paula Fasseas with Philozoike president Angeliki Palioura
(bottom) Meeting with the Mayor. From left: Mayor Nikita Roussos, Paola Mieli, Paula Fasseas, Litsa Passari (AZI's Coordinator in Amorgos), and Dr. Angeliki Degleri (AZI's vet in Athens).
Meeting the Mayor of Amorgos
Yesterday was Clean Monday, a public holiday in Greece, marking the end of carnival and the beginning of the 40-day fast before Easter. To celebrate Clean Monday, people head to the mountains or the beaches to fly a kite, eat, and dance. Members of Filozoiki Merimna and their children spent the day together on the mountain Minwa, eating, drinking, playing and walking their dogs. Everyone and had a wonderful time.
Exam room before
Exam room after
Here are BEFORE and AFTER photos of the examination room. Plumbing and electric were updated and new tiles and cabinets were installed. It's a big improvement to the space!
On Friday Feb 22, 2013, members and supporters of the Philozoiki celebrated by cutting the new year cake at the Cafe Elichryson. Cutting a new year cake is a Greek tradition. A coin is baked inside the cake, and whoever gets the piece with the coin is supposed to have good luck in the New Year. It's going to be a good year for the Philozoiki: the coin was found in the their piece!
AZI Inaugural Benefit
After Paola the mare, and Pepperina the donkey, two new friends have arrived at the Animal Shelter created by AZI in Amorgos: Mona, a mule who is over fifteen years old, and Ntaizy the donkey who is - top this! - 30 years old. At meal times Mona becomes a bit aggressive… she has not been fed properly for many years. Ntaizy, on the other hand is very calm and likes to be stroked by visitors and even rubs herself against them. Here you see the four them getting along quite well together and enjoing some peace after so much abuse. It is really wonderful to see animals re-acquire some trust in humans and humans learn how to respect them.
All of them have been a great success, especially, with children, and most of all with Philozoiki founding member Vangelitza, who cannot keep away from them. As the family grows so do the needs to keep well foraged and clean… we need your help!
None of the candles and biscuits went unsold. In photo number one Lamia, Simona, her daughter Lisa, Hariklia, Aggeliki, and Rania and Vangelitsa are seen making the candleware. In photo number three Gitwa, Lamia, Vangelitsa, Aggeliki and Simona enjoy a moment of well-deserved-after-sale relax . This type of fund-raising activity is a sure sign that the Philozoikiis no longer a fledgeling society of well meaning people, but a fully established reality that “means business.” Please join in the effort!
Minoa Hotel
Guests: "Fine de la comedia. End of the show. We are checking out tomorrow. We love your cozy hotel, Stamatis, with all its plants that grow as sturdy as baobabs, and the praying mantis, and the view of the harbor, from the terrace, my God what a view! But we have to leave, so if you would please prepare our bill..."
Stamatis: "We enjoyed having you. Please come back to see us next year. By the way, I heard about your involvement with the Philozoiki, and I'd like to make a contribution. One night is on me. That is, I'll write a check to the Philozoiki in the amount you pay me for one night."
The youngest daughter of Reverend Paraskevas, from the main Church in Katapola (Amorgos), has a whole stable of toy horses. She makes sure to parade them all before her father’s guests.
What’s the name of the one with the golden mane? "Paola," she answers. And the pony’s name? "Paola." And the dappled one? "Paola."
Wait a minute, are all your horses named Paola? “Nai, nai, of course. Paola is my name for hyppo. They are all called after the beautiful mare that was rescued from the hands of a local ogre. She now lives at the stable of the Philozoike, where I go visit her with my brothers and sister.”
A few years from now - at the moment she is 3 - she may learn that using a proper name in lieu of a common noun is a reverse case of antonomasia. Another Greek word? Please give me a break, she will say to her teacher. I care little for rhetoric: horses, I mean paolas, is what I care for.
Mr. Roussos is the new Mayor of Amorgos. Like his predecessor, Mr. Fostieris, he is very much in favor of Animal Zone's initiatives. He could not believe his eyes, however, when he realized that we had schlepped 2,000 AZI paper ashtrays all the way to his island. Flabbergasted as he was, he thought it was a great idea and asked for more!
““Whenever you can... We’ll take our butt dropping cigarette smokers by surprise. So many of our visitors, not to speak of the locals, must think of Amorgos as a vast ash-tray: they leave their smoker’s marks everywhere. These ashtrays are great, I will make sure they are distributed throughout. Disposing properly of cigarette butts goes hand in hand with caring for animals. It will be another step toward learning how to respect nature as a whole.””
In the meantime, Philozoike supporter and chain smoker Sophokles Prekas is setting a public example. And so is Stamatis who owns the Minoa Hotel and distributes our origami ashtrays to all his guests (just in case).
