News & Events
Are you looking for an adorable kitten? These three cute kittens are now available for adoption. Please consider opening up your home and welcoming a new furry family member. If you can't adopt, perhaps you can foster. If you can't foster, perhaps you can make a donation. We need your help to continue our work!
Little Sara has been adopted by a woman who comes to Amorgos from Athens every summer to work in a jewelry shop in Chora. She and Sara bonded right away and now they are never apart. We are so happy that they have become fast friends, and that Sara has found a loving new home.
Every year around this time the kittens start to come in. Seven have been brought to us, and three are being fostered in Aegiali. Read more about them here, and if you can, please make a contribution or sponsor an animal today. Thank you!
Sara arrived earlier this month, when we received a call from the Mayor about a puppy. A frightened puppy appeared at the school in Chora, so the teacher called the Mayor for help, and the Mayor called us to see if the center could take the puppy. We said yes, so the Mayor himself brought the puppy to our center. The puppy, which the schoolchildren named Sara, is a miniature of Lisa. We guess she is 3 or 4 months old, and it turns out she is a very smart and funny dog. When she arrived, her fur was full of fleas and ticks and she was shaking her ears as if something was bothering her, but she was otherwise in good health. Dr. Despoti gave her a check-up and to check if she has microchip or not.
We have looked for her owner, but no one has come forward. Now that it’s been several weeks, it appears she has been either lost or abandoned, so Sara is available for adoption.
She is currently living in the center and she has become best friends with Liza. We hope to find this very sweet dog a loving home soon.
Two new arrivals will soon be available for adoption. Click on the image below to look at Vales and Rigas, adorable kittens waiting for their new home.
Daisy is a purebred pointer, about 6 years old, who was owned by a hunter. Because she hated the sound of the gun, she made a terrible hunting dog so he didn’t want her anymore. In April 2014 traveled to Holland to join her new adopted family. There are 4 other pointers in her new family, so Daisy fits right in. We are so happy that she now has a family to call her own!
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
One recent morning Litsa, AZI's coordinator in Amorgos, received a call from a woman about a young cat and her kitten. The mother-cat is not more than a kitten herself at 7 months old and she did not know how to care for her kitten. She gave birth in a hen house where the ground was dirty and cold and where the kitten was at risk of being stepped on. The woman noticed this and tried to move the kitten and his mom to a warm nest many times, but the mother kept moving him back to the hen house. Also the mother cat left the baby alone for long periods of time during the day and he was not getting enough milk, so we brought the baby and his mother to the center. We will keep the mother and kitten together in a crate for a few days so that the kitten will have a chance to nurse and grow strong. Then, we will move them to the office to give her a rest and where Litsa will keep an eye on them. When they first arrived, the poor kitten was so hungry and cold he purred so loudly when he finally had his mother close by, giving him warmth and nourishment.
We named them Bonnie (the mother) and Clyde (the baby). Once the little one has been weaned and the mom has been spayed, they will be released back to the area from where they came.
UPDATE: July 3, 2014--Mom Bonnie and baby Clyde were released today. After being at the center for about a month, baby Clyde has grown up and learned how to eat by himself. Both were given treatments for fleas, ticks and worms, and Bonnie was vaccinated (Clyde is still too young). They were returned to their home area, which is a big garden outside the village, full of trees, and safe from cars or poison. We'll miss them but wish them well.
Bobby Marley and 14 other dogs were found badly neglected in Katapola, crowded in a dirty room. The Philozoiki was called by the local council to help. Bob Marley (now Bobley) was adopted in Belgium in November 2011 and enjoys his new life in the countryside with six dogs and two horses. Bobley’s owner wrote two books in which Bobley and local volunteer Lamia play an important role, and a third book is in the works.
Kouros and Zoe were found abandoned in a parking lot in Katapola as young puppies. We took them in and found permanent homes for them in Holland. Now they are happily living with their new families!
Yannis was abandoned on Gramboussa, a tiny island with no sources of water or food. Yannis faced certain death had he not been saved by a kind fisherman who heard him crying on the beach. We named the dog Yannis in his honor. Once restored to health, Yannis traveled to Holland and was fostered until the ideal family was found for him. He is now living a happy, healthy life in the Netherlands and enjoys playing and spending time with another dog who also happens to be from Greece.
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!
It turns out that our little Annabel is indeed a boy (!), so he has been renamed Serius. He is happily settling into his new home in Aegina.
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!
On Saturday afternoon, volunteers in Aegiali called Litsa, AZI's coordinator. On a walk to the beach, they found a baby goat, only few days old, and all alone. Thinking that its mother was nearby they left it, but two days later they found the baby goat at the same place, and this time, she was clearly weak from hunger. Anastasia and Giorgos undertook to feed her with a baby bottle and put the word out. A wildlife care center in Aegina came forward and was interested in adopting her. They recently rescued another baby goat from Athens, and they wanted to adopt another one to give their goat some company. We thought that this was the best offer for our little rescue too, so we sent her over. Here are some photos of our latest rescue and her new friend.
EKPAZ’s baby goat Feggaroula, who will become Anabell’s friend.
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!
Gorgeous Loulou was found a year ago (March 2013). She was suffering from respiratory disease and continuous diarrhea. Thankfully, after long-term treatment, she got better, and she now is the white beauty that you see in the bottom photo. She was also vaccinated and spayed and is currently living at AZI's center, waiting to be adopted to a forever home.
Micky is doing great with his family in Holland. Here he is on a recent walk at the park. We are so happy for him!
We have two new baby goats in our care: Thodora and Melenia. *** Thodora was first spotted on the mountain by Angeliki, the president of the Filozoiki. Although Thodora was alone, Angeliki thought that her mother was nearby. But the baby goat had an injured leg, and that was a concern, so Litsa, our coordinator, went to look for her but couldn't find her.
She did, however, find the owner of the baby goat. He told Litsa that he noticed the injured leg for few days. Litsa offered to have the goat treated at the center, and when she was better, the baby goat would be returned to its flock. He agreed and later brought the baby goat over.
We consulted with our vet who gave instructions for her treatment. Day by day her leg is showing improvement and she has started to take small steps with it. In the beginning she was a fearful, wild animal, who was hiding all the time. Now when she hears Litsa's voice, she starts to reply and she comes directly. Litsa tells us she is a very funny little goat!
*** On Sunday, February 23rd, we received a call from a girl in Chora who had seen a baby blind goat in the middle of the main road from Chora to Aegiali.
She had informed all the shepherds who have flocks in the area but after three days and the goat was still there, she turned to Litsa for help. The goat was at a great risk of being hit by a passing car. Immediately Angeliki and Litsa went to rescue the baby goat, who was given the name Melenia.
She was brought to Litsa's garden where she joins Thodora. Our vet was consulted about how to treat Melenia's eyes. We suspect that she was not born blind because she is a fat, healthy baby. It is more likely that due to a sickness she recently lost her vision.
We hope that she will be able to see again one day. Right now, she is still afraid but as she grows comfortable in her new, safe home, we're certain that will change, just as it had with Thodora.
Aris and Zoi were found on the streets in September 2012. Both were very sick. After being treated at the center, they went to a foster home in Athens. Two months later they were adopted together in Athens. In the third photo, you can see how much they love each other and their new home!
