How it all started
My husband Dennis and I had reluctantly agreed to go on holiday with two friends to Greece in 2004, we didn't enjoy this the first and last holiday there, we were so upset and saddened by the plight of most Greek animals that we decided to try to help as best we can........ We only go to Greece now, to help the animals at the shelter.
I am knowledgeable about animals, being a dog groomer, being involved with and having tried to help animals all my life and always have a large number of dogs and cats as part of our family, Dennis is great at making things out of nothing and fixing things that seem beyond repair, but we CANT do this alone!
We got involved with a shelter in a non-tourist area which is really struggling, the dogs were desperate for food which over time we now manage to supply every day, it's a massive effort to find in excess of 2,500 euro per month required for this alone. Shelters in Greece are nothing like the ones in the UK, most beggar belief!!!! There are NO bodies of people in Greece to protect animals, NO nosey neighbours, NO passing dog walkers to raise the alarm for an abused/neglected or suffering animal...... Animals have few friends in Greece.
The few people at this shelter have limited knowledge of animals and even less money!!, Lack of food and veterinary care is always an issue. We try to make life a little more tolerable for the many dogs and large colony of cats, the dogs NEVER leave there concrete pens even for a walk, there is just no man power for this, no tourists visit, their lives are sad, very tough and boring.
There is never enough time on visits and we try to cram as much as possible in, Dennis tries to build kennels, concrete pens, mend anything that needs attention, broken gates, fences, nails that are sticking up, sharp pieces of wire are always an issue, one of the first jobs was to build a large house for the loose cats and dogs to shelter in, there are always puppies just abandoned and left to fend for themselves....
I am knowledgeable about animals, being a dog groomer, being involved with and having tried to help animals all my life and always have a large number of dogs and cats as part of our family, Dennis is great at making things out of nothing and fixing things that seem beyond repair, but we CANT do this alone!
We got involved with a shelter in a non-tourist area which is really struggling, the dogs were desperate for food which over time we now manage to supply every day, it's a massive effort to find in excess of 2,500 euro per month required for this alone. Shelters in Greece are nothing like the ones in the UK, most beggar belief!!!! There are NO bodies of people in Greece to protect animals, NO nosey neighbours, NO passing dog walkers to raise the alarm for an abused/neglected or suffering animal...... Animals have few friends in Greece.
The few people at this shelter have limited knowledge of animals and even less money!!, Lack of food and veterinary care is always an issue. We try to make life a little more tolerable for the many dogs and large colony of cats, the dogs NEVER leave there concrete pens even for a walk, there is just no man power for this, no tourists visit, their lives are sad, very tough and boring.
There is never enough time on visits and we try to cram as much as possible in, Dennis tries to build kennels, concrete pens, mend anything that needs attention, broken gates, fences, nails that are sticking up, sharp pieces of wire are always an issue, one of the first jobs was to build a large house for the loose cats and dogs to shelter in, there are always puppies just abandoned and left to fend for themselves....
I try to make the dogs feel more comfortable, whether it be by treating minor injuries, wounds, bad ears, long nails etc. or a welcome haircut, in the heat of summer it’s a relief for those with heavy or matted coats and some of the dogs come into the shelter in a terribly neglected state, we like to flea and worm the animals too but can’t very often because of lack of funds.
The task of just cleaning the many pens, feeding the dogs and making sure they have water starts very early and ends after dark...
All dogs and most of the cats at the shelter are neutered. Sometimes new cats appear looking for food which are wild and not easy to catch even with traps. We make sure every new animal arriving at the shelter is neutered and endeavour to do as many strays as funds will allow. (See Neutering Trips page)
The ultimate is when we can passport a very lucky few Greek rescue dogs, so they can escape the existence they endure every day and have a happy life at last, Greek dogs adjust amazingly quickly from having nothing and make the most wonderful, loyal pets, all they need is a chance.
All dogs and most of the cats at the shelter are neutered. Sometimes new cats appear looking for food which are wild and not easy to catch even with traps. We make sure every new animal arriving at the shelter is neutered and endeavour to do as many strays as funds will allow. (See Neutering Trips page)
The ultimate is when we can passport a very lucky few Greek rescue dogs, so they can escape the existence they endure every day and have a happy life at last, Greek dogs adjust amazingly quickly from having nothing and make the most wonderful, loyal pets, all they need is a chance.
