Rescue Stories

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January Cats

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Manos

Manos

Scoombi
Scoombi

Manos was brought in on January 21st. He is approximately 6 months old and has white shadows under his eyes. He is being treated with Neomycin drops and dewormed. Initially he was being treated in the habitat where he was found but doing this proved too difficult and he has been brought to the clinic for treatment.

Scoombi was found on the road and brought in. He is blind and was dehydrated when he was found. He has been treated with the antibiotic Baytril and physiological serum. At present he is being kept at the clinic.

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A Major Rescue Operation

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The nine puppies that constitute the Fluffy Family (as they have become known to those who visited them at the improvised kennel at the Municipal Camping site in Amorgos) can now add a third F, that of "Fortunate," to their denomination, thanks to the indefatigable work of Lamia, Elephteria and Juliette who rescued them from the most unusual, and hard to believe, circumstances. They were all born and forced to live in a minuscule apartment in Katapola, together with their mothers, and father, and brothers (fifteen dogs altogether) plus their masters, of course, and their child.

Despite the most unhealthy conditions for both humans and animals, it was not easy to convince their lawfully inconsiderate owners to let them go. No rational explanation will ever suffice to explain the mad attachment and the irresponsible carelessness  of the family that caused their own dogs so much pain and discomfort.  As we all see, education is urgently needed and AZI is sustaining an education program throughout the island.

Once the puppies were liberated, however, their stories have taken a radical turn for the better:  Spiro went to Poland; Asproula went to Thessaloniki; Theresa (almost blind), Pepito, Iggy Pop and Parizaki went to Holland thanks to Juliette. Bobby Marley and Leo have been “reserved” buy Dutch families while Jimmy Cliff will be fostered by Juliette herself until a proper accommodation can be secured.

 

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Belly Ache in Katapola

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Well this is what happened: this young fellow from one of the car rental places in Katapola, the one at the edge of the village, as you face the open sea, saw me wandering about without anything to eat and took me to his office. Then he went out and bought some can food. I thought I was in heaven. I had not seen so much food in months, actually weeks (I am a very young cat) and ate it all up if there was no tomorrow. After a while, though, I began to feel the effect of my binge.

I won't tell you the kind of pain and the scare it gave. I think it's worse than a tooth ache, though I haven't had any so far, and I should not be making comparisons. Clearly it was the wrong kind of food, except that my savior had no clue. He thought cat food was cat food and that was it. It goes to show that educational programs (and the right kind of food) are urgently needed. But I was lucky, in the end. The Vet came by and gave me a shot that put an end to my misery.

And I heard that AZI is raising funds to buy the kind of food it takes to feed me and the other kittens who might run the risk of being done in by the very people who intend to save us.

 

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Piperina

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My name is Piperina, not Pepperina or Paperina. The Philozoike people hardly knew how to spell my name, when they asked me to join Paola, the mare, who did not particularly welcome my arrival. Now we are getting along well. She gets most of the apples and carrots, however.

The problem is I am rather old and do not move as fast as she does.  Furthermore I do not see very well… I mean I hardly see at all. But do not tell Paola, please. Also, I tell you, these new friends may leave something to be desired when it comes to naming donkeys, but they take very good care of me. Actually Azi has made it possible for me to be treated with a new medicine and it maybe, it just may be, that I get back some of the sight I lost. Here you can see Doctor Despoti putting some green stuff into my eyes. She is assisted by Vangelitza, one of the earliest most devoted member of Philozoike. Too bad you don’t see much of her in these pictures. When I start seeing again I’ll teach them how to frame a photograph.

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Saving a Hawk on Amorgos

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A beautiful hawk with a broken wing was found by an elderly couple in their garden. They called Dr. Despoti, who was driving around the island with Paola looking for colonies of stray cats. In less than an hour, the hawk was found, treated, and prepared for a journey to Paros, five hours away. Will it survive the journey? Will it be fit to be treated at the Wild Bird Sanctuary? Good news arrives that evening. The hawk survived the overnight crossing. Two days later the news is even better: the hawk can be cured, its wing will heal. After a period of recovery in Paros, it will be returned to Amorgos where it will be released into the wild.

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Paola the Mare, Our Latest Addition

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Paola the Mare

Paola the Mare

Sept 2010 — Responding to a call for help from members of the new animal association (PMAA), this summer AZI became aware of the tragic existence of a mare, donkey and mule, owned by a shepherd but not cared for by him. They lived without shelter, not enough food, insufficient water, and with their legs tied tightly together (see photo). It upset a tourist from Athens so much that he notified the police and pressed charges, but without any consequence.

Mule with legs tied

That justice is being sought is significant; however, these animals require immediate attention, especially the mare. We have learned that the donkey and mule were bought by a local shepherd and unfortunately, we are unable to locate them at this time. As for the mare, with the help of the Mayor, the owner was persuaded to sell the mare to the newly formed animal association.

AZI has pledged the money for her purchase and upkeep, and she will be kept on land offered by the Mayor. AZI is financing the construction of a fence and shelter for her. We hope to save and purchase other horses, mules and donkeys (which, incidentally, are now an endangered species on the island, due to mistreatment). Most of these animals are abandoned, castaway as unfit for work, in the middle of nowhere, with no food, no water, and with their legs tied together to restrict their movement.

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Paola the Mare - Update

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Paola the Mare and her new fence

Dec 2010 — A fence has been constructed for Paola and she is being cared for by our vet, Dr. Despoti. However, there are still a couple of missing items before she can be safe and sound in her new home. First, as the winter is soon approaching, we are urgently planning and preparing to build a shelter/stable for her in the fenced-in area. The stable will hold up to 4 animals and will have storage space for hay. Second, in order to get hay for Paola, it must be ordered and shipped from Athens, a costly expense. We are working furiously to raise funds to cover these very important needs.

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Abandoned Puppies

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Kouros
Zo

Oct 2010 — In September, three tiny puppies were found, abandoned in a parking lot in Katapola. Members of PMAA, the new animal society, took them in and are caring for them. Our new vet Dr. Despoti has given them a check-up and will be vaccinating them as soon as they are ready for them. We would like to find homes for them as soon as possible. In fact, one already has been adopted to someone on Amorgos. The other two (pictured below) will be listed for adoption with our friends in Holland. If all goes well, we hope we will soon be filling out passport applications for the pups to travel to their permanent homes!

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Bios and His Mother

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Bios when he first arrived

Bios and his mother

Bios and his mother

August-September 2010 - During the month of August Bios' mother brought him to the garden of Animal Society co-founder Manolis and left him there. Bios needed immediate attention: swollen belly, infected eyes, parasites, etc. His mother comes back daily to check on him and play with him. One eye was saved and his general welfare is improved immensely.

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Johnny Depp

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September 2010 - This is the story of Johnny Depp. In 2009 when he was a few days old, Johnny Depp  was found in a garbage bin by Vangelizza, one of the founder of Philozoic Merimna Association of Amorgos (PMAA) and a driving force behind the movement and its organization. Named after Vangelizza greatest love, he responded with great enthusiasm to the requirements of his role. He is now a happy member of the  Azi family.

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Pocopico, Greek for "Cheetah" (Tarzan's monkey)

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Pocopico wasfound outside Chora's town hall. He was brought to Sophocles Prekas, one of the founding members of the local animal association, whose reputation for caring is known throughtout the island. Now cleaned, vaccinated and properly nourished, Pocopico is now beginning to enjoy his life and the company of his friends.

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Dewey, Huey and Louie

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Dewey, Huey and Louie (all female) were found in a garbage can in the area of Rachidi when they were only 1 day (!) old—their umbilical cords were still on them. One of AZI’s volunteers took them in her house and did her best to keep them alive. She followed the veterinarian’s orders on how to bottle-feed them every 2 hours, how to take care of their closed eyes so that they wouldn’t get infected, and how to keep them clean, warm and safe. Her efforts was a big success, as now all 3 cats are now 2 months old, can eat by themselves, and are very healthy, active and playful.