Lacta, a sweet newborn

Lacta, a very young kitten, arrived recently. She’s a sweetie different from the others.💕 Sadly she is an orphan as her mother was found dead. Thanks to the teachers of the primary school of Aegiali she has come to us safe and sound.

Here is a small video from her arrival into a box for sweets: https://youtube.com/shorts/UhafrL3XRP4?feature=share

and one more of her first day in our care: https://youtube.com/shorts/ybnCq7RvtOY?feature=share

Here at AZI’s Center she will be treated to the best care we can offer! If you’d like to help please consider a virtual adoption or a donation. More info can be found here.

Rescue of a Eurasian sparrowhawk

January 2024—Early in January, we were informed by the local veterinarian Dr. Dimitrios Simos about an injured bird in a field in Chora. Dr. Simos brought the bird to our Center where it received first aid. The next day it was sent to the Alkyoni – Aegean Wildlife Hospital in Paros.

The bird is a Eurasian sparrowhawk, Accipiter nisus (for more info visit https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eurasian_sparrowhawk). Its injury was one of the worst fractures we have seen on a bird's wing. Luckily the fracture is in a ‘good spot’ and luckily our partners at Alkyoni have a lot of experience and do an exceptional job, so we hope that it will be free to fly the skies. However if that isn’t possible, he will remain with other disabled birds at Alkyoni's facilities in Paros. 

Alkyoni – Aegean Wildlife Hospital is doing amazing work for wild birds in Greece and we thank them very much for that. If you want to learn more and would like to consider supporting them, visit https://alkioni.org/

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Help for Billy

Billy is just a 6 month old kitten but his life has already been full of difficulties and hardships. Billy got trapped in the engine of a car and somehow he was lucky enough not to get minced. But he did sustain a bad wound in his tail and a very bad fracture on his right hind leg which requires orthopedic surgery or amputation. On top of that, he is suffering from a very bad infection of fungus causing him to lose entire tufts of his fur.

Yet despite this, his sweet personality came through. He is a very tender and sweet creature. For us, there is no question. When a leg could be saved with surgery, amputation was not even an option. So we contacted an orthopedic surgeon vet in Athens and scheduled Billy's surgery for the morning of January 19.

But we will your help to pay for this procedure. The cost of the surgery itself is 600 euro plus 24% VAT, so 744,00 euro in total. Billy needs also to take a syrup against fungus which costs 56,00 euro, so the minimum we need to collect is 800,00 euro.

He is eating well and gaining weight and he is also incredibly cuddly and sweet so after all he will need a home. And of course he will need all your positive energy and thoughts because Billy is an underweight, unvaccinated, full of fungus stray kitten and the risk during anesthesia is big.

Every little bit helps ... If you’d like to help, please consider supporting our efforts with a donation. We appreciate your help, no matter how small: https://tinyurl.com/Donate-AZI

Sweet Zoe needs a home!

In June 2023, one and a half- month-old Zoe came to us suffering from an eye infection and respiratory disease. We began an intensive treatment that cured the respiratory problems but she had already lost her right eye and the infection to the left eye threatened to leave impaired vision. This would have been disastrous for her as she was already blind in one eye and was in danger of becoming completely blind. Thank goodness after long-term treatment we managed to save the left eye!!

Since then Zoe is fostered in our Center as when she completed her treatment was too young to return back to the streets, and then winter came! She is 8 month old , is spayed and vaccinated. In spring, when the weather turns warm again we will return sweet Zoe to her neighborhood…unless someone is willing to adopt her. Life in a warm home is always better than the life on the streets, and as a friendly kitty, we hope a loving family will come forward and give her the happy life he deserves. How about yours?

An August kitten

A tiny creature came recently into our hands. He was found crying alone for several hours on the path to Kastri. He is growing in the experienced hands of Angeliki and once he gets a little older he will be available for adoption. Stay tuned!

Marios' broken jaw

His name is Marios for a very good reason! Marios got hit by a car and he is still alive thanks to the sensitivity and persistence of a woman from the neighborhood where he lived. Marios comes from Xylokeratidi, an otherwise safe area for cats.

Being hit by a car has cost him a badly broken jaw, but the dangerous thing was that after the accident he was so scared, that he was hiding from people so that he could not be caught to get help from the vet. Due to the fracture, he was not able to eat.

Angela made a lot of effort to find and catch him for many days without a result. When a week had passed since the accident, she decided that on that day he must be caught or otherwise he would not survive. So she asked for help, which was given to her!

The local vet Dimitris went on the spot where the cat had been hiding from the previous day and as soon as the cat felt safe, he went straight to him. The next day, Marios traveled to Naxos where he had surgery.

Marios is now back at our Center where he will remain for at least a month. He eats with appetite, he gained weight and he is more relaxed and happy!

Another soul was saved because a human being cared for him!

Thank you Angela!

Please, don't ignore an animal that looks like it's in trouble—ask for help. Every creature's life is precious.

Here are two short videos of him:

https://youtube.com/shorts/gRfUxCz5gww

https://youtube.com/shorts/vExzPOEK7zo?feature=share

Porthos is adopted!

In the summer of 2021, four tiny orphaned kittens came to our care: 3 boys and 1 girl, the Three Musketeers and princess Avgi. Not even one week old, with their eyes closed, they could fit in our palms.

Α "human" took them from their mom and threw them in the street like they were rubbish. It took us an entire month of intensive care (and loss of sleep!) until they began to eat on their own. Almost four months later two of them, Athos and Avgi, traveled to their new family in Holland. They had been adopted by the best family who had already adopted another Amorgian kitten, Siouti.

But Ute’s heart was left behind in Amorgos, with the third kitten, named Porthos who had stayed back. She tried to convince her husband Edouard to adopt him too. Porthos was an animal that really needed a home— life as a stray on the streets was not for him and Ute knew that. After nagging Edouard day and night about it she finally managed to convince him. So on her last trip to Amorgos in May she finally got the OK to bring Porthos back to their home in Holland and to reunite him with his brother and sister. The wandering life of an outdoor cat came to an end for Porthos and we were very happy about it.

Ute and Edouard thank you from the bottom of our hearts for once again opening your home and your hearts to creatures in need. Thank you for what you have offered us and the animals of Amorgos. Have a happy and great life together!

Here is a small video of Porthos at his new home!

Here you can find his story: https://www.animal-zone.org/news/2022/1/7/dhr4wweucx1u8k9u1qs2kymy5aluxa

And here the adoption story of his brother and sister: https://www.animal-zone.org/news/2021/11/8/athos-and-avgi-are-adopted-in-holland

Ruby is now a Dutch citizen

UPDATE JAN 2023— Ruby, now Vincent, has been adopted!

***

In July, we received a phone call concerning a kitten that got into a car engine and was almost turned into mincemeat. He was a tiny little creature, only 2 months old. The extent of the injuries was very severe and we were not at all certain that he would make it.

His suffering was immense and he had just started his life. But the little boy turned out to be a great fighter. He overcame everything and the only thing left to remind us of the accident is one missing ear and a crooked right leg. We called him Ruby and you can read his full story here:

https://www.animal-zone.org/news/2022/9/20/meet-ruby-our-special-kitten

Time passed and Ruby grew up but the long-awaited and hoped for adoption news did not come. (There was an almost chance, but it was canceled because the little one tested positive for Feline Infectious Peritonitis (FIP) 1/100).

So our one and only Ute Kohlmann, whom we really don't know how to thank anymore, decided to take him to the Netherlands so that he could have a better chance of finding a home there. Ute searched and found a girl, named Kim, who will host him (maybe eventually fall in love with him and adopt him, perhaps?) and during this time she will help us look for a permanent home for our sweet Ruby. We hope that the new year will bring him own home with a family to adore him.

We would like to thank Kyriaki, Julia and Polykarpos who supported Ruby during his hospitalization and accompanied him on his journey from Amorgos to Athens; Pepi and Daniel who once again opened up their home — they not only hosted him but also escorted him to the airport; Kim who opened up her home to host him in the Netherlands; and finally Ute: we have no words for her anymore...Thank you seems too little…

Here is a small video of Ruby in Athens where he stayed for about 10 days:

https://youtube.com/shorts/r8_T2-O7NP0?feature=share

As you can imagine, his medical treatment was costly—please help us help others like Ruby by making a donation here: https://tinyurl.com/Donate-AZI

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A Box of Kittens

Not one, not 2, but 3 kittens were abandoned inside a box and left in the parking lot of Tholaria. The kittens were there from morning till afternoon and no one cared until a good-hearted man took them with him.

But that man was in Amorgos only for a short period of time and eventually had to go back to his hometown, so he needed to find a place to leave the kittens. And soon he found out about us and asked for our help. Of course we couldn’t refuse and the kittens came to our Center.

They are 2 girls and 1 boy, only one month old, healthy and playful babies. In the period during which the kittens came to the Center, we were fighting against a virus which was causing severe diarrhea, so it was not at all the ideal place for the kittens to stay.

We made an appeal to find someone to foster the kittens in a healthier environment for them. Our dear friend Angeliki once again responded immediately to our appeal and took home the 3 kittens along with two more that had been found earlier that month. The boy has already been adopted by Angeliki and her family, but the two girls are still looking for a home.

Our work is never done—there are always new arrivals who need food, shelter, and medical care. Help us by making a donation here: https://tinyurl.com/Donate-AZI. The kittens will be forever grateful!

Two orphaned kittens are adopted

It was 3 pm on a day in the midst of our autumn sterilization program when the mobile of our program coordinator rang. Two tiny kittens had been crying since early morning while the mother was nowhere to be found.

The weather in Chora where they were was too cold and windy for them to stay alone any longer so we ran over to pick them up. The boy was huge for his age and in good condition but very hungry. The girl on the other hand was half the size of her brother, only skin and bones, with hypothermia and respiratory problems—a difficult case.

We were afraid that she wouldn't survive. We started intensive care with frequent small amounts of milk formula for kittens, vitamins, antibiotics, and heating agents and despite the odds not being on her side the little girl proved to be a fighter.

Two days later, the kittens were given to Angeliki who volunteered to foster them. That same day her family decided to adopt them so it was one of our fastest adoptions ever. In Angeliki's experienced hands the kittens got stronger, grew up, started eating on their own and have brought the house up and down with their energy. The little girl who was named Popi will soon travel to Athens where a new sister is waiting for her. Thank you so much Angeliki for all your support and efforts.

Foster homes are a great help both for us, as it opens up space for another animal in need, and for the animal itself, as it learns to live and behave in a home environment, so it is properly prepared when adopted. If you cannot adopt a cat, consider fostering a cat so you can be part of its life's journey.

Here are two short videos of them:

When they were found: https://youtube.com/shorts/q_ymmyNC_Jk?feature=share

When they started to eat by themselves: https://youtube.com/shorts/f98Vuw55088?feature=share

Rosa, a kitten who lost her eye

A young lady contacted us to ask our help for a kitten who lived in her neighborhood in the village of Kamari of Amorgos. It seemed the little cat's eye had developed a serious problem, apparently from some accident the animal must have had.

We advised her to bring the kitten to us as soon as possible so that we could send her to our vets in Naxos. The next day, the kitten who in the meantime we named Rosa, traveled to the nearby island of Naxos where our vets examined her.

Unfortunately, her left eye was completely destroyed and was causing her terrible pain, so the only solution was the surgical removal of the eye, which took place on that very same day. Two days later, Rosa was returned to our Center where she will remain for the next 2 weeks to complete her treatment.

Ideally, we would like to find a home for her instead of sending her back to the streets, but adoptions have not been easy this past year, so we don't have much hope. In case you want to adopt a kitten, Rosa is a very sweet, affectionate and playful little creature who is in a real need of a home. For now, we are asking for your help to cover the cost of the surgery.

Please help by donating here: https://tinyurl.com/Donate-AZI.

Thank you!

Here are two short videos of Rosa before and after the surgery:

Before the surgery: https://youtu.be/k8IThB-sF0I

And after the surgery: https://youtube.com/shorts/4UVrk69izbU?feature=share

Meet Roumi, our new rescued puppy

August 2022—Meet Roumi, a sweet young female puppy. Originally Roumi was adopted and brought to Amorgos but that owner was extremely neglectful, irresponsible and clearly unable to properly care for her. She was often alone on the streets, tied to signposts next to main roads all night, or left under the sun on the beach without any protection etc.

We received many calls from concerned citizens regarding for her well being, sometimes in the very early morning, about 4am or 5am. Finally she was taken in by a nice girl who refused to give her back to her owner, knowing how poorly he cared for Roumi.

She made a complaint to the police and asked us for help, which we gave with great pleasure by taking the puppy under our care. Now Roumi is with us and we are looking for a caring family who will treat her with the love and respect that she deserves.

Welcome Roumi!

Progress Report 2022

Our coordinator Litsa put together the slide show below, showcasing some of our more difficult cases so far this year.

WARNING: some of the images are graphic and therefore may be upsetting to some people.

As you can clearly see, these animals need our help! Some are suffering needlessly. For us to continue to do the work we do, we need your help! Won’t you make a donation today? https://tinyurl.com/Donate-AZI.

We thank you from the bottom of our hearts!

Jordan, a three-legged kitten

JULY 2023—Little Jordan, only three months old and weighing just over 3 lbs (1.5 kilo), was hit by a car, and sadly one of his legs was completely dislocated. Since he lives on Amorgos and there is no surgeon here for emergency care, there was no possibility of saving the leg, and unfortunately, it had to be amputated. He was sent to the vet on Naxos and then returned to Amorgos in our care. We’re happy to report that he is doing well, getting used to walking on three legs, and has the sweetest meow!

Soon he will be healthy again and we will look for the best home for him. But in the meantime, we are asking for your help to cover the cost of the surgery. Please help by donating here: https://tinyurl.com/Donate-AZI. Thank you!

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Saving Napoleon

Although the practice of tying up an animal’s legs is now prohibited by law in Greece, in much of the Cyclades people still use this method as a means of restraint. And while everyone knows this is illegal, most times it is quietly tolerated by locals. It takes tourists visiting the island who, appalled by what they see, take action and call the police.

This happened a few days ago in Amorgos on the beach of Aegiali. Some tourists were surprised to see a badly limping donkey there. Two of its legs were tied together and the rope had cut a deep wound into one of its legs, which was covered with flies. The poor donkey was clearly in pain and walked with difficulty. The tourists immediately sought help by calling the police and reporting the abuse.

The police officers soon arrived with a representative from the Municipality. After fruitless attempts to find the owner (fines for such cases ranges from 5,000 to 15,000 euro), they handed the donkey over to the Municipality of Amorgos, who then brought it to AZI’s shelter the next morning.

The donkey is an old boy, approximately 30+ years old, malnourished, and has great trouble walking due to the many years of having his legs bound together. We decided to call him Napoleon.

Napoleon is hesitant and fearful of people. On the day he arrived, local veterinarian Dimitris Simos cleaned the wound on his leg. In one way Napoleon was very lucky because on the day after, the equine team from Animal Action were coming to Amorgos for their annual spring visit. Through this amazing program, Napoleon received comprehensive healthcare that included a dental exam, an overall physical, and care for his hooves.

Three days later, another veterinarian, this time from Naxos, examined him by request of the police (required in cases of animal abuse). Each of the veterinarians determined that Napoleon was not fed enough and developed mobility problems due to the practice of tying his legs together for long periods of time, so much so that even after the rope was removed, he continued to walk stiffly (see video).

We hope in time Napoleon will recover from this abuse and learn to trust humans. It is a terrible shame that after so much publicity and education regarding this outdated practice, it still continues. Our work isn’t complete until the day this abuse is eradicated from the island. If you can help us with this cause, please donate here. Thank you!

Kyveli, the baby goat

December 2021: Kyveli was found alone crying and very hungry on the mountain. She must have been only a few days old as her umbilical cord was still attached to her belly. She was discovered when she ran up to a couple out for a walk, hungry and crying for her mother. The couple looked around but saw no other goats there on the mountain so finally they took her with them and called AZI for help.

Our program coordinator Litsa became the main caretaker for sweet Kyveli, and we are looking for a suitable placement for her, hopefully within a herd of goats so that she would not be alone, and, of course, only if it was agreed that she would be safe to live out her life naturally.

Arrival of 2nd Baby Monk Seal

Sept 2021—On Friday September 24th, not even a week after the appearance of the first baby monk seal, a second baby Mediterranean monk seal of the protected species Monachus-monachus was found. This time it was in a remote area of Aegiali and appeared very weak. A French man who lives in Amorgos spotted it and, realizing that something was wrong, immediately contacted us for help.

We in turn reached out to Dimitris Synodinos, owner of the Amorgos Diving Center, as he would have the means to approach the beach. Soon the experts from MOm (an organization dedicated to the study and protection of Monachus-monachus) saw that it needed immediate care. Volunteers from the Amorgos Diving Center went out to the spot with additional equipment and brought the baby seal in safely.

Our program coordinator Litsa Passari and the volunteer Chariklia Psaki transported the baby back to AZI's Center. They immediately came in contact with the local vet and in cooperation with the expert from MOm provided first aid. The baby was a girl, a little bit older than the first one found at the port of Katapola, but she was in a very bad state, showing signs of difficulty in breathing and clearly very weak. It was decided that she needed to go to Athens, to the facilities of MOm, where their specialists could offer her more intense care which she required. So someone stayed by her side all night, monitoring her, and early in the morning she was placed on the boat to Piraeus where the volunteers from MOm were waiting to take her.

But unfortunately and with sad hearts we must report that she died on the trip to Piraeus. An autopsy performed showed she in a very advanced stage of pneumonia. The vets at MOm said that even had she made it to their facility there was no chance for survival as the pneumonia had already progressed too far.We had hoped she would recover and return to the sea where she belonged but she flew instead to the sky. But we feel blessed because for a few hours we were touched by this precious treasure of the Greek seas which we are determined to protect in every way.

The Mediterranean monk seal Monachus-monachus is the rarest seal on Earth. With a estimated population of less than 600 in the world, it is one of the rarest and most endangered animal species on the planet and is characterized as critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. About half of the population, around 250-300 seals, live in Greece. The fact that the largest population of these endangered seals lives and reproduces in Greece make our responsibility for their conservation and protection against the dangers they face a responsibility we take seriously.

We want to warmly thank MOm for all its support, guidance and cooperation and for the fact that they are the guardian angels of the Mediterranean seal in Greece—they do an incredible job. We also want to thank Philippe P., who spotted the baby and recognized it needed help. As well we thank the Amorgos Diving Center (Dimitris Synodinos, Iakovos Vlavianos and all the rest team) for taking immediate action and helped to transfer the baby to us. Finally thanks go to all the volunteers who helped and offered their time and support.

Baby Sparrow

July 2021—Three weeks ago at the square of Katapola a baby sparrow was found by some children. The chick was skin and bones and where he was, was an easy target for cats. Τhe children didn't know where his nest was in order to put him back so they brought him to our Center.

At this age, chicks need feeding every 1-2 hours so he became attached to our coordinator Litsa so she could feed him whenever he needed to. Now, three weeks after his rescue, Babis as we call him has grown up and is healthy and strong. He will soon be ready to return to nature, thanks to the children who rescued him!

Four Kittens

July 2021—Not 1, not 2, not 3 but FOUR newborn kittens were rescued recently.

It appears that the kittens were taken away from their mom and left in a box in Ormos of Aegiali. They were crying through the night into the next afternoon until a goodhearted girl realized that they needed help and decided to take action. She bought milk and started to feed them and then called us. Soon the kittens came under the care of Litsa, AZI’s coordinator, who took over their care, including feeding them every 2 hours.

The kittens are now about 1 week old and the first one is starting to open his eyes. They are 3 boys and 1 girl and we named them Porthos, Athos, Aramis (the 3 bodyguards) and princess Avgi. When they reach the appropriate age they will be available for adoption. They are extremely sweet, round, fluffy balls who purr nonstop.

We’d like to mention here that Animal Zone International and the Municipality of Amorgos offer free spaying/neutering for the island's stray cats to the residents of Amorgos. Keep in mind it’s much better and more humane to prevent unwanted kittens than to leave them to certain death. And thanks to all who support us in our mission of humane animal welfare.

UPDATE Nov 2021: Two of the kittens have been adopted! See the story here.

Rescue of a sparrow chick

June 2021—Our coordinator Litsa was heading to throw out the garbage when she spotted a cat with something in her mouth. She could not see the bird’s head as it was in the cat’s mouth, just 2 legs and wings.

She was in a dilemma. To let nature be or to intervene? It did not take much thought. The cat is well fed and cared for by a nearby family and could eat whenever she wanted. The bird however would lose its life which as Litsa soon found out had only just begun.

So Litsa opened the cat's mouth and took the little one who tried to fly, but as it could not get very high it was still at risk of being picked up by another cat. So Litsa picked the chick up (feeling its heart pounding like it was playing the drums) and examined it. There was some bleeding from his mouth but other than that there were no other injuries.

The bird drank some water and managed to calm down in a quiet, safe place. Litsa also gave him a meal and a little more water. Soon he had clearly recovered his strength and it was time to return to nature where he belongs. When he was brought out in the sun he was ready to go and flew off well.

We hope you can do it, little one. And please stay away from cats.