The Municipality of Amorgos is currently completing an important and long-awaited project dedicated to the protection, welfare and responsible management of stray animals on the island: the New Municipal Stray Animal Shelter and Veterinary Clinic, located in the area of Papadies, Amorgos.
The project represents a significant investment by the Municipality in animal welfare and constitutes an important step towards creating a permanent, organized and modern infrastructure for the care and protection of stray animals.
The Beginning of the Project
Following coordinated and persistent efforts by the Municipal Authority, on 24 July 2021, the project entitled: “Construction of a Shelter for Stray Companion Animals in the Papadies Area of Amorgos” was officially included in the PHILODIMOS II Programme of the Greek Ministry of Interior, with a total approved budget of €300,000.
The inclusion of the project in the national funding programme marked a major milestone for Amorgos, providing the Municipality with the necessary financial resources to proceed with the creation of a dedicated facility for stray animals.
Official decision of inclusion in the PHILODIMOS II Programme
From Planning to Construction
The next major step was reached on 22 December 2023, when the construction contract for the project was signed, allowing the implementation phase to formally begin.
On 6 March 2024, the building permit was issued, and construction work commenced shortly afterwards.
Since then, the project has progressed steadily and is now entering its final stage of construction. According to the current schedule, the Municipality expects the facility to be completed by the end of 2026.
A Modern and Comprehensive Facility
The new Municipal Shelter has been designed not simply as a place where stray animals are temporarily housed, but as an integrated facility dedicated to their care, veterinary treatment, rehabilitation and promotion for adoption.
The facility will include:
Accommodation for Stray Dogs: A dedicated area for the temporary accommodation of stray dogs, consisting of eight individual kennels, designed to provide safe and appropriate living conditions while the animals are under the care of the Municipality.
Accommodation for Stray Cats: The shelter will include two separate buildings for cats, allowing for appropriate separation according to their health status:
one facility for healthy cats, and
a separate facility for cats suffering from infectious diseases.
This separation is essential for maintaining appropriate hygiene and biosecurity standards and for protecting the health of all animals accommodated at the facility.
Meet-and-Greet Area: A specially designed animal introduction and meeting area will provide prospective adopters with the opportunity to meet animals available for adoption in a safe and suitable environment.
The aim is to facilitate responsible adoptions and to help create lasting bonds between animals and their future families.
Veterinary Clinic: One of the most important components of the new facility will be its dedicated veterinary clinic, comprising:
an operating theatre,
an in-patient treatment room, and
a veterinarian's office.
The clinic will enable the Municipality to provide essential veterinary care to stray animals, including medical treatment, surgical procedures and sterilisation programmes.
Reception Area: A dedicated reception area will provide an organized point of entry for animals, visitors, volunteers and other users of the facility.
Volunteer Accommodation: Recognising the important contribution of volunteers to animal welfare, the facility will also include accommodation for two to three volunteers.
This provision will make it easier for volunteers from Amorgos, Greece and abroad to participate in the operation and activities of the shelter.
Equine Shelter; The project also provides for a dedicated shelter area for equines, extending the Municipality's animal welfare infrastructure beyond stray companion animals.
More Than a Shelter
The new facility has been conceived with a broader purpose than simply providing temporary accommodation. Its objective is to establish an integrated framework for the protection, treatment and responsible management of stray animals on Amorgos.
The facility will support actions including:
veterinary care and treatment
sterilisation of stray animals
recovery and rehabilitation
temporary accommodation under appropriate conditions
identification and preparation of animals for adoption
promotion of responsible adoptions and
the return to their natural environment of animals that are not adopted, in accordance with the applicable legislation.
In this way, the shelter will become an important operational centre for the Municipality's animal welfare policy, while contributing to the long-term and responsible management of the island's stray animal population.
A Municipal Project with a Community Dimension
The creation of the new shelter is also an investment in the local community.
By providing organized infrastructure, veterinary facilities and appropriate accommodation, the Municipality of Amorgos will be better equipped to respond to animal welfare needs while strengthening cooperation among municipal services, veterinarians, volunteers, animal welfare organisations, residents and visitors.
The project is therefore intended to function not only as a shelter, but as a place where animal welfare, responsible ownership, volunteering and community participation can come together.
Building on the Work Already Being Done
This important initiative of the Municipality of Amorgos comes to strengthen and complement the significant work that is already being carried out on the island by Animal Zone International.
The new municipal infrastructure will provide an additional institutional and operational framework for animal welfare activities on Amorgos and will create new opportunities for cooperation between the Municipality, animal welfare organisations and volunteers.
Together, these efforts can contribute to a more effective, humane and sustainable approach to animal welfare on the island.
Looking Ahead
The New Municipal Stray Animal Shelter and Veterinary Clinic is now approaching the completion of its construction.
Once operational, it will represent a new chapter in animal welfare on Amorgos, providing the island with dedicated infrastructure for the protection, treatment, rehabilitation and adoption of stray animals.
The Municipality of Amorgos sees this project as a long-term commitment to the welfare of animals and to the creation of a more organized and responsible system for their care.
It is a project built not only with public funding and infrastructure, but also with the vision of creating a safer, healthier and more compassionate future for animals on Amorgos.
Municipality of Amorgos
Building a better future for animals and the community.