Crash landings in Kasos - by Anna Stamatiou, Trustee

It has taken a long time for the small island of Kasos in the south-eastern Aegean to form a local welfare group.  It’s a tiny community.  There are only about 900 permanent residents after all, and many of them struggle with subsistence farming – scratching a living from arid and rocky ground that has been overgrazed and depleted down the years.  There are enough olive trees for the people to produce their own year’s supply of oil, while the sheep and goats (too many for the land to support naturally – thank you, EC subsidies) have to have their diet supplemented with bought-in feed corn. 

So it’s a tough place to live, and there is no inclination to sentimentality when it comes to animals and their welfare.

Nevertheless, there have been gifts of surprising creatures made to the municipality over the years, probably in a misguided attempt to support the local community by providing an “attraction” that might serve to amuse the locals and draw in much-needed summer visitors.  A pair of ostriches (both male… ooops!) turned up at some point; a pair of fallow deer followed; someone went abroad and abandoned a colourful macaw.  When a pair of Shetland ponies was donated they soon began to breed and now there are nine of them! 

Conditions at the menagerie where all these are housed are not as good as they might be.  Lack of funding too often means that standards of cleanliness and availability of food and water can be serious issues.  Animals don’t have appropriate space or good enough shelters.  Various people began protesting and also agitating for something to be done for the stray cat and dog population.    About a year ago a welfare group was formally constituted and began working in a more organised way than before.  Automatic cat-feeders have since appeared in town, placed there to try and support the colonies that struggle to survive the winter.  Neutering trips have also taken place, and conditions for the equines at the menagerie have recently begun to improve. 


Two Eleonora's falcons

GAWF’s Equine Team has visited three times in four years and you can read reports of those visits here.  After castration of the two Shetland stallions the herd will not, now, grow larger, and the birth defects that would have been the inevitable consequence of severe inbreeding will be avoided.
While the welfare group expected to be involved with improving conditions at the menagerie, and to do something to control the numbers of stray companion animals, perhaps its members didn’t bargain for some of the other challenges that have since come their way…


In September, a couple of wounded, rare and endangered Eleonora’s falcons were found – within a day of each other – and there was general consternation… who could diagnose what was wrong with the birds?  There is no vet on Kasos.  But Isabella, the group’s President, rose to the occasion and quickly arranged for the pair to be sent to Athens by ferry where ANIMA – the wildlife rescue organisation – was able to care for them.  Pictures of the birds on their way to recovery appeared on social media, and word went round.

The pelican, resting

So a couple of days ago, when a large, grey pelican fetched up in someone’s garden, limping a bit and clearly exhausted, the locals swung into action like a well-oiled machine…

Young mum, Dionysia, posted a photo… farmer, Filippis, arrived on his tractor and took the bird home where he tenderly fed it and gave it water.  His wife, Julie, and dance-teacher, Eliza, gently persuaded the bird into a cardboard box for a journey while it was otherwise occupied trying to eat Eliza’s knee, and it, too, has now arrived at ANIMA’s rescue centre. 

This novel interest in animal welfare seems to be providing the small community with a whole new sense of pride and achievement.  Long may it last!


Julie and Eliza preparing the pelican for travel

Filippis shows his tender side



A positive initiative from the Greek Police - by Anna Stamatiou, Trustee

It’s probably fair to say that when anyone mentions the Greek police, the image that most quickly springs to mind is of lines of officers behind Perspex riot shields trying (and failing) to keep order in front of the Parliament building in Syntagma Square, Athens. 

The image I have chosen is fairly typical in that respect.  And here’s Loucanicos, the riot dog too, giving the massed ranks a piece of his mind.  But, we are assured, all that is about to change. 

Following a pilot project that ran from April to June this year, a new initiative is now to be rolled out nationally.  From the 7th of September, the police announced, there will be a weekly “citizen’s hour” at every police station in Greece!  People are encouraged to come in and speak to the senior officer about any kind of criminal activity that is causing them concern.  Not only private individuals can come… the invitation extends to societies, groups and associations of all kinds too.  So from now on, each Monday evening between 6 and 8 p.m., there should be a listening ear at every police station. The idea, as announced, is for a dialogue covering every aspect of police work in the community to be started and then maintained.  It is hoped that this will lead to better informed and more responsive policing, while at the same time greater understanding of the role of the police develops in society, and confidence in the police service grows.  

Naturally, welfare groups are seeing this as an opportunity to air concerns about criminal cases of neglect, abuse and poisonings in their local communities, and to urge officers to act.  It has to be said that complaints concerning the abuse of animals have not, to date, always been given high priority by the Greek police. 

So, will it turn out to be window dressing or something real?  Time will tell. 

Clare's stay in Greece - Part five

It’s my final week in Kefalonia and my mind set has changed – I no longer feel I have ‘a future’ on the island as I’m now counting down the days.  Having said this, I’m determined to make the most of the last week and try and enjoy my time as I have done over the preceding weeks.  But I know I can come back and do the same again next year and this cheers me up! As the six weeks has gone so fast I’ve decided to come for eight weeks next time.  With this in mind, and the cost involved, I know I need to find a house which is smaller and without the pool!  The pool’s been lovely but haven’t used it that much, preferring to spend time on the beautiful beaches where the dogs can easily get into the water to cool down.   I’ve been looking at houses on the internet and even been to see a couple so the ball is rolling!

There has been a traffic diversion in place on the island during my stay.  There was a large earthquake on the island in January 2014 which damaged part of the coastal road on the west side of the island, making it dangerous to use.  Whilst the authorities discuss and debate in true Greek form the best way around the problem, the diversion  remains in place which means that a wide circuitous route must be take around the east side of the island to get from one end of the island to the other.  The diversion takes you through some beautiful countryside and allows staggering views across the sea to Ithaki, its neighbouring island, but does add a considerable amount of time and mileage to the journey.  So, everyone works hard to make sure they don’t have to make the trip more often than they need to and people help each other out with shopping and chores that need to be done in the capital.

I had planned to donate one of the dog’s beds and some blankets to the ARK (Animal Rescue Kefalonia) rescue centre which is located near to Argostoli, and which GAWF supports.  So, when taking Sarah to the airport, it seemed sensible to go there at the same time, as I knew I wouldn’t be in that area again during my stay.  Having never been to an animal rescue centre, Sarah was unsure about whether she wanted to go, worrying about what she may encounter when she was there.  But she decided to come with me in the end.  When we arrived I was pleased that the wonderful Marina (who I met when here two years ago and who runs the centre), was there.  She speaks very little English (and I speak very little Greek) but luckily, an English volunteer, Gill was there and we were able to find out what is happening with the centre at the moment.  They currently have around 350 dogs (including 36 puppies from the last few days) plus numerous cats.  I had warned Sarah that the sound of the barking is deafening when you arrive, as the dogs all clamour for your attention as you walk through.

 

Clare and Sarah with Marina at ARK

The animals are either rescued from the streets (if they are strays and need medical help), rescued from abusive situations or simply abandoned by their owners on the streets or at the gates to the centre.  The numbers sadly are increasing over time, and this seems to be linked to the current economical situation in Greece.  Having said this, I have noticed in Greece in general over more recent years, more Greek people with dogs as pets, walking them on leads.  This is a good sign, together with an increase in the number of vets operating on the islands.  So it seems that things are improving, albeit at a slow pace.

We talked about how hard just putting down food and water every day for 350 dogs must be, without any of the other tasks such as cleaning out the pens, giving them medication and making sure that they are happy and suited to the dogs they are sharing their pen with.  They also spend a lot time dealing with the police and the courts in trying to bring perpetrators to justice.  So many people on the island are involved with the charity and help out in any way they can.  And Marina, works 365 days a year – the dogs still need feeding on Christmas Day!  What a task, and I felt overcome with admiration for her.

We made a small monetary donation to the centre, which Marina was absolutely thrilled with.  She wanted a picture taken with us and even put on some lipstick which had been given to her recently, for the occasion! 

It was an emotional experience for both of us and Sarah told me later that it has really given her food for thought in terms of possibly taking a rescue dog on at some point in the future.  I can’t recommend it enough!  Having any dog is a privilege but to take a rescue gives you an added feeling of satisfaction, knowing that you’re giving that dog a loving home where they can be given the attention and time they deserve.



Clare and Poppy and Dexter - ready to go - but already making plans to return next year!

My stay here has now come to an end, but what a fantastic time I’ve had. It was better than I could ever have hoped for and the great thing is that it will still be there next year for me! I said my goodbyes to all the people I met, including the wonderfully hospitable owners of my house, Claire and Nikos and headed off to the port in Sami to catch the ferry to the mainland. 

Goodbye Kefalonia – see you next year!!

Clare

Clare's stay in Greece - part four

My friend, Sarah, came and went.  Although only here for 4 days, we had some great times together.  All low key and little effort required, we took the dogs out in the mornings, usually to the beach, chatted over coffee and breakfast in local cafes, sunbathed, chatted and of course, ate lots of the delicious Greek food!!  We both said how lovely it was to relax and not to have to rush off somewhere. 

The dogs went crazy when she first arrived at the house, as they know her so well and she has such a soft spot for them both.  On day two of her stay, she actually got them both swimming in the sea.  What a moment in history for us all!  Dexter looking relaxed and calm and Poppy skimming through the waters looking like a little otter.  I posted a video on Facebook of Poppy swimming in the sea, but not so the Dexter video, as my over-the-top excitement at this historic moment would not do my street cred any good!  So for my blog here, just a picture or two to capture the moment.

Clare and Dexter in the beautiful sea!

A short while ago my friend Hayley texted me to say she couldn’t meet me for a walk, as she was taking care of a small dog she’d found wandering around the local village.  The dog clearly had some sort of illness or disease as its skin was encrusted quite badly and she was taking it to the vet in Argostoli, the capital, to try to find out what was wrong with it.  At this stage Hayley didn’t know whether it belonged to anyone and if so, whether it had been abandoned so she decided the most important thing to do whilst making enquiries was to look after the little thing.  The vet sadly confirmed that the dog had leishmaniasis, a common disease in Greece and other southern European countries, where the dog is infected by being bitten by an infected sandfly.  I had read up on it before arriving here, giving Poppy the course of injections to guard against it (but not Dexter, as he is terrified of the vet and I decided not to put him through the stress of three separate injections which is what is required) and put special collars on both dogs, which impregnate the animal to act as a repellent against the sandfly. 

Pericles when Hayley found him

But the good news is that the dog was diagnosed with cutaneous leischmaniasis (of the skin) and if treated, should not spread to the vital organs.  She got the medication he needed and had the vet trim his toenails, then took him back to her apartment where she bathed him, removed his ticks, gave him a flea treatment and bathed his sore eyes in camomile. 

In the meantime, Hayley heard that the dog did indeed belong to a local family and it had simply got out of the garden.  She took Pericles (as she had called him after the influential Greek Statesman of the Golden Age) to the owners and discovered that they had had his condition misdiagnosed by means of a photograph sent by email to a vet.  So they had been treating him for something completely different!  She explained everything to the family and handed over his medication and all the details they needed to continue to look after him.  Whilst many people on social media claimed that she shouldn’t be sending the dog back to owners who they thought didn’t seem to care, Hayley felt strongly that they did care but that the cultural differences and to an extent lack of knowledge meant that they didn’t show their love in the way we would expect them to.  For example, although they planned to put him back on a chain in the garden, they also fed him well and he had his own kennel to live in.  Over time, with Hayley’s help and encouragement, the family have made changes to the way they look after him and now he’s not even being kept on a chain!  I think this goes to show that in many cases, it is better to work with people, giving them guidance and support, rather than take other more drastic measures which may result in a less favourable outcome. 

Pericles back at home and on the road to recovery

One day whilst taking the dogs for a stroll up the lane, I was stunned to see what looked like a small pig emerging from the foliage at the side of the road.  At first I thought it must be a garden ornament of some sort, belonging to the house nearby.  When I saw a slight movement I realised that it was indeed a real live pig, or should I say piglet, measuring only about 18” from the tip of its nose to the end of its tail.  It spotted us and in its panic, fled towards us rather than away from us, skirting around the dogs at the last minute and squeezing itself through a 6” by 6” hole in the wire fence into a neighbouring field.  I asked around but no-one seemed to know who the pig might belong to and as it had disappeared there was nothing more I could do other than hope it found its way back to its owner.  It crossed my mind that if a pig was spotted loose on the road in the UK it would probably end up on the front cover of the local paper, but not here, just a normal day to day occurrence.  I still wonder every time I walk up the lane, how fear of me and my dogs clearly got him through that tiny hole in the fence!

So, no more animal stories for now but feel sure there will be something else of interest happening over the forthcoming days, in time for my blog next week.  In the meantime, I will continue to enjoy my time with Poppy and Dexter, getting them in the sea whenever I can, enjoying the local food and wine and trying not to think about the inevitable, the day I have to leave this wonderful place.  Still, it’s a while away, and I’m going to enjoy every minute of it.

Clare's stay in Greece - part three

Life continues here on Kefalonia at a leisurely pace.  Although I have my work to do, which I tend to ‘get out of the way’ in the mornings, I still have time to enjoy our early morning walks before it gets too hot, to drive along the empty roads with views to the sea at every turn, relaxing in the garden with a book and early evening walks with the dogs. 

I realise that being here for six weeks rather than one or two weeks changes everything about the way you do things.  You spend time finding out about how things work (as you will need to know!) and you invest time in forging relationships with people which you wouldn’t necessarily do to such an extent during a fleeting visit.  There’s also a sense of not having to rush anything – getting a suntan, trying the best restaurants or seeing the sights.  There’s plenty of time for everything which I love.

Platon when Hayley first recued him

I was very quickly introduced to Hayley, an English girl who fell in love with the island in 1999 and has been coming here every summer since, this year she’s here for 6 months!  This makes my six weeks pale into insignificance in comparison!  She told me how she rescued a young dog from the side of the road near Argostoli, the capital, last summer.  The poor creature was skin and bones and despite clearly being starved, receiving attention and affection from her was more important than the food that she offered him.  Hayley took him home with a view to finding someone to adopt him, but after two weeks of lying on her back doorstep (with just his front legs inside the kitchen so he could keep an eye on his rescuer wherever she was), she slowly fell in love with this creature and of course, we all know where the story is going.  Hayley made a decision to keep Platon (after the Greek philosopher – the name she had given him) and her life changed from that moment.  She took him back with her to London for the winter, he came back out with her in April and so the pattern is set for the rest of his life. As a local said to me, ‘Platon got lucky the day he met Hayley’.  How true. 

A very happy looking Platon and Hayley now

So, Dexter and Poppy have a new friend, and Dexter and Platon play together for as long as we will let them.  Hayley’s introduced me to some local walks including the one she calls the ‘round the block’ walk which takes in stunning views of Lefkada and Ithaki islands as you go around the circle. 

Platon's life has been turned around thanks to Hayley and is now a far cry from his days of living on the street 

About a week ago I came out of the house to take the dogs for our morning walk, when I came across a small bird on the driveway.  Its legs were splayed out to the side, and its chest and head forward, face down on the ground.  After quickly getting the dogs into the car, I picked the bird up to take a better look.  It looked poorly; apparently injured and not at all alert.  I panicked a little as I realised I needed to do the right thing for this little soul, but wasn’t sure what that was!  I knew I couldn’t just put in down in the garden and leave it to the mercy of a hungry cat. I called the friendly vets in Sami to see if they could give me any advice on how to look after the bird.  He immediately said that if I could bring it in (or could find someone else to bring it in) he could see if he could work out what was wrong and perhaps give it a ‘boost’ to help it.  If he couldn’t help it himself, he could send it to the wildlife rescue centre in Athens!  They would hopefully be able to rehabilitate it over time.  Amazed at this, I asked him how the bird would get to Athens to which he replied ‘on the bus’.  I did my best not to laugh as I formed an image in my mind of this little bird sitting proudly in the middle of the front seat of the bus, under the watchful eye of the driver!

So, with this in mind, I acquired a shoe box from my neighbours, punched some holes in it, and popped the little creature in it, surrounded by tissue paper and a bowl of milk.  I left it in the house and set off to Fiskardo in search of someone who might be making the journey to Sami (1.5 hours round trip). Hayley had suggested I tried taxi drivers, the baker and the postman, all of whom might be making the trip anyway which would save me doing the drive.  I also asked the man in the chandler’s who I already knew, if he knew of anyone.  He asked me what sort of bird it was (perhaps thinking it was a bird of prey or some endangered species) and when I answered ‘a sparrow’, I can only describe his look as bemused.  He said I must be a very kind woman and was I married?   It was only later that I realised that everyone must have thought I was the mad English lady. 

Sadly I couldn’t find anyone, so I headed back to the house.  I walked in to a loud chirping from the box!  Amazed, I gingerly lifted the lid off the box and to my amazement, he was standing up, his head up and eyes open!  Elated at the improvement, I fed him bits of biscuit (no worms to hand) and watched over him for a while.  I then started wondering if actually he was a fledgling and had fallen out of the nest…..a quick search on Google said that I should put the bird back where he was found, securely in the foliage, and if the mother is still there, she will help him.  As I had no evidence that he could fly, I wedged the box in the trees near where I found him and crossed my fingers.  To my surprise, just ten minutes later, he had gone from the box.  I suspect that he hopped out onto a branch, but as the foliage was dense I couldn’t be sure.  Later that day, during the early evening, there was a cacophony of birdsong outside my bedroom window, louder than I’d heard before, and hoped that it was the sound of a happily reunited family.  I felt I had done my bit, as best I could, and slept soundly that night.  So, once again, the episode showed me that despite all the animal welfare problems in the country as a whole, that there are still people, organisations and means of helping animals when you need it. 

My friend Sarah arrives today from England to stay with me, so I will be writing my blog again next week once she’s gone and life is back to normal. 

GAWF/Animal Action's Equine Team in Paros - by Mary Price

Mary Price is one of the people on Paros who helps us to plan and organise our outreach visits there.  Both Mary and Marielli help us a great deal by spotting equines in need and contacting their owners to ask whether they would be willing for our team to treat their animals and teach them about improving welfare, which makes our visits even more worthwhile. We thank Mary, who is a journalist, for this contribution.

Two workshops on equine welfare were the highlight of the 2015 GAWF visit to the island of Paros in the Greek Cyclades.

School children feeding a donkey

On the opening of their three day stay Vet Elisa Geskou and Farrier Aris Vlachakis  were joined by 3rd,4th and 6th grade children from Kostos’ Primary School for a workshop on donkey welfare.   This was a unique experience for everybody.

Teaching children about donkey welfare

They watched in fascinated silence as donkeys had their teeth examined and treated. As she worked, Elisa explained that, like people, donkeys need tooth care. ‘If teeth are too sharp or have hooks it makes it difficult for a donkey to eat’ she told the children.  ‘And if they cannot eat they die slowly and painfully from starvation’.

School children watching and learning

‘It’s the same with feet’ added Aris, donkeys need their feet cleaned and if their nails are too long they have to be trimmed. Otherwise it is hard for them to walk’. Heads nodded sagely, this was all new information.

 The lesson went on for the best part of an hour and the team took the opportunity to explain that donkeys can live for 40 years and during that time need food, water, shelter from heat, cold and rain and above all they should not be hobbled.

An example of hobbling

‘No hobbling’ agreed the children, it is not legal in Greece’  ‘I’m surprised they said this’ observed Elisa, ‘because almost every animal on this island is hobbled - often with disastrous consequences.’  She added ‘maybe with more work the new generation will change this practice. ‘But,’ she pointed out, ‘it is always slow to change old ways.’

A common injury from hobbling

On day two in their drive to encourage people to change the island tradition of hobbling the GAWF team were joined for the second year by Nick Turck from FARMCARE UK (www.farmcareuk.com).
Over the last year GAWF and Farmcare have worked together to find the most effective ways to demonstrate the benefits of electric fencing to the rural community of Paros.  Farmcare has generously volunteered funds, time and effort to work with GAWF to develop a strategy for managing electric fencing in a way which is suitable for the conditions which are particular to farming on Paros.

Elisa and Nick demonstrating safe use of fencing as an alternative to hobbling

Cost and the danger of fire caused by sparks from the fencing in the hot dry summers were two of the major concerns for equine owners. Cost is minimal and is offset by the economic returns from the value of undamaged animals and simple management rules mitigate against fire - was the message from Nick Turck.

Elisa giving an educational presentation

Elisa researched the damage done to animal skeletal development, not to mention the high casualty rate which is caused by hobbling. To illustrate her findings she made a powerful presentation to those who joined the workshop. This generated a lot of questions and promises of action. It remains to be seen if change does take place but the knowledge was passed on and it was encouraging that the Paros Mayor Markos Kovaios came to observe a demonstration of the all round benefits of electric fencing in action.

 As Nick Turck pointed out ‘This year I think we have communicated everything about electric fencing. The local teams are now skilled in every aspect of it. Each visitor to the fencing workshop was given a set of comprehensive leaflets packed with information on where to find support and how to work on new ways of welfare management.

An elderly donkey receiving treatment

Guided by the tireless local organizer, Marielli Andreopoulou, and state vet Nikos Tsigonias, the GAWF team treated  46  donkeys, mules and horses during their visit. As well as routine treatment they had to deal with a series of casualties.  A donkey kept alive with a leg broken as a direct result of hobbling,  a series of  neglected donkeys all hobbled too tightly, a foal with a knee abscess, now happily treated, and a horse with a broken knee.

Educating a donkey owner

‘It’s  a normal tally’ said Elisa before adding ‘but the great thing is that now we are known on the island, people are coming to us. It’s taken five years, but people trust us here which is good. It means we are moving forward’.

Treating long feet

With that the team moved on to care for the equines on Naxos - an island which has embraced electric fencing but has its own challenges…

You can read a report about the team’s visit to Naxos here 

Aris trimming feet

More hobbling



Injecting a donkey

Feet before trimming
 

Feet after trimming

Clare's stay in Greece - part two

After the distress I encountered last week on my arrival in Greece, my feeling of sadness and paranoia lifted in the forthcoming days, helped greatly by the beautiful and peaceful surroundings of my new home.

Poppy and Dexter having a rest near a local church

My olive mill house is situated in a small hamlet in the north of the island, with the wonderful owners, Nikos and Claire on one side and the old farmhouse which is also rented out, on the other side.  My garden leads onto thick woods which run down to the sea and is a peaceful haven for my stay.  Nikos and Claire have a well-tended and productive organic fruit and vegetable garden which I have free access to whenever I wish. At the moment, there are courgettes, lettuces and cucumbers in abundance with tomatoes and strawberries on their way.  I love the natural simplicity of wandering over in the sunshine and picking something to cook for dinner.  It makes staying in a joy!

It only took a few days to meet some of the local characters; Greeks, holiday makers and ex-pats, so I already feel at home, especially when people wave as I drive past!  My worries about feeling isolated whilst here disappeared very quickly.  Days have formed a familiar pattern of taking the dogs for a morning walk along the many trails and paths, doing my work on my laptop, relaxing in the sunshine and eating Claire’s courgette pie!  Taking the dogs with me for dinner, however, is a stressful experience as Dexter clearly wants to have fun with the local cat population.  I made the mistake of tying him to my table on one early occasion to restrain him but to my horror, on seeing a cat, he took the table with him.  I now tie him to my chair leg to anchor him to avoid any more embarrassing episodes.

As I mentioned in my first blog, the horrific practice of putting down poison to ‘control’ the local dog population is all too prevalent and so I made an appointment with my nearest vet, to establish exactly their location in case I needed them at short notice, but also to find out what to do if either Poppy or Dexter were poisoned.  They explained what to do, and demonstrated how to administer the necessary drugs.  They spent at least half an hour with me and made no charge for this advice and help, as they said it was ‘in the interests of animal welfare’.  I went away with a supply of drugs and was reassured that I could help my dogs if I needed to.

Because of the situation with poisoning, although I have also been reassured by various people here that there have been no cases of dogs being poisoned in this part of the island, precautions become a necessary part of everyday life.  I know from work in animal welfare, that poison is mixed into food and often left near public waste bins, by the side of the road and in public places such as parks.  So I keep the dogs on a tight rein when out and about but have made a decision to let them roam free on the beaches and the rural walks as I feel that these are not areas of risk.

Clare and the dogs relaxing at home

 
As I’m now nearing the end of the day, and we still have some sunshine, I’m going to take the dogs for another walk.  No doubt there will be more news from this beautiful island next week!