The Municipality of Amorgos, in collaboration with Animal Zone International and the Greek Action of Volunteer Veterinarians (GAVV/EDKE), held a 2-day sterilization program for stray cats on March 4 and 5, 2023. A total of 69 stray cats (42 females and 27 males) from most of the villages of Amorgos were sterilized. In addition, a surgery was performed to remove a carcinoma from the ear of a stray cat.
In addition, all animals received anti-parasitic treatment and were tagged electronically (microchip).
We would first like to thank the volunteer veterinarians who participated in the action, in particular Dimitrios Papatriandafillou (chief of mission) and Nikos Kakatsidis (who came from England to volunteer his services), as well as Iovi Kotzatisoglou and Elena Gerostathopoulou, for their help.
We sincerely thank the shipping company BLUE STAR FERRIES which is always helpful in the needs of our island and offered free transport to the vets and the GALINI pension and specifically the Despotidis family who offered free accommodations, the MOURAGIO restaurant who offered free dinner both evenings, GLYKA TIS POTHITIS and TELION who offered breakfasts, ELICHRYSON and PANTOPOLEION GEFSEON who offered lunches. But a big thank you also goes to our amazing volunteers: Chariklia, George, Angeliki, Anna, Melina, Lamia, Alexandra, Wendula, Evangelia, Asimakis, Georgia, Michalis and Manolis who collected and released the cats and helped at the clinic, and of course all the inhabitants of the island who helped each in their own way.
Our spay and neuter programs are vitally important for both the cats and the islanders. Without this effort, the cat population will explode to unsustainable levels. Cats reach breeding age very quickly—at just 6 months they can have two or three litters a year. When there is an explosion in the cat population, it is difficult to feed and care for them all and they soon become parasitic and diseased, suffering from malnutrition and common infections thus increasing discontent in the community. When the cat population is under control, we can provide them with appropriate food and anti-parasitic treatments so that their overall health improves, which reduces the risk of them being considered a nuisance pest. Suffering is reduced and harmony is achieved—a win-win for all.
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.
