Rescue Stories

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Tortuel

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Some weeks ago, a young French couple vacationing in Amorgos came across a tiny blind kitten on the streets of Tholaria. They brought the kitten to our Center in Katapola and visited the kitten during the last two days of their stay. Saying goodby to this small being that they had rescued was difficult and they decided to adopt her and bring her to their home in Paris once she had recovered from her difficult time living alone on the streets.

This magnificent couple has traveled from Paris to Mykonos and now to Naxos where they received tiny Tortuel from our veterinarian. She is now living happily in Paris with her loving and wonderful new family. We are profoundly grateful for the kindness and generosity of those who help us in our ongoing work to make the animal kingdom of these islands a safe and healthy one.

Our work on Amorgos is dependent of your donations. Please help us help these helpless creatures and make a contribution today! https://tinyurl.com/Donate-AZI

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New Arrivals

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During a trip to Syros, on an afternoon walk in beautiful Ermoupoli (the capital of Cyclades) we came across three abandoned kittens. Two of them appeared very sick but the third was in better condition. Desperate and not knowing what to do, we called our vet Manolis Vorisis who lives and works in Syros. Manolis sent a volunteer to take the kittens to the clinic where he works.

Sadly, the two sick ones could not be saved. But the third kitten (the tri-color calico), after 2 days of being hospitalized in the clinic, made a full recovery and came back with us to Amorgos. Her name now is Fani.

During the same period another kitten was found abandoned on the streets of Amorgos and was brought to our Center. We named her Frinta. The kittens are exactly the same age so they became immediately friends.

As you can imagine, they have a lot of energy and they do not stop playing. These two adorable kittens are available for adoption—please contact us at azi.amorgos@gmail.com if you are interested. They will thrive in a loving home!

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Sparrow Rescue

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Rescue of the Day

The schoolchildren of the Primary School of Katapola found a small sparrow that could not yet fly and realized it needed some help. They went to their teachers and let them know. 

We were called in to attend to the bird. While there we took the opportunity to say a few words to the students about how one cares for such a small bird. 

We returned to our Center with the bird to look after it, promising the students that we will keep them informed of the health of the little sparrow, with hopes that it would eventually be released. 

A GREAT BRAVO to the teachers and one BIGGEST BRAVO to the students. Today's lesson came to all of us from them.

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Zizi

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In May of 2017, little Zizi was abandoned, together with her brothers, outside of the primary school of Potamos in Aegiali.

After a difficult struggle her small brothers were not able to survive but little Zizi showed a gift for life that helped her to grow strong in her time at our Center. Now, Zizi has been adopted by a local family in Langada, Aeliali where she shares the love and care of a family with two young boys who clearly adore her.

We are thankful for another happy ending for another young member of the animal kingdom.
 

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Ducklings of Amorgos

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The colony of ducks in Amorgos continue to reproduce during the cold of our winters, and, today, six small ducklings were discovered huddled together against the strong winds that beat against our island. Unfortunately these ducklings were in very bad shape by the time that we found them and we were only able to save four of the six Those four are now with us in our Center and are enjoying the warmth of our glowing stove while they grow stronger day by day.

A Sea Turtle is Rescued off the Coast of Amorgos

On September 10 2017, a sea turtle of the protected species Caretta caretta (loggerhead sea turtle) was found in distress at the port of Aegiali in Amorgos.

Dimitris Synodinos, the owner of the Amorgos Diving Center (https://www.facebook.com/amorgos.diving), along with his diving team, found the turtle looking exhausted and realized something was very wrong with the small creature. 

The team immediately contacted the Association for the Protection of the Sea Turtle (Archelon Association) in Athens and were told that it would be necessary to transport the turtle to their facilities so that examination and treatment could begin.

Dimitris then spoke with the port authority of Amorgos who contacted our association, and a kind of human chain was created when we arranged for the boat, Highspeed 4 of Hellenic Seaways, to speed the turtle to the volunteers of Archelon that very same evening.

Both the port policemen in Amorgos and the crew of the Highspeed 4 did a tremendous job in bringing the turtle to safety. We would like to thank Dimitris Synodinos and the team of the Amorgos Diving Center as well as the port policemen of Amorgos and the entire crew of Highspeed 4 of Hellenic Seaways along with the team at Archelon. 

The turtle was given the name Pavlos, and was treated for his injuries at the rescue center. We are thrilled to report he recovered well and on December 13, 2017 he was returned to the sea. See a video of his release here: www.facebook.com/amorgos.diving/videos/1690670217720716/ 

According to Archelon, every year about 300 dead or injured turtles are reported through the National Rescue Network. Most of them have been hit by fishermen who have found them in their nets or longlines and who unfortunately do not realize the consequences that this will have for marine life and fishing.

Learn more about the species Caretta caretta which is close to extinction and protected under the Greek law here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loggerhead_sea_turtle

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Pavlos

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A Rescue of Ducklings

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At nine o’clock on Saturday morning my mobile phone rang and I was told of a newborn duckling in trouble on the beach. Immediately I found the duckling and began a search for the rest of her family but to no avail.

I brought the duckling back to our center to nest with the twenty-seven ducklings that we are already caring for and the baby ate well, drank water and recovered her strength quickly.

Later that day I received a call saying that a mother duck with nine ducklings had been spotted on the same spot where our lone duckling had been found. It seemed best to bring the family back to our center. We now have a total of thirty-seven ducklings in our garden and we know that there will surely be more because there are so many cats that roam our beaches, as well as so many seagulls that swoop down on the tiny newborns.

Over the years the ducks of Amorgos beach have been fed by locals and the adults do well but the babies are easy prey for predators. This is why we bring them back our garden, where they are safe and fed and given water until they are large enough to protect themselves. At that point we release them back into the colony.

We need your support and we ask for your donation. Even one euro is valuable to us and to the animals in our care. We are grateful to have so many online friends! Thank you for joining us to care for the animals of the island of Amorgos.

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Little Zizi Takes Care of her Brother

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Little Zizi, only three weeks old, came to our Center one week ago and, after receiving intensive care, she has begun to eat by herself. She has now transformed into a playful and active kitten.

Yesterday Zizi’s brother was brought to us in serious condition and Zizi has turned out to be the best of nurses. She stays with her brother and licks him and comforts him, and her miraculous care has brought him to the point that we believe this little boy will survive.

The family who had adopted him is looking forward to having him back home and they are seriously thinking of bringing young Zizi along with him. We certainly hope Zizi and her brother can be placed together.

You can see a small video of Zizi's sweet, attentive care here: https://youtu.be/5b2CsBC3zZw

Wild bird rescue

On Saturday March 25th, a bird of the species Botaurus Stellaris was found lying on the ground by a tender-hearted firefighter who brought the wounded bird to us at our center.

We sent the bird to the Alkioni Wild Bird Rescue Center in Paros--https://www.facebook.com/Αλκυόνη-Aegean-Wildlife-Hospital-282833361820028/?ref=page_internal—where it is receiving intensive care.

Hopefully there are no broken bones and the bird will recover, but, of course, we know there might be complications and we hope for the best.

We want to thank Alkioni in Paros for their excellent work and cooperation with our project. They have helped hundreds of birds from Amorgos to recover from injuries and illnesses.

More information for Botaurus Stellaris  can be found here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eurasian_bittern
 

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Little Voulitsa

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Little Voulitsa was living with her mother, Voula, and her three siblings in an area where there had been serious outbreaks of disease and infection. Her mother Voula was released back into her home area after having been spayed but we felt that we could not allow Voulitsa to return with her mother since the area is extremely dangerous for young kittens.

Voulitsa is now six months old and she remains at our Center but she is available for adoption. If a home cannot be found for her, in spring when the weather is warmer, then Voulitsa will have to go back to her area.

We ask you to open your heart and home for Voulitsa. The life of a stray is a very hard life. Voulitsa needs a true home. She is now a healthy and active and playful kitten who loves to be hugged. What a gem!

Her microchip number is 941000016719360 and below, you will find photographs of the beautiful girl she has grown into.

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Plume: The story of a special cat

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Plume was born in the same building in which our Center is located and for ten years he had a loving family and a best friend in his very own mother. Unfortunately, due to the crisis in Greece, his owner, Francoise, could no longer find work and was forced to move back to her home in Switzerland. For Plume, this was the beginning of a series of tragedies that would change his world forever.

When Francoise left, his own mother died suddenly and Plume was left alone. We, at AZI's center, agreed to care for him. But the peaceful and quiet life that Plume had known did not prepare him for a place filled with so many cats that were in our care.

Plume decided that he was happier spending more time outside in the neighborhood but it soon became apparent that he had developed an infection. Our veterinarian treated him for respiratory disease and gave him antibiotics but when nothing seemed to help we decided to send him to Athens for a second opinion. The discovery of a nasal fistula began a series of three surgeries and five difficult treatments over a long period of time, all of which left Plume in need of a calm sanctuary.

Our dear friend in Holland, Juliette, became interested in Plume’s story and began to search for a home for him, but, because Plume had also been diagnosed with FIV (Feline Immunodeficiency Virus) he would not be able to live among cats who were free of the virus. Juliette and her friends found a shelter for cats in Belgium which seemed ideal for him, Buddy Kat: http://www.buddykat.be/

Nathalie, the wonderful woman from Buddy Kat, fell in love with Plume and agreed to take him into their section for cats living with FIV. First though, he would have to be examined by a veterinarian and treated again for the fistula and so Juliette escorted him from Amorgos to Holland where he stayed with her for two days before being fostered by Nathalie at the Villa Vagebond, http://villa.vagebond.com.

Plume remains at Nathalie's care at the Villa Vagebond as Nathalie fell in love with him. After going through a series of treatments, finally Plume seems to have overcome the problem with fistula.

Plume, in spite of all his problems, is still such a gentle and sweet cat that we hope, despite the fact that he is eleven years old, his time of suffering will soon end. We wish for him a loving home to live out the rest of his days. So many people have become fond of Plume along the way, and we have all done our very best to help him not only survive but thrive.

We wish him well on his journey forward. We hope for our dear Plume an old age of peace and loving understanding.

 

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Voula and Voulitsa

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Little Voulitsa was living with her mother, Voula, and her three siblings, in an area where there had been serious outbreaks of disease and infection.

Only Voulitsa and her mother were found alive when we reached them and, as you can see in the photographs that we have included below, they were both very close to death. After an intense period of care and treatment in our facility both the mother and daughter have not only survived but have each recovered their health and strength.

Voula has now been released back into her home area after having been spayed but we felt that we could not allow Voulitsa to return with her mother since the area is extremely dangerous for young kittens. Chickens and ducks and cats are all kept together in a small yard by a woman who has consistently refused our help with sterilizations and medications, which means that Voulitsa has remained with us at our center.  

Voulitsa has put on weight and has now become an active and very playful kitten but we must continue treatment in the hope of saving one of her eyes. Soon she will need a foster home while waiting for the family that we hope will come to adopt this small girl and give her a safe and loving home—the miracle that we want for all of these animals who are brought to us in their great need.

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Angel

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One early morning in June of this year, a woman who works in a café in the central square of Katapola called our center to tell us that the café cat, who only the night before had been healthy and full of life, was now desperately ill.

Litsa, our coordinator, went to the café at once and saw that the cat was not only covered with a caustic liquid of some kind but that in trying to clean himself he had swallowed much of the toxins and his life was clearly in danger.

At the center we began to clean him and, when the room filled with the smell of lime, we realized that he must have somehow have fallen into a vat of that very corrosive liquid.

We immediately treated him with a course of antibiotics, cortisone, painkillers and creams but he was unable to eat and had developed a high fever. The wounds were severe and we had little hope for his survival but day by day he began to improve and so we gave him the name of Angel.

It took a month of treatment but Angel has now returned to being the handsome boy that he was before the accident. A few of the wounds remain but new hair has begun to grow and his appetite has returned. 

Once Angel’s wounds have healed completely and his fur has grown thick, he will be driven to the central square of Katapola where the sweet lady who has fed him since he was a kitten is waiting for his return.

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Marcos

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During a recent visit to Amorgos by GAWF's Animal Action’s team, we were told of an old mule living in Vroutsi, who, because of his age and his ill health and injuries, was no longer useful to his owner. We decided to take Marcos to our shelter in Katapola where he could be examined by Animal Action’s veterinarian, a doctor who specializes in equines, and it was found that the mule had many physical problems which included a hip fracture as well as malnourishment. But after dedicated care by our team and a good diet, Marcos is no longer in pain and he has begun to put on weight.

Until recently we have kept Marcos in a fenced in area so that he could rest and recover his strength but now he has joined the rest of our equines. This is another one of the small miracles of Animal Zone International since, Paola, the matriarch of our equine herd and a mare who does not easily accept new members, seems to have understood that Marcos is very weak and unable to kick and she grows ever more gentle with the old mule.

We, at AZI, are happy to say that we expect Marcos to live out his old age in a state of peace and well being.

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A Kitten’s Struggle to Survive

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This sweet baby was only two weeks old when she was discovered in a trash bin by an animal-loving family who knows the work we do. They brought the kitten to us in such dire condition that we were not certain we could save her. Her small body was so malnourished that she was too weak to take milk from a bottle, which meant that we would need to feed her by hand, drop by drop, until she began to gain strength. Now, her appetite has returned, and this small fighter is gaining strength day by day. When she is strong enough to eat on her own she will be adopted by the family that first found her for they have grown to love her as they watch her struggle for life.

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Rescue of a Common Buzzard

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In February, a common buzzard was rescued from a hencoop in Ormos on Aegiali. The bird remained with us for ten days, at which point it was examined by Dr. Vassalakis and was discovered to have a wing fracture that had not been obvious at the beginning of its stay. We decided to send the bird to the Rescue Center for Wild Birds, “Alkioni,” in Paros, and by March it had come back to Amorgos healthy and strong and ready to return to its natural habitat.
During its stay at “Alkioni,” our own bird was examined and treated along with a second common buzzard that had been rescued and sent to Paros. Both birds were treated successfully and were released back into the area of Aegliali.


We want to thank the local volunteer, Jennie Arvaniti, who rescued and sent our bird to us. We also want to thank another volunteer and member of the local animal welfare society, “Panagiotis Pshogios,” who helped to care for the bird while at the same time sharing with us his extensive knowledge of wild birds. As well, we would like to thank the Aegean Wildlife Hospital, “Alkioni”——who took care of the two birds as well as for their excellent cooperation during these many years. Finally, we would like to thank Dimitris Synodinos (Amorgos Diving Center) who was the rescuer of the second bird and was able to release both of them back into nature.


For more informations about Common Buzzards here:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_buzzard

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Little Nano

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Little Nano was found on 16 of September. Litsa, our coordinator, heard a kitten crying while walking her dog. But because the kitten was located inside a garden, she left it and returned to next day to check on it. The kitten was still crying so she found the owner of the property and received permission to search the area. Little Nano was found under a plant crying nonstop, no mother around. She appeared to be only a couple weeks old. Back at the AZI center, little Nano received care and nourishment from a baby bottle at first and is she is starting to eat by herself. She is a happy and sweet kitten and she will be available for adoption in 1 month.