Community

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GAWF Returns

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The Greek Animal Welfare Fund/Animal Action Greece equine team will return to Amorgos on June 9 & 10, 2014. The team, invited and partly sponsored by AZI, consists of a veterinarian and a farrier who will offer their services for working animals (the donkeys, horses, mules) of the residents for free.

On June 9th, they will be in Kat Meria and Katapola. On June 10th, they will be working in Aegiali and Chora. Last year they treated 48 animals in total. We hope this year will be as great a success!

GAWF poster for June 2014

GAWF poster for June 2014

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Filozoiki Merimna Amorgou's Easter Bazaar

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Every year Filozoiki Merimna Amorgou organizes an Easter bazaar to raise money for the animals. The bazaar ran from April 15-17, 2014, in the central square of Katapola. For sale were many beautiful candles, decorative Easter baskets, liqueur, tasty biscuits, sweets, jams and juices--all handmade.

Visitors were also able to learn about the actions of the Filozoiki and how much work is being done to help the animals of Amorgos. It's wonderful when people support the efforts of the organization and buy their candles from the Filozoiki!

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Vaccination Program

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At the end of March, we began a vaccination program with veterinarian Dr. Despoti. First, the cats at the center were vaccinated. Next, we focused on the cats in the various colonies in Xylokeratidi, Katapola, Ag. Georgios Valsamitis and if we still have vaccines left we'll continue with Ag. Barbara and Aegiali. Each cat was also given a medical exam. Our goal is to vaccinate 150 cats--wish us luck!

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A Working Weekend, March 2014

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With the help of four volunteer vets, Dr. Maria Despoti, and a final year veterinary student, we completed a two-day program of sterilization and vaccinations with great success. 88 cats (46 females and 42 males) and 1 dog were spayed/neutered, vaccinated for rabies, and examined and treated for fleas and ticks. Thank you, thank you, thank you to all who were a part of this huge effort!

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Fall Sterilization Program

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The team of EDKE with the volunteer Mairi Tavernaraki and Litsa Passari

The team of EDKE with the volunteer Mairi Tavernaraki and Litsa Passari

With the help of three veterinarians of EDKE and Dr. Maria Despoti, 109 cats and 2 dogs were sterilized on Amorgos over the weekend of November 9-10, 2013. We have to thank our volunteers who worked for two days without a break for the success of the program. They are:

From Aegiali: Giwrgos Kantarakias, Lily Clevede, Mairi Tavernaraki and Jack Mestre From Chora: Νikoleta Kolyda, Anna Kolyda, Marina Pistevou, Giwrgos Anzoulakos and Spyros from Cafe Giasemi From Ag. Georgios Valsamitis: Εvangelia Mavrou and from Katapola: Angeliki Palioura, Litsa Passari, Lamia Enan, Hariklia Psaki, Eleytheria Psaki, Rania Thiraiou, Giannis Vassalos and Gewrgia Symidala and the policeman Konstantinos Kypriotakis from Chora who brought 2 cats

Mairi Tavernaraki (volunteer from Aegiali), Litsa Passari, Angeliki Palioura (president of Filozoiki) and Rania Thiraiou (volunteer from Katapola)

Cat Waiting Room

Cat Waiting Room

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Animals and Kids

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Below, left: Stefanos, the son of the president of Filozoiki Merimna Amorgou Mrs Angeliki Palioura, has become best friends with the donkey Lambro. Stefanos takes Lambro out for walks very often, and Lambro stays very calm with him. Below, right: Maria comes almost every day to visit the center with her babysitter. You can see how much she enjoys the company of the animals. She and Liza, the rescue dog, are good friends. She also gives big smiles to the kittens.

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World Animal Day

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On October 4th, World Animal Day, Animal Zone International and Filozwiki Merimna Amorgou visited several primary schools and kindergarten classes in Amorgos. The teachers and students welcomed us with great joy and they happily participated in our program. Children were taught about the rights of animals, heard a fairytale that spoke about love for people and animals, and learned the proper way to approach a dog. Copies of the children's books that AZI published were also distributed.

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Enjoying the Island

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Alexis and Josephina

Alexis and Josephina

The visit with the Fasseas family is going well and has been especially lucky for Josephina, one of the many stray dogs of Greece—she's been adopted by Alexis! As you can see, they have already become good friends. A dinner was given in honor of the Fasseas family, hosted by the Philozoike of Amorgos. Here are, from left: Peter Fasseas, Alexis Fasseas, Paola Mieli, Paula Fasseas. From the right are: Panaghiotis Coveos; Nicolaos Fostieris, the former Mayor of Amorgos; and Angelike Palioura, the president of the Philozoike.

Dinner in honor of the Fasseas by Pholozoike of Amorgos

Dinner in honor of the Fasseas by Pholozoike of Amorgos

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Paula Fasseas visits AZI

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Fasseas and Angeliki

Fasseas and Angeliki

AZI is pleased to welcome Paula and Peter Fasseas and their daughter Alexis to Amorgos. Paula Fasseas is the president and founder of Chicago Paws. They are here to tour our shelter and consult on our animal rescue project. Below are some first photos of their visit--more to come! (top) Paula Fasseas with Philozoike president Angeliki Palioura

(bottom) Meeting with the Mayor. From left: Mayor Nikita Roussos, Paola Mieli, Paula Fasseas, Litsa Passari (AZI's Coordinator in Amorgos), and Dr. Angeliki Degleri (AZI's vet in Athens).

Meeting the Mayor of Amorgos

Meeting the Mayor of Amorgos

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Clean Monday

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Yesterday was Clean Monday, a public holiday in Greece, marking the end of carnival and the beginning of the 40-day fast before Easter. To celebrate Clean Monday, people head to the mountains or the beaches to fly a kite, eat, and dance. Members of Filozoiki Merimna and their children spent the day together on the mountain Minwa, eating, drinking, playing and walking their dogs. Everyone and had a wonderful time.

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Celebrating the New Year with the Philozoiki

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On Friday Feb 22, 2013, members and supporters of the Philozoiki celebrated by cutting the new year cake at the Cafe Elichryson. Cutting a new year cake is a Greek tradition. A coin is baked inside the cake, and whoever gets the piece with the coin is supposed to have good luck in the New Year. It's going to be a good year for the Philozoiki: the coin was found in the their piece!

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AZI Shelter News

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After Paola the mare, and Pepperina the donkey, two new friends have arrived at the Animal Shelter created by AZI in Amorgos: Mona, a mule who is over fifteen years old, and Ntaizy the donkey who is - top this! -  30 years old. At meal times Mona becomes a bit aggressive… she has not been fed properly for many years.  Ntaizy, on the other hand is very calm and likes to be stroked by visitors and even rubs herself against them.  Here you see the four them getting along quite well together and enjoing some peace after so much abuse. It is really wonderful to see animals re-acquire some trust in humans and humans learn how to respect them.

All of them have been a great success, especially, with children, and most of all with Philozoiki founding member Vangelitza, who cannot keep away from them. As the family grows so do the needs to keep well foraged and clean… we need your help!

Philozoiki News

Easter Sunday 2012. At the market fair held in the main square of Katapola, members of The Society for the Protection of Animal Life in Amorgos set up a booth to sell handmade candles and biscuits. It was the first money raising event organized by the society, and it was a sensational hit.

None of the candles and biscuits went unsold. In photo number one Lamia, Simona, her daughter Lisa, Hariklia, Aggeliki, and Rania and Vangelitsa are seen making the candleware. In photo number three Gitwa, Lamia, Vangelitsa, Aggeliki and Simona enjoy a moment of well-deserved-after-sale relax . This type of fund-raising activity is a sure sign that the Philozoikiis no longer a fledgeling society of well meaning people, but a fully established reality that “means business.” Please join in the effort!

Stamatis's Generosity

Minoa Hotel

Guests: "Fine de la comedia. End of the show. We are checking out tomorrow. We love your cozy hotel, Stamatis, with all its plants that grow as sturdy as baobabs, and the praying mantis, and the view of the harbor, from the terrace, my God what a view! But we have to leave, so if you would please prepare our bill..."

Stamatis: "We enjoyed having you. Please come back to see us next year. By the way, I heard about your involvement with the Philozoiki, and I'd like to make a contribution. One night is on me. That is, I'll write a check to the Philozoiki in the amount you pay me for one night."

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"Paolas," I Mean... Horses

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The youngest daughter of Reverend Paraskevas, from the main Church in Katapola (Amorgos), has a whole stable of toy horses. She makes sure to parade them all before her father’s guests.

What’s the name of the one with the golden mane? "Paola," she answers. And the pony’s name? "Paola." And the dappled one? "Paola."

Wait a minute, are all your horses named Paola? “Nai, nai, of course. Paola is my name for hyppo. They are all called after the beautiful mare that was rescued from the hands of a local ogre. She now lives at the stable of the Philozoike, where I go visit her with my brothers and sister.”

A few years from now - at the moment she is 3 - she may learn that using a proper name in lieu of a common noun is a reverse case of antonomasia. Another Greek word? Please give me a break, she will say to her teacher. I care little for rhetoric: horses, I mean paolas, is what I care for.

 

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Paper Ashtrays

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Mr. Roussos is the new Mayor of Amorgos. Like his predecessor, Mr. Fostieris, he is very much in favor of Animal Zone's initiatives. He could not believe his eyes, however, when he realized that we had schlepped 2,000 AZI paper ashtrays all the way to his island. Flabbergasted as he was, he thought it was a great idea and asked for more!

““Whenever you can... We’ll take our butt dropping cigarette smokers by surprise. So many of our visitors, not to speak of the locals, must think of Amorgos as a vast ash-tray: they leave their smoker’s marks everywhere. These ashtrays are great, I will make sure they are distributed throughout. Disposing properly of cigarette butts goes hand in hand with caring for animals. It will be another step toward learning how to respect nature as a whole.””
— Mr. Roussos, Mayor of Amorgos 2010

 

In the meantime, Philozoike supporter and chain smoker Sophokles Prekas is setting a public example. And so is Stamatis who owns the Minoa Hotel and distributes our origami ashtrays to all his guests (just in case).

 

 

 

 

 

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From Our President

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It has been a transformative year in Amorgos. Oursponsorship of a local veterinarian has changed the life of many animals and of many people who depend on them. This generated much support and interest on the part of the community. New attention has been given to the animal health and well-being. We sponsored Dr. Despoti’s internship in one of the most prestigious no-kill animal shelters in the the US, PAWS Chicago. Since her return in March, Dr. Despotihastreated various animals in need and sterilized and released over 30 stray cats. It seems a small step but it makes a huge difference.  And through these little steps we are transforming a way of being.

We thank all of you for your help and we count on your contributions to continue.  Without your help we would not be able to make all of these small steps come together to transform the fate of so many neglected animals on the island.

Recently we were contacted by a tourist in Amorgos who noticed that cats were being fed in a dangerous road-side position. We greatly appreciate being informed of any maltreatment of animals witnessed on the island. We count on your continuous support. A small action can make a huge difference in the life of many animals and the environment in which they live.