SEVEN INNOCENT LIVES – ABANDONED TO DIE IN THE WORST STORMS FOR YEARS.

SEVEN LITTLE LIVES. NO FOOD. NO MOTHER. NO SAFE SHELTER. LITTLE CHANCE OF SURVIVAL WITHOUT HELP.

Amid torrential rain, flooding and some of the worst storms Crete has experienced in years, someone has abandoned TWO LITTERS OF YOUNG KITTENS in a car park in Kalyves, leaving them exposed to the elements.
Desperate for shelter, these terrified little creatures were huddling beneath parked cars, at risk of being crushed beneath the wheels of an unsuspecting driver.
LEFT TO STARVE, DROWN, DIE FROM EXPOSURE OR BE RUN OVER.
THIS IS NOT SIMPLY IRRESPONSIBLE. IT IS AN ACT OF APPALLING CRUELTY.
These are not feral kittens. They are seven beautiful, affectionate, cuddly little souls, completely dependent upon humans. They seek affection, want to be held and, most heartbreakingly of all, they trust people.
We cannot help wondering whether someone spent the summer feeding, playing with and cuddling these kittens, only to shut up their holiday home for the winter and discard them when they became an inconvenience.
DISCARDED LIKE RUBBISH. SEVEN LIVING, FEELING CREATURES TREATED AS THOUGH THEIR LIVES MEAN NOTHING.
And once again, who is left to deal with the consequences?
The rescuers. The volunteers. The foster carers. The same exhausted handful of people already stretched beyond breaking point.
OUR FOSTER HOMES ARE FULL.
OUR RESCUE NETWORK IS OVERWHELMED
OUR ADOPTION AND REHOMING CONTACTS ARE MAXED OUT
YET STILL THE ABANDONMENT CONTINUES
WE ARE VOLUNTEERS, NOT MIRACLE WORKERS
Compassion may be boundless, but our resources are not. We have limited homes, limited funds and limited time. Every abandoned animal brings another sleepless night, another financial burden and another heartbreaking decision.
These seven innocent little souls have already suffered enough. They deserve warmth, safety, kindness and a future.
If you can offer a loving permanent home, temporary foster care or practical help, PLEASE contact us. We desperately need your support.
THEY ARE NOT DISPOSABLE. THEY ARE NOT RUBBISH. AND THEIR LIVES MATTER.

An Important Voice on Greece’s Stray Animal Problem

We strongly support this important article by Ioannis M. Gaitanakis, published in Athens Voice, examining Greece’s continuing stray-animal crisis and the implementation of Law 4830/2021.

For those of us working directly with stray animals, much of what he describes is painfully familiar.

Every day, volunteers across Greece rescue injured animals, collect abandoned kittens and puppies, arrange veterinary treatment, organise neutering, provide transport, foster animals in their own homes and frequently meet the costs themselves.

Volunteers willingly play an important role in animal welfare. What they cannot be expected to do is permanently replace the responsibilities of municipalities and the state.

One of the most important points made in this article is that Greece cannot solve the stray-animal problem simply by dealing with animals after they reach the street.

Neutering strays, providing veterinary care and finding homes are essential, but they will never be enough while abandonment, uncontrolled breeding, failure to microchip and register animals, and irresponsible ownership continue unchecked.

The supply of new stray animals has to be stopped at its source.

The article also addresses another reality familiar to animal-welfare groups: laws are of limited value if they are inconsistently enforced. Responsibility must be accompanied by adequate resources, trained personnel, effective inspection, follow-through and accountability.

At The Cats Pyjamas Rescue, we believe sustainable animal welfare requires cooperation between responsible owners, municipalities, veterinary professionals, enforcement authorities and volunteers — with each fulfilling their proper role.

We very much welcome this thoughtful and grounded contribution from someone with extensive practical experience in animal welfare, and encourage anyone concerned about animal welfare in Greece to read it.

Read the full article

The Stray Animal Problem in Greece – Four Wolves, One Sheep, and a Law That Exists Mostly on Paper

Funding

Hi everyone,
Thanks to a very generous bequest, we will soon be in a position to fund neutering for those of you who are willing to trap cats across Apokoronas.
Before we begin allocating neutering spaces, we want to invest in some much-needed equipment. Our priority is to replace damaged, faulty or poor-quality traps that have been bought locally and to provide strong, sturdy traps with solid bottoms for anyone who needs them. If drop traps are proving more useful in practice, we are equally happy to buy more of those instead. We will also be purchasing additional nursing and fostering equipment. Continue reading “Funding”