Handing you over to SAW today for their spring update with some photos they sent too. Here’s the message and a more personal, sadder, note from Suzan.

Symi Animal Welfare     Spring Report,  2016

After a very dry winter in the South Aegean, the early Spring weather has  been warm &  sunny, so the islands’ feline population has fared very well during this mild winter, with so little rain fall that we have had to place water containers out for the cats near to the feeding stations, to ensure that they have enough to drink with their food.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the S.A.W. volunteers for their efforts and the time they have given to help with our winter feed programme over the last five months. If any new residents on the island would like to help us for next winter, then please contact Suzan or Antonella, we are always looking for enthusiastic volunteers.

The WFP (Winter Feeding Programme) is our highest annual expense, in Nov 2015 the total order for the cat food supplies cost €1,450. A huge thank you to all our generous supporters from many countries whose donations make it possible for us to continue with our task of helping the Symi cats to have a better life.

We would also like to thank our dedicated team of suppliers, namely Hatzipetros Bros. Supermarket, Yialo; Sotiris Supermarket, Chorio; and Valandis Animal Feed Suppliers, Kampos, Chorio.

Regarding a vet visit for this year, we are at present looking for new premises which would be suitable for this purpose. We would prefer the location to be in the port area, which is where we are searching for a property with the help of some Symi locals, as it is essential to have a place first, that is approved by a vet, and by the Symi Town Hall Authority before the animal charity we work with in Greece, (9 Lives) can offer us a vet visit, hopefully for the Autumn this year.

We continue to have a special arrangement with one of the Rhodes vets for cat neutering and we can assist any island resident who wishes to take up this offer. All they have to do is, contact us first, and we will set it up with the veterinary.

In the Spring we know we will soon hear the patter of tiny paws, so we would like to remind everyone that new kittens should not be taken from where their mother has left them; she has not abandoned her litter, and will soon return to feed her babies.

Well, it will be Greek Easter soon, (or Pasxa) which this year is the first week in May, the most important religious holiday here, and, as the island gears up for another new season, everyone is busy sprucing up the place, painting & decorating, and many residents are returning from a winter away. The Symi cats are looking forward to the opening of tavernas & restaurants and the arrival of the early season tourists as that means more food scraps for all our feral felines.

We hope to see many of you this year on Symi.

Wishing everyone a very Happy Greek Easter, Kalo Pasxa ! From the SAW Team,  Suzan, Antonella, Tove, & Hazel.

This month we are very sad to announce the passing of a very special dog. His name was Kamberis, he was our farm dog,  he had been trained  to work with sheep & goats,  tireless & obedient, always ready & listening for that one whistle to call him into action,   he knew every goat that belonged on the farm, and would drive away any huge male  ‘foreign ’goats  if they invaded his territory. He was our best help on the farm, and only those who own working dogs can understand how lost we feel without him.

He was so gentle & caring with all the small & vulnerable, from tiny kittens to baby orphan lambs & goats…. and best friend to our 6 farm cats. He was our guardian & loyal friend, he is irreplaceable on our farm & in our hearts. Sadly, he died from poisoning from an unknown source… Despite veterinary advice & medicine we could not save him. Hhis grave is on the farm, under  the pine trees overlooking the Aegean Sea. He would have been 7 years old  in August. He was the best dog that we could ever own, taken from us so suddenly .We will remember  him forever. R.I.P.  KAMBERIS

Suzan Rashid &  Filimonas Tsakkiris,
Filimonas ‘ Farm, Ayios Dimitrios, Symi island, Greece.

You can contact Symi Animal Welfare here.

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Symi Animal Welfare writes:
We are pleased to inform you all  that we have  a new team member,
her name is Antonella Zingali, she is a Symi resident , fluent in English
& Greek, and is very committed to caring for the animals of the island,
with her enthusiasm & new ideas , she is a most welcome addition
to our small team of volunteers.

The  SAW team will now consist of the following  members..
Tove Kolle  ( Denmark )  vet visit co -ordinator and host for the vet
surgery at her house in upper Chorio.
Christina Stierle, ( Germany )  medical supplies co-ordinator,
& first aid help in animal  emergencies.
Antonella Zingali, ( Italy) SAW  co-ordinator for  emails & correspondence
& reports all year round.
Suzan Rashid ( UK ) SAW co-ordinator for WFP, emails & correspondence,
SAW  reports, drugs & medical supplies,  and SAW accounts.
Hazel Fennelly ( UK ) SAW Deputy Treasurer & medical advisor.
Claudia Kolhofer ( Austria ) animal  first aid in emergencies.

We feel that our team has a truly international  flavour and between us
we speak at least  7 languages  !
The autumn season so far, on Symi, has been mild and very dry,,,  so the
islands’cats have been seen out & about enjoying the  winter sunshine,
gathering at the feeding stations, (usually located near the rubbish bins)
and, as there has been hardly any rain yet, all cats really  welcome a bowl
of  fresh water to drink, .. anything that holds water will do, an empty
margarine or ice cream  container, which can be nailed to a lampost or
tree trunk ( prevents it being taken by the wind !) …
Yes, we  do rely on all volunteers for these tasks, awareness of animal
needs is an important part of our job!

We  plan to do more’ monitoring’ this winter of all the feeding stations, and
other areas, Antonella  & myself  will be going around in my sturdy  little
red  jeep, and on foot, to keep an eye on the Symi cats and look out for
their health  & welfare throughout the colder months of the year.
We continue to work with the vets of Rodos, and have an arrangement
with one vet for the neutering of cats,  which volunteers take over on the ferry,
SAW provides the cat boxes and covers  all costs of the surgery.
We would like to thank vet  Marika Ioannou  for  all her expertise & for working   with us to ensure a more heathly cat population on Symi.
We have recently purchased  a stock of drugs & medications to renew our
supplies in preparation for the months ahead.

We have requested  with the ‘’9 Lives’’ Charity for the possibility of a Vet
Visit in April 2016,  so we  hope to have  positive news early next year.
Finally , we rely entirely on donations and the generous support of our
friends &  benefactors in many countries to enable us to continue with our
work to  help all   the street cats of Symi island.
We would like to thank everyone who has given so generously to SAW in
2015 and we wish you all a very good winter , ‘’Kalo Ximonas’ as we say
in Greek, and we hope to see you all again on Symi next year !

Best wishes from  Suzan & all the Symi Animal Welfare  Team.

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Today, a quick message from Symi Animal Welfare to start us off:

“Better late than never.
A very Happy New Year to all of our friends and supporters! Winter feeding continues as volunteers take foodstuffs to their delegated stations, despite bitterly cold weather. In certain areas, bin-cat numbers are reduced as street-wise cats relocate at the coldest time of day, to warmer locations i.e. under parked vehicles, on discarded blankets & rugs or abandoned boats. Most of the cats appear healthy, even those born later on in the season last year. We plan to take some cats over to Rhodes for neutering during the winter, dependent on the boat schedules & weather conditions that is! We look forward to seeing you in the summer, Melanie, Suzan, Claudia, Tove & Hazel.”

All good news there then. And good news for some children on Symi though maybe not for their mums and dads. Some teachers, due to return on Wednesday for school to start on Thursday were unable to get here and were, I assume, stranded no Rhodes. As are a few other people who are trying to get back to Symi this week. That’s all due to an unhelpful wind on Wednesday.

The Blue Star came down from Athens despite the force six winds, but was unable to dock due to the direction of the wind. So it didn’t call into Symi on Wednesday, leaving some folk unable to leave Rhodes and some having to stay there instead. (The next boat to Symi being due on Friday.) I heard that there was a chance the boat might call in on its way back on Wednesday evening (I am assuming it didn’t) but that it could not be guaranteed. This would mean, if you risked it, that you might end up in, at best, Kos for a couple of nights. Nothing wrong with that if you have the cash, but not what you wanted.

We had the same dilemma a couple of years ago coming back from somewhere. We could either stay in Rhodes an extra two nights for sure, or risk not landing at Symi and end up somewhere else. In the end we decided that we would stay in Rhodes, as that’s where we knew, and so battened down for an extended stay. Costly, but unavoidable at times. Ian was right to leave on Monday for his Thursday flight to the UK, had he stayed and risked it he would still be here and incurring the cost of changing flights and onward arrangements. A couple of extra nights at a hotel is better and cheaper than that. (Plaza was doing a single deal for €30.00 per night for Symi residents.)

So, that’s the shopping and Symi Animal Welfare news for the day. If you want to know more about Symi Animal Welfare then check out their website at http://www.symianimalwelfare.org/

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Today’s post is given over to a message from Symi Animal Welfare, the island’s only animal charity operating at the moment.

“Words can’t describe the last few hectic days on Symi when a visiting Australian vet neutered 74 cats.  A simple  ‘Thank you’ to so many people just isn’t enough to express our gratitude to everyone involved during the last week!  Volunteers collected cats from virtually every area of the island, some brought 1 or 2, others brought 9 or 10.  Yvette Berkeley the vet & Tove (whose house was used as a ‘surgery’) along with a team of volunteers, worked flat out from before 9am until late afternoon for 4 and a half days, the results are staggering – 51 females + 23 males were neutered!

Carol from the Nine Lives charity who chiefly-sponsored this programme was concerned that we wouldn’t find sufficient cats, especially after 115 were neutered on Kefalonia the previous week, however, she is so delighted with everyone’s hard work & the final tally that she has already suggested another visit at the same time next year!

Walking from the village, down the Kali Strata into Yialos earlier, I’m sure I saw several cats with newly-clipped ears wink as much as to say ‘thank you’………..or maybe it was my ‘pleased as punch’ feeling after an exhausting week?

This report is from all of the Symi Animal Welfare team, each have served such an important role in ensuring this visit would be such a success, your immense enthusiasm has been fantastic.  The same goes for an increased number of volunteers, a few who have never been involved with vet-week before, so ‘well done’ each & every one of you.

I had planned on announcing my retirement (after nearly 10 years being secretary) as the programme finished, however, this amazing team-effort  has been an inspiration & proved to all of us just much can be achieved if we pull out all the stops, so I’ll be staying on if that’s okay?

A final message to our wonderful supporters – your generous donations have again helped us look after the welfare of Symi’s cats……. ‘Yamas!’
Bless you all, Melanie, Tove, Suzan, Claudia & Hazel”

Nine Lives Greece: http://www.ninelivesgreece.com/en/
Symi Animal Welfare: http://www.symianimalwelfare.org/

[Tomorrow’s post is about a long walk through the rocky riverbeds of Symi, or at least, through one of them.]

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