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Sam
2011-12-17
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Last summer I, together with my 8 years old daughter Daniëlla, went to Samos for our holiday. As we drove from the airport to our appartment in Kokkari, we passed a sign across the road which said “Animal Care Samos”, at that time we did not know what it meant. But we suggested to go there for a day to work, as we both love animals very much.
One morning we took the bus in the direction of Samos and we asked the driver to stop at that sign, so he did…but we did not know that we still had to walk a very long distance from there. We climbed the hills, in the heat, we did not have anything with us, no cap, no water, so we decided to walk back after a while. (The cabs were on strike in this holiday period).
The next morning we took the same bus and again the driver stopped at the sign, now we were better prepared for the walk, with cap and a bottle of water. It was much further than we expected and on our way up we met some Dutch people who had just left the shelter, they brought us to the shelter.
Tom and Ingrid appeared to be very nice people who give their 100% for the animals on Samos. We did not help a lot at the shelter, more cuddling and brushing the dogs. We got a special connection with one dog, but I did not want to take a dog with me at home.
Later that day we went back to our appartment, we were brought by a nice Dutch couple who spent their holiday helping at the shelter of Animal Care.
Actually we wanted to go back there again because it was very nice there, I started to doubt more and more whether to take that little dog or not, after another morning at the shelter this doggie crossed my mind over and over again and I could not imagine that we would enter the plane without this doggie. In Kokkari I looked for an Internet cafe to search for dog care and a dog walking service, for the days that I have to work and decided to go for it.
Tom and Ingrid were so kind to bring Sam to the airport, really great what these people do. Sam accompagnied us in the plane as ‘handluggage’ and stayed with us in a small bench under the feet of my daughter.
We named her Sam (from Samos), she has something with her eye, in Holland we took her to a vet right away and it seemed that something got in her eye very deeply, I still have to put on some cream and it does not seem to bother her. Sam is a sweety and she enjoys being here, two days a week she visits a dogpension where she is having fun as well and where she is also going when we are away. Everything is going well, in the beginning I have been walking her for three weeks without her doing anything outside (she did her thing inside the house or in the garden), until, finally, she did it outside (happy me)!!
She starts to listen quite well, sometimes she first observes the situation from a distance with people and dogs, but that only lasts two seconds and then she is happy. She lives together with two cats, which she sometimes starts to chase and sometimes a brown labrador is around..Tom and Ingrid, thanks again and I hope to see you again sometime…and Sam, we are very happy with you!
Greeting from Eva and Daniëlla
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Randy, new name ‘Guus’!
2011-12-17
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We met Tom and Ingrid on Samos in 2010. We visited again in 2011 and were allowed to scoop poop and clean at the shelter and walk the dogs, thanks for that! We were very impressed with the incredible work they’re doing and the immense motivation they both have. And also with the way the dogs are taken care of and the way they are handled and reassured in their new surroundings. We immediately were drawn to Randy and met him for about 8-9 times in the shelter. Tom and Ingrid pulled some strings and Randy (new name ‘Guus’) is now in Amsterdam! A very healthy and happy (and cute) dog, Guus is easily trained and likes to work. No barking, just relaxed, natural and happy behaviour. Although he is definitely a hunter, he reacts very well to us and his new surroundings. As most of the dogs we met on Samos, he’s very social towards both dogs and humans and acts very natural and balanced (no dominance) towards all. We know for sure he was a very happy dog after having been rescued by Tom and Ingrid, and we’ll do all we can to keep it that way!!! Again, thanks a lot for everything and we wish you and all the dogs all the best! We’ll probably visit again in 2012, hopefully with Guus…
Greetings from Amsterdam,
Edzard and Addo
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Coincidence or ... ....? A special story about the dog Sunny.
2011-10-18
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Quote Tom and Ingrid (Animal Care Samos)
When Roger and Astrid were visiting the shelter, they immediately noticed Sunny. They saw the likeness of their deceased dog Sammy in her. Her eyes and her spicy character looked a lot like Sammy’s. When they decided to adopt Sunny, Tom was preparing the passport.As we did not know the exact date that Sunny was born, Tom wrote May in the passport. The date was the same as that of their deceased dog Sammy. Astrid had goose bumps. How was that possible? You can say it's a coincidence ... but sometimes it just how life should go.
Quote Astrid (adoptive mother)
We had seen Sunny at Animal Care Samos and were instantly in love with her. But yes, we already had two dogs at home and one of the two (Mick) is very jealous. And let’s not forget the black October 17, 2010. That was the day that our dear little dog Sammy passed away. After all the grief and pain we had decided not to take a new dog anymore. But after one week, we did go back to Animal Care Samos to see if Sunny was still there. And yes! She came to us, we were immediately convinced. Today, Sunny has been with us for six weeks now. It's still great with her. She is a real sticker. If she wants something, she starts to scratch. If that does not work, she starts to pull your clothes. If that does not work too, then they starts to bark. She is on a good weight now as you can see on the pictures. We are very happy with her.
Greetings Astrid and Roger.
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Dumpie Ilios
2011-10-15
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We have a young dog, Joep, who is one year old in October. As our dog Nero recently deceased, we were looking for a playmate for him .... but it had to be a calmer dog, this to get a bit of balance.
Meanwhile, the journey to Samos was already booked, we still saw it as our honeymoon. Heard from friends about the Animal Care and we decided to take a look ... just because we love it that there are people who are so concerned about animals.
We took into account to meet neglected and other smarting animals. We rented a car and on arrival we were very warmly welcomed by Tom and Ingrid, who proudly showed us what the shelter had become. We saw many dogs, who all had a well cared-for and cheerful appearance. After our tour we saw a dog outside the fence ... Tom told us that this dog started playing with a bitch outside the shelter ... and shortly after that a brown bitch came also happy running. We spotted a number of dogs. A small, busy dog from Lesbos ... a little bitch, who may already be going to Germany and the previously described bitch, who after playing outside had separated herself from the crowds and who found a place to sleep under the table.
As we did not want to take hasty decision, we decided to go to the shelter again the next morning ... this time with the scooter. After we arrived, our eye fell on the brown bitch again. We saw that she was very shy and somewhat careful, she did it her way. Was curious in her own special way, but it was soon clear to us that she had little faith in people. Actually we did not doubt really ... we had seen her running after her outdoor adventure on the playground and we had seen that she strongly responded to Ingrid and Tom. Ingrid offered us to let her out for a walk, she grabbed a belt and we saw a brown tail wagging back and forth, we knew for sure ... the suspicion that she had, we may not be able to remove that, but we were sure that she would have a great time with us and Joep.
Apparently Ingrid and Tom also had a good feeling, because the bitch was allowed to accompany us to Brabant (region in the Netherlands)!
Now she is already more than a week with us and she (fortunately for her) had a great transition in terms of weather. Her name, we could not choose, has become: Dumpie Ilios. Dumpie (because she was dumped next to the rubbagedump) and Ilios (the sun in Greek language)....so dumped in the sun. She is doing very well and she fits great.
We have a large backyard, where she and Joe occasionally rages ... really fun to watch. Besides that, she carefully starts to pee and to poop on the leash. And on locations of which we think we can let her run free .... if she does not play with Joep, she runs away and after peeing/pooping she quickly runs back to us. She also starts to respond to her name very well. Carefully we continued with the Dutch-class…Zit en af! (translated: sit and down!) ... hihi.
She feels quite at home. She has already stolen meat from the cooking island in the kitchen, just lays down in my recliner like it is the most natural thing in the world and when one of us at 4:45 at night came home, she started to actually watch by small barking. (Okay okay, when she found out it was me, at first she started to wag at maximum speed, after which she frizzled deliciously and continued sleeping, but still ....). She loves to sleep and cuddle!
The balance between the two dogs is not what it should be already, but of course that is not possible in one week. However, we notice that Joep is eating better and that he is pleased with his new girlfriend. But you have not lied, she loves to play with him and if she tired, she will lie down. And Joep ... he can not wait till she wakes up and then wants to play with her again.
Tom and Ingrid, thank you for giving her a chance at the shelter and thank you for the opportunity that you gave us to take her to NL.
Greetings from Brabant .... Ilya & Rene and legs of Joe and Dumpie
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Tygo
2011-09-30
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Tygo. I caught Tygo as a 4 weeks old kitten. His mother was present but did not take care of him.
Tygo also had four other brothers and sisters. These were two white and two black / white who also did not accept Tygo. The second day of our holiday we, me together with the gardener, caught Tygo in our apartment. We had put down canned food and his brothers and sisters did not allow Tygo to eat so he got chased away. Eventually when we had caught Tygo and his white sister (which was not intended), I started to feed Tygo with the syringe. I liquefied everything and you could see him gaining strength. His sister was really a wild cat already. She was very mean and attacked. Ultimately she was adopted in your animal care because she really was totally intractable.
During the whole holiday everything was about Tygo, because he had to be fed every two hours, even at night.
Tygo is doing really well. He has become a big boy and has become huge muscled. Tygo has been castrated, so actually he is no longer a tom-cat : D He is very affectionate towards me, is constantly crawling in my neck and licking off my ear. We always sleep together as you can see in the picture. Really a sweety to have around you.
Meanwhile Tygo has half a tail, because in the Netherlands Tygo ran and stayed away from home for 6 nights when he was 8 months old. Unfortunately he came home with a broken tail that had to be amputated. This is not bothering him. He still can jump just as high as ever and he also does not have balance problems. Since two months Tygo has another girlfriend named Mila and he is very protective towards her. He cares for her like she is his own child, is constantly licking her clean and when Mila says ‘miauw’ he comes to her straight away.
Really sweet, but fortunately he remains affectionate to me as well. I have had cats all my life, but Tygo is truly unique. It is extreem because I really can not be without him for a period longer than two days. In other words, I have not been on holiday since I came back from Samos: D
Tygo truly is my hero and I would not know what to do without him.
Greets Angelique
And headings from Tygo & Mila
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Dino
2011-09-11
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On our second day of the holiday we decided to go to a nice quiet restaurant for a bite to eat. The restaurant was not detached, without buildings in the area, and was situated nicely close to the beach. As we sat there for a while, we heard a soft howling and barking from the neighborhood, which made us very curious whether everything was going well with these dogs. Secretly slipped outside we found a cage with two wonderful puppies of about three months old. They lived on a pointed piece of concrete where the puppies almost could not walk. They had dirty water and (at that moment) no food. When the puppies saw us, they were really excited and happy. They tried to rise, but the muscles were so poorly developed that they had no strength to. When we met this brother and sister they made a big impression on us, and we were really in love!
At the restaurant
As we wanted to do something for these dogs , we had talked to the owner of the restaurant and asked him if we could walk with the dogs on the beach. He looked at us as he was amazed and thought it was strange to walk with dogs, but he consented to it. So we went to the store to buy a dogline and a bag of dogfood. Step by step we learned them to walk on the leash and did this every day. We just saw them blossom! The owner had told us that he wanted to get rid of the black puppie (Dino), but we could not leave the brown puppie (Fox) behind.
A friend of us had worked at Animal Care Samos for one year and we were looking forward to that, so of course we visited them. Here we met Tom and Ingrid (actually on the beach) and were very impressed by the commitment of these people and of course of the volunteers! What a great job these people do! Great respect for this work, because it are really not just cool things they run across! During our vacation we have been at Animalcare Samos more than at the beach! We discussed with Tom what to do with our puppies, and he advised us to bring them to Animal Care Samos, so they could find a good home for them. (in the winter the restaurants are closed and the dogs have to take care for themselves) and this way we could calmly consider whether we wanted a dog to adopt for at home. We could take both of the puppies from the restaurant owner and brought them to Tom and Ingrid.
At Animal Care Samos
Finally we decided to adopted Dino (after the necessary vaccinations and passport) because we are convinced that Fox will find a special adoption place with his character and curiosity! Dino is now (two weeks later) already very familiar, fast learner and is doing really great. He flourished at all and is no longer afraid, he is even very social to people and animals, and he's grown! We can not even imagine now not to have Dino in our home, and everyone is really fond of him!
And at home in the Netherlands!
We want to thank everyone from Animal Care Samos very much for the help and hospitality, and put it on, because, even though you are also see a lot of misery, you really do a great job!
Definitely see you (at home or on Samos )!!!!!!!
Greetings Jan & Marije (August 2011)
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Nescafé
2011-08-26
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Via Hyves blog I read the story of a kitten named Nescafe. He was thrown into the sea like a piece of dirt that did not had the right to live. Fortunately there were passers-by who rescued the little man from the water and who brought him to Animal Care Samos. How can you get in your head to throw a defenseless, helpless animal into the water and leaving it behind?
After reading this story, I contacted Animal Care Samos together with my friend. I was very curious about the possibilities of such a little and vulnerable cat which still has many opportunities to find a place in a family. Soon I got response from Tom and Ingrid about the possibilities of adoption. Nescafé took the heart of me and my friend immediately and we wanted him to the Netherlands very much. Now we were lucky that friends of Tom and Ingrid were on holiday in Samos and they had the opportunity to take Nescafe to the Netherlands. After some searchingwork from Greece with the airlinecompany we heard on Monday evening June 21, 2011 that the next day Nescafe could fly. We were so happy that, on Tuesday, I quickly bought everything that I needed to welcome him. We also had a cat, a dog and a rabbit already, so easily space for Nescafe too. Tuesday evening I was able to pick up Nescafe at their friends’.
As I entered I saw a very sweet little mischievous and very curious little head staring at me. With questioning eyes like "Hey, what’s up!?". After eating and drinking a bit after such a long flight I and Nescafe prepared ourselves for his last trip. He did not mind the car and he was sitting quietly in his little travel suitcase. Once arriving at the farm he got a littlebit restless. Inside at home after opening his traveling suitcase he came outside step by step. Within half an hour Nescafe was chasing the little playing mice. Our other animals were observing everything from a safe distance.
Now one week later, Nescafe has completely settled down. He runs through the house and no toy or piece of string is safe when he is around. We are very happy with him and are delighted that he has been able to find a warm basket and that he has been able to leave the tough street life and many enemies behind. Hopefully many other cats and dogs from Animal Care Samos will find a good life somewhere else as well. There are so many animals waiting and there are so many animals that need to be helped. And all these animals need us, so when everyone contributes a bit we are on the right track.
Greetings from Jeroen and Hanneke Slootdorp
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Hera
2011-08-26
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During our regular holidays in Greece, we concluded that (stray) dogs without a permanent place of residence are much worse off in Greece than in the Netherlands. As we were going to Samos in May and ending up at the website of Animal Care Samos (ACS) after some googling, the decision was made quickly to go there for a closer look.
After some email exchange with Tom and Ingrid we arrived with our rental car at ACS through a bumpy road and past the edge of the rubbishdump. We did some test walks with a pair of dogs which were recommended by Tom. The choice soon fell on the dog which we, after a short period, named 'Hera', honoring but some of her Greek origins.
To get used to each other, we have walked with Hera several times. Incidentally, in the last week of our three week’s stay on Samos leishmania was identified with Hera (three times a week a little pill). Anyway, you choose a dog or not. We did not choose the picture "young, healthy, family friendly, Dutch speaking”, but for a dog who was looking for a home. We arranged the ticket to the Netherlands via the travel agency. Tom and Ingrid took Hera neatly to the airport where it was obvious that it was difficult for them to say goodbye to Hera. While boarding we could see Hera for a short moment. She was with the bench on a trolley in the plane, where she showed an uncomplaining impression.
A week after returning home, at a moment Hera escaped our attention and we saw her running into the countryside, approximately five kilometers away ...... Our surprise could not be described when, already the next morning, we saw Hera sunbathing in our backyard. Apparently she thought our stay was not so bad at all.
After demolishing the couch, problem solved by purchasing a shelter for the moments we are not at home, we all now live together with Hera in peace and to everyone’s satisfaction for already a few months now. She rarely barks, poops and pees in the house and lives together with our cats and other pets under one roof.
All in all a good dog to live with.
Han Ames and Eduard van Leeuwen
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The story of Sam (by Vitali and Ragnar)
2011-07-14
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“We found Sam in the mountains on Samos. We were driving along one of the main roads high up in the mountains when we passed a cement enclosure which looked like it might be used as a bus stop. As we drove by, a puppy appeared in the doorway of this abandoned cement building with a look on his face like he was desperately waiting for someone arrive. We only caught a quick glimpse of him as we passed, but he was clearly confused and alone. We turned the car around and approached Sam. He was scared but quickly warmed to us. We gave him some of our water that we had in the car, which he drank with worrying gusto. We looked around but there was no sign of anyone anywhere. Sam was obviously still very young and there was no way that such a puppy could have found his way to this spot along such a busy road in the blazing sun. We drove around a bit until we found a farmer and asked him if he knew of anyone in the area to whom Sam might belong. The farmer was not very helpful but said that we were lucky and that it was our destiny to keep Sam. Imagine our luck.....to find a darling puppy and the oracle of Samos all in the same day!
We had no choice but to take Sam with us and we were amazed at how sweetly he behaved in the car. We had thankfully seen signs for Animal Care Samos during our first week on the island, so after finding their phone number we were blessed to be able to hand Sam over to Tom and Ingrid.
After leaving Sam with Animal Care Samos we did a lot of soul searching. We decided finally that we wanted to and were able to give Sam the good home that he clearly needed and deserved. Sam arrived to us in the Netherlands one week later.
Sam arrived and continues to be a beautifully behaved, gregarious and loving puppy. He loves the beach here in The Hague and continues to impress us with his sweet nature. Walking Sam through The Hague attracts endless compliments and many people are surprised at what a well balanced and friendly dog he is. We recently took Sam to his first puppy class and we were proud to see that amongst all of the designer dogs in his class, he was the best behaved and quickest to learn.
We are so thankful to Animal Care Samos for looking after Sam after we first found him. It is wonderful to know that people like Tom and Ingrid of Animal Care Samos are helping so many innocent and beautiful animals. It is an inspiration and they deserve everyone's support. Few people have the bravery and energy to turn their beliefs and words into action like Animal Care Samos.”
Post script ACS: Vitali and Ragnar, we want to thank you for your lovely mail and, of course, for adopting Sam. We are sure that Sam has found a good and loving home at yours.
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Mail from Fred and his new family in the Netherlands!
2011-06-13
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Fred is a male dog, who was brought in by ACS thanks to a call from two Swiss people who live in Samos. Fred was in a bad condition. A few weeks ago Fred was adopted by a Dutch family, from which we now have received an e-mail with news about how Fred is doing over there:
"... It's been three weeks since we took Fred from your shelter. Now he is getting used to his new situation and his fellow housemates.
The return trip from Samos went well, but Fred was a bit upset when he saw the Groenendaelers. He has hummed for some days when they came too close to him. The first days they ignored Fred and after that short periode peace was signed ..
Fred arrived in the Netherlands with a lung infection and therefor he was given an antibiotic cure, his blood was examined and the results were not bad, also photographs were taken of the fracture in his hind leg, the bones were slid past each other but are back together and the prognosis is wait and see because with such fractures usually the bone will grow and the leg will be pretty straight at the end. Fred loads the leg well and has no pain.
He can get along well with cats, especially with Bear, a boy almost as big as himself, they whisper a lot.
We are all very happy with Fred and I think he feels the same way too. Next time I will enclose some photos, at least if I succeed.
Now you are a bit informed about how Fred is doing...
Greetings from Rob, Petra, Fred, Diego and Misty and the cats ... "
ACS is very pleased with this happy ending for Fred and thanks Rob, Petra and the rest of the family for the adoption of Fred. Of course we look forward to see some recent pictures of Fred!
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ACS rescues Lola the donkey
2011-06-02
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Some time ago, some tourists came to the shelter of ACS with the urgent request to take a look at a donkey having shoes which were far too long. The next day, Nick, Dorien and Ingrid drove to the donkey, all the way to Karlovassi. The donkey looked quite healthy, considering the circumstances, but his shoes were too long and were considerably curled. They looked like Turkish shoes. The first thing to do was finding the owner of the donkey. He turned out to be a goat farmer. Two Greek friends were asked to translate. The owner did not intend to give the donkey to ACS, but he promised that he would send the donkey to the blacksmith. The man said "Come back tomorrow for an other donkey of mine, I do not want her anymore."
The next day, there was Lola, the other donkey. She was tied to a tree. Her head hung down, she was dehydrated, had a crooked neck and she was thin. The difficult thing was first to find a place for Lola to stay. ACS called Gabi, she has had horses all her life. We told her the story of the donkey Lola. After talking with her husband Dimitri, we got permission to bring Lola to Gabi. It was not easy to get Lola into the trailer, which lasted half an hour. A real donkey! Lola is now on a piece of land where there is enough to eat for her. Gabi took care of Lola's wounds. After three days on land Lola is now following Gabi everywhere where she walks on the land. Meanwhile, the blacksmith visited Lola. Tom and Nick have made a nice shelter where Lola can shelter from rain and heavy sunlight. The blacksmith estimated the age of Lola at 25 years.
Medications are needed for Lola for her osteoarthritis / colic. In addition stuff for Lola, like clothes against the rain, is very welcome. Soon Lola's teeth will be treated. A clamp would be very welcome for this treatment. Who can help us with that?
The children of the neighborhood absolutely love Lola. Gabi teaches them what kind of an animal a donkey is and how you should deal with a donkey. The children did not know that and now, at a young age, they learn how to treat an animal like this.
Lola brightens and she shows that she can also bray. Her situation is improving daily, and she even managed to get her head horizontally instead of just down.
Gabi takes care of lola every day now. She walks with Lola and sometimes you can see them walking on the beach in the early morning. Tom and Ingrid often go along for food and medicines, but also visit her to just give her attention and to brush her.
ACS wants to thank Gabi and Dimitri for their care of Lola.
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Good old days for Jessy!!!
2011-06-02
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After one week of being at the shelter Jessy drew our attention more and more. We already have our dogs Axel, Kroepoek and Chris. Jessy looked like an old sister of Axel. She was a quiet and grey old lady at the shelter and most of the day she slept. We did see that sometimes she thought it was a bit (too) noisy, crowded and hectic at the shelter. So we decided at the end of our visit at Ingrid and Tom's to take 30 dogs in stead of 29! Jessy showed the whole trip to the Netherlands very stable behavior.
After all dogs have been moved, we put her loose in the car and immediately she was staring out the windows to see where she was.
That night she was introduced to our pack and from that moment on she is doing very well. She sleeps and wags a lot and when we walk with her she still has quite some energy.
Jessy is a social dog, very sweet and we are very happy with her!
Greetings and much love,
Nick and Dorien.
On behalf of ACS: Thank you Nick and Dorien, for adopting Jessy!
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Abandoned pensiondog Gina adopted!
2011-06-02
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Gina arrived at the shelter as a pension dog. She would stay at the shelter for only four days. But after four days, nobody showed up. Just after a month her owner came back to the shelter, she was an old Greek woman. Gina was very happy to see her again, but the Greek woman thought differently. She did not want Gina anymore, just like that.
One day a couple visited the shelter on Samos. They fell in love with Gina and wanted to adopt her.
They came at the right moment and it is so much better for Gina. Now, she has a good life in the Netherlands and meanwhile she has forgotten all about her previous Greek owner. In the Netherlands Gina is not alone; she has a friend called Sam who comes from the island Gran Canaria. Sam also has a sad history. When the family found him, Sam was in a very bad condition. He had two broken ribs. Sam was not found on the streets as a stray dog, no, he was just dumped in a container like trash. We hope that Gina and Sam will both have a long and happy life. Of course we thank their new owners for giving Gina and Sam a second chance. This time a chance on a good life, fortunately!
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This is a letter we received from Styx owner.
2011-05-10
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I am totally in love with my buddy! After a difficult start in life , what you might call a "doglife" he came to live with me. And I think he is pretty lucky with that! he gets loads of attention, he get' proper and loving care and he joins me wherever I go.
For this ex stray my gipsy lifestyle is peanuts! I work on a lot of different locations, and my dog always loves to join me. And he's very good at it! He is always very relaxed wether we are in a car, bar , train , warehouse , with the bike , hot cold or whatever he is always a happy and content dog! And because he is so well mannered and has the cutest face he is welcome all over the place! when I do not bring him my colleagues and friends start complaining I should bring Styx next time!
To cut a long story short, Styx is the best! A healthy dog with a great personality, good with other dogs and smart to!
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Twinckel now called Raki
2011-04-09
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The new life of Raki started at the shelter of Animal Care Samos tied up at the fence. Where she was discovered by the volunteers.
A little bit timid and unsurely wagging her tail, she was moved into the kennel.
After a few days she adapted really well, and was very happy with all the attention she got from the volunteers. All the other dogs were pretty big compared to her, so in the big group it was sometimes a bit intimidating, but she coped well.
After some time she went on a transport to the Netherlands where she would be fostered by one of the volunteers.
She turned out to be a really great dog, a colleague of the fostermum fell in love with her, and wanted to adopt her.
Sylvia as her new mum is called, already has a dog a border terrier, so we had to see if they would accept each other.
This was no problem at all they are the best of friends now.
Sylvia went to dogschool with Raki, and it turned out she is a really great student! She won first place!
We are very happy for Raki that she has found a new great home, after being dumped at the shelter.
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The story of Elly and Kyma
2010-12-17
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Hallo,
I am Kyma and I am about two years old. In spring 2010 I was dumped in the kennel at the frontgate of the shelter. I do not know why, but maybe I was not good enough for the hunt and that is why my owner wanted to get rid of me. Actually, I am a hunting dog.
I was very scared when I entered the shelter. I did not dare to get out of my basket and when a volunteer of the shelter came in, I crawled out of fear despite the good help I got there.
But, one day in june, someone entered my kennel and that person saw me sitting there in the corner with my very sad face. After a couple of days I gathered enough courage to visit her when she sat down with me and I got myself stroked. Meanwhile I heard that her name was Elly and she has been visiting Samos for about nine years to help at the shelter during her holidays. I also heard that, eight years ago, she took Mathilde from the shelter with her to Holland, so maybe I had a chance as well.
After three weeks Elly went back home and left my alone sorrowfully. But she did phone Tom & Ingrid regularly to ask them how I was doing. In the meantime I was walking around in the frontfield and I found a friend, named Henry, who was also a little bit scared like me. When it was a bit noisy at the shelter we withdrew to the container and we showed up after it was quiet again.
It was the 14th of September when I suddenly saw Elly back at the shelter. From that day on I knew that everything was going to be different. She came back to pick me up and after ten days I could go to Holland. Everything was very exciting but it was not so nice that I had to say goodbye to Henry. I pray for him that one day someone will visit the shelter for adopting him, so that he also finds nice people to have a happy life with.
Nowadays I live in the Zaanstreek together with Mathilde, two pussycats who are also from Samos and a teckel named Gijs. Together we have lots of fun. It is very nice that we have a Greek tongue, so we do not have a language problem. Only Gijs does not speak Greek, but we understand each other very well. I am still learning but I am doing my best. Every day it is getting better and better.
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Missy, The Cat.
2010-12-04
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The harbor police of Samos Town called us one June evening, about an injured cat. Tom picked up the cat, and she didn’t look like a survivor.
She was skin and bones, dirty, hairless, snotty and just really in a poor shape. Ingrid placed her in a kennel, put a soft bed and food, water, everything she could need. For a couple of days we wanted to see what will happen with her. She had her kitty-toilet in the kennel and seemed to understand that that’s the place to go when needed. She ate very slowly and slept a lot.
Every day you could see some progress, although she didn’t gain weight rapidly. We could feel a lump in her belly. We wanted to give her a chance and decided to see what the vet will say. Four weeks The Cat stayed in the kennel, slowly gaining weight. We had her on antibiotics and it seemed to help her a little. The vets arrived and we asked them to sterilize The Cat, and at the same time, take a look what is inside. That the vets did, and found that the lump would have been an old injury, maybe she had been kicked really hard in the belly, or been hit by a car. The vet removed some tissue and we let her heal.
Sure enough, after a couple of weeks, you couldn’t recognize The Cat! She had turned into a really beautiful cat! Her fur had grown longer, it was pure white and soft as..an angels.
For some reason, we found that the name Missy, would suite her nicely.
During the upcoming weeks, Missy developed a sneeze that wouldn’t quit! She was on antibiotics and at first it seemed to make things worse, but then she started getting better. She was living in the garden of the Animal Care house, not really finding her place with the other cats. They seemed to hiss and snap at her, and she kept mostly to herself.
In October, some family members of one of our volunteer came to visit Samos. These people have always loved animals and especially cats. After visiting the garden every evening for almost a week, Hanna (cousin of our volunteer) brought up her affection for Missy. We told her that Missy is a very special cat for us and she isn’t really up for adoption. But because we knew that the winter is coming also to Samos, and for Missy, it of course would be best to have her own home, we decided that Hanna and her fiancée could adopt Missy. We couldn’t stop thinking about this poor hairless creature that she was.. How she would be miserable in the garden, during the heavy winter rains. In comparison, we thought about her, inside a house, lying on her own soft bed, while outside there would be snow. Yes, that was a easy decision.
Missy left to Finland, flying first to Athens, then to Munchen, and finally Helsinki. We got sms’s from the trip, saying how well Missy was behaving, not making any sounds in the plane etc.
Now she is living as a real Cat Princess. She has two cat friends in the same house, who have excepted Missy as a part of the family. She has fresh food all the time available, and many soft places to sleep. The best of all, she has a lot of love from the people who are now her family. Missy, we will never forget you!
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The story of Mai
2010-11-21
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Mai was found, tied up at the shelter, in February 2010.
In the beginning she was a little shy, but she started to change quickly, showing love and affection to the people at the shelter. Mai was always a very nice dog, with a soft character. She just had one problem…
Even though she loved her life at the shelter, she had a yearning for freedom and she was professional in Great Escapes.
The first time Mai escaped, she was gone for five days, and returned to the shelter by herself.
The second time Mai escaped, she didn’t come back on her own. Four weeks had passed since Mai had left us; it was a Thursday evening, shopping evening in Samos. Tom and Ingrid were walking the main street of Samos town..and guess who they saw! Yes, it was Mai! She was skinnier than before, but otherwise looked healthy and seemed very happy to see Tom and Ingrid. She followed them back to the car and was brought back to the shelter. There she stayed with us, happy as before, playful and loving all the attention she got. We thought she had had enough of walking the streets as a vagabond…
A family in Germany had seen pictures of Mai and wanted to give her a home. They came over to Samos and saw Mai and decided to take her to Germany with them. But, Mai had other ideas… She escaped for the third time!
Everyone really loved Mai, and the family from Germany, together with the Animal Care Samos crew, looked everywhere for Mai. The Animal Care team used their van to go around the villages, but of course a van is a little too big for the narrow streets of Samos Town. We went to Pythagorion to see Vivi and Vasilli from car rental “KIKLOS”, who has been supporting Animal Care for many years. Vivi didn’t need to think twice after she heard the story of Mai, as she gave us a scooter for unlimited time, so that we can get around smaller roads to try to find Mai! This was a great help, as we could go now literally everywhere in Samos Town and Ano Vathi. We put pictures of Mai all over the nearby villages, in the hopes that someone might have seen her. And we did get a lot of phone calls, unfortunately, none of them leaded to finding Mai.
Three weeks passed and the family from Germany had to return back home. Unfortunately Mai was a no show, but the family still wanted to adopt a dog and found themselves another nice dog from the shelter. Now Lidl is happily living with her new family in Germany, and her story you will hear later.
A couple of days later, a local man from Mitiliny had recognized Mai from the picture. He came to the shelter the next day and sure enough, he had Mai with him! Mai was still the same lovely dog she was before, only a little tired from her journeys.
Now Mai is living in Germany with another family. We hope she has finally found a place she feels is her home, and doesn’t have the need to go looking for freedom anymore. We wish her all the best, she will always have her place in our hearts. Mai, the girl who wouldn’t stop walking…
We like to say thanks to Vivi and Vasilli from car rental “KIKLOS” for there great help.
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A letter from Phila
2010-11-09
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Hi tom, Ingrid and Sanne,
I just wanted to let you know how I was doing.
I had a safe trip to Holland with my friend Silke, my new owners had to wait for me at the airport for quite soe ime because we got lost on the airport! Luckily Elly kept asking about us and got us trough the border control. I got to go out of my kennel straight away because I was so calm. Silke got a little bit scared by the whole situation, but she will be fine. We both got sweet people to take care of us and from now on life will treat is kind!
The car wasn't scary at all but it made me so tired. We quickly went to the vet and made an appointement for next week.
My new home is at the ninth floor but luckily there is an elevator! When we arrived at our new home I smelled some great stuff, al kind of candy,s and bones in a plastic back, so I took the whole back. Cause you know how ot is with food, get as much you can while you can, cause you never know when you'll get some more!
unfortunately they took the back from me....
Straight after that there came this cat walking towards me with a high back and a very large tail! I slowly retreated and thought let's get away from here! But the people separated us for a little while so i could go discover the house. I found out they have 2 of those scary cats!!
My new family thought i would be exhausted by al this , and wanted to go for a short walk, but o way! I love walks, so we went fot an hour walk. And when i got home i layed myself down on my new great big pillow and got some treats, yeah life can be good . I didn't sleep very well cause those scary cats were investigating me all night, I wagged my tail, but if possible I take a big bow around them....
This morning we talk a early walk and I got much compliments on how well I was behaving! It's not that hard to behave, come, wait and easy ...I just like to run in the forest!
Once in a while the cats come and sniff me but they generally leave me alone , so don't have to bother about them t much and I can take my naps.
When I drink I make quite a mess. Luckily my family can laugh about it.
At this moment I am sleeping on my nice pillow and take a rest. So this is a little story about my new life in Holland, I will get you some updates soon enough.
Lots of love,
Phila
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Kokkari- my story
2010-10-05
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Hi my name is Kokkari, the people think I am around 6 years old. I don't really know to be honest. For years I've been roaming the streets of Kokkari a village on Samos. Until some people saw me, they didn't look like Greek people. They thought it would be better for me to get off the streets. At first I was hiding under a car, I was a bit scared, but they were so persistant that in the end I surrendered (they did look kind of nice..)and I came along. Because I was quite shy at first it took some time to be rehomed, I didn't really enjoy to be touched at all. But finely there were some people at the shelter, I think they were called Erik and Karin , and they took me for a walk every time they visited the shelter. To be honest I did not like the lead at all!! But they weren't hitting me with it, and walking turned out to be quite okay! These people were really sweet , every day they took me for a walk.
All of a sudden the people didn't show up anymore. But it was kind of strange that I could join the volunteers and their dogs and I got extra attention, and was allowed to stay in the house, that was kinda cool! The volunteers told me the people who took me for walks were gonna adopt me, and I would fly to Holland in a kennel.
And that day came pretty fast, all of a sudden I was going in a kennel , I was sure I was gonna miss Tom Ingid and Sanna!
But when I had landed in the Netherlands these people were there! After a long ride in the car I met their other 2 small dogs. I really had to get used to them, but they are pretty sweet, and Pepper also comes from Samos so we bark the same language! He's my best friend now and we play a lot. I get loads of hugs, and get more confidence every time. Not all people are bad! Thank you so much all the nice people from the shelter, for taking such good care of me, and that you took so much time for rehoming me. Also Erik, Karin, Stoffer and Pepper would like to thank you million times!
Hug from me , Kokkari, I will continue to chill a little more on the couch, after all, that's my specialty!! ;-)
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Glenny
2010-07-08
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Glenny lived on the landfill close to the shelter. One day he followed us and would not leave again.
Through one of our partner organizations Glenny has now found a loving home with a couple in Germany.
He enjoys dog dancing and holliday trips to France and Denmark.
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Sweet Angie
2010-07-02
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ANGIE
Someone had left this small dog in the kennel, in front of the shelter. Again, this is normal, but she was dumped there during a severe thunderstorm night. When we took her from the kennel box, she was very scared, shaking, wet and crying.
We placed her in one of our big kennels, where she had a soft bed, water and food. In the same kennel was Idefix, whom we thought might help Angie settle in the shelter. For two days she didn’t move from the kennel. She was shaking when we went to see her and take care of her. After two days, she let us touch her without being scared of us. We took her and Idefix in the front area of the shelter, so she would be more with people. During our breaks, she liked to sleep in our arms.
She was very skinny and her fur was in a very poor condition, full of dreads in the backside. When we were able to fully examine her, we noticed that this little dog was older than we thought, closer to ten years.
We had to clip a lot of hair from her, give her kind of a “lion trim”. She didn’t like it when we tried to clean her ears and we saw that there is a problem with them. We cleaned her ears, which was painful for her. We gave her antibiotics for the infection and it seemed to calm down a little bit.
Day by day this charming Angie came more open towards people. Monika arrived from Germany and it was love at first sight for Monika and Angie!
Monika has rehomed many dogs from us, and it was clear that she would do everything she can, to get little Angie to a good home.
Luckily we were able to sterilize Angie while Monika was here, and at the same time, we found the problem with her ears. There were grass seeds very deep in her ear, causing her severe pain. The vet removed the grass seeds and already the same night you could see the difference in her! She was much happier and let us touch her head without trying to pull away.
Monika decided to take Angie to Germany, as it was clear that the shelter is not the best place for her, since she was such a tiny dog that placing her in the fields didn’t seem like a good idea, and we don’t want to keep dogs in kennels, for a long time, as it is no life for a dog.
Monika didn’t have a place ready for Angie, but said that she will keep her, until she finds a home she can trust Angie to. Monika took also Idefix with her, so Angie made the trip to Germany, with her knight in white armor.
Two days after Angie and Monika left to Germany, we heard great news! Angie was happily rehomed to Monika’s friend, who lives very close to her and she is able to see Angie, whenever she wants.
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Charming Binky
2010-07-02
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BINKY
Binky came to the shelter from Mitiliny. Someone had put him over the fence of an English couples house. Binky’s left front leg was strangely twisted from the ankle, but it didn’t seem to be painful.
He was just a young dog, approx. 6 months old. He was a charming character from the beginning. Always gave you a hug when you went in to the kennel and later, in the field. He just adored people! He was also friendly with all the dogs. We could say, he was a real joy to us.
It was nice to see Binky grow at the shelter. The only worry for us was his leg, which luckily seemed to get straighter, as he grew. But who would want a dog with a problem with the leg, when the costs of possibly needed operation might be very high? That was the question in our mind, and we were worried, that Binky might have to stay at the shelter for a long time. This is never good for a dog, especially a young dog. You could see that he really loved people and needed their company, even though he seemed pretty happy at the field with all his friends.
After being at the shelter for three months, Binky left with a transport to Germany. He didn’t have a home to go to, he was placed to a shelter. He didn’t have to stay there more than a few days, when his charming character was noticed and he was rehomed.
Now he happily lives in a family, where he is taken care of and is really a part of the family. He get’s all the attention and playtime from people, which he seemed to yearn for, and is a very happy dog, Binky.
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Suzie has been adopted by her savers
2010-06-13
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Suzie the pussy-cat has been adopted by her savers!
During their holiday on Samos Robert and Ella from Den Helder (Holland) met the highly pregnant pussy-cat Suzie, who came to their apartment every day for food. After Suzie gave birth to her kittens, she brought each kitten to Robert and Ella one by one. They made a little bed for her in their appartment immediately.
They wanted to take Suzie and her kittens to Holland at the end of their holiday, but this was not possible because the kittens had to be three months old at least. The holiday on Samos ended and they had to go back home. But not before they took Suzie to the vet for her vaccinations.
When they arrived at the vet, suddenly Suzie escaped. She ran into the garden and was grabbed by a dog. Robert and Ella were chasing Suzie to save her again, for the second time. That was not easy, because Robert had to pull Suzie out of the dog’s mouth. He got bitten by the dog as well and Suzie scratched him from out of fear. Robert’s hands were completely damaged and he had to go to a hospital for a tetanus-injection.
The next day Robert and Ella had to take the plane home and Suzie was taken care of by ACS. Every day Ingrid from ACS looked after Suzie and her kittens. Three of the five kittens got ill in the first days. Unfortunately they did not make it. The two strong survivors have found their place in the garden, where they are nicely living together with about 21 other cats that are daily being taking care of by ACS. As soon as the two kittens were big and strong enough and started to eat on their own, Suzie was ready to go to Holland.
Two volunteers had to leave to Holland anyway after their working holiday at the shelter of ACS for two weeks. So they took Suzie with them in the plane to Holland. Suzie and her kennel was not allowed to go into the cargo of the plane, so she could stay with the volunteers in the cabin of the plane. That was much more cosy and felt a lot safer for Suzie.
O what a brave and special pussy-cat she is!
She stayed quiet during the whole flight and was sleeping sweetly in her kennel. Only during the take-off and the landing she was miauwing a little bit to let the pilot know that he must not wobble with the plane. Probably she was doing so great because she knew that she was on her way to Robert and Ella and she had been day-dreaming about them the whole flight.
When arriving on Schiphol, Robert and Ella were already waiting at the arrival hall with a selfmade sign high up in the air that read "SUZIE" and the names of the volunteers. They also brought nice flowers for the volunteers, because they were so thankful that they could hold Suzie in their arms again. After a hug Suzie could accompany Robert and Ella to her new home.
Another story with a happy ending.
Robert and Ella, congratulations and best luck together with your Suzie!
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From Skinny to Happy
2010-06-13
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FROM SKINNY TO HAPPY
Skinny was found one morning in front of the shelter. Someone had dumped him there during the night. This is pretty normal, but there was nothing normal about Skinny. The name gives a small hint to what this poor creature looked like. He was just skin and bones, like a walking skeleton.
Suprisingly, he was very happy to see us and seemed to love human attention. We took him inside and placed in a kennel.
We took him over to the waterbowl and he didn’t seem to smell the water.. so after we drippled some on his mouth, he just went for it! He drank like he had never seen or tasted water before. Three times the bowl went empty. We had to pull him away, since it’s not very healthy to overdose with water.
It was heartbreaking, because you could only give him a little bit of tinfood at a time, and you saw how he was craving for more. But we couldn’t risk him getting dhiarrea in such a poor condition, that would have probably been the end of him!
Slowly he started to gain weight and we gave him bigger and bigger dosages of food. But at the same time as we where happy he was gaining weight, there was fear.. since we where waiting for the results of his Leishmania bloodtest.
It felt like Christmas had come again, when we got the results! This poor thing had one horrible malnutrition and dehydration, and also was clear from Leishmania!
After this, we decided it’s time to change his name. After all, he was no longer so Skinny.. now he was just healthy and HAPPY. He loves everyone, and really craves for human attention and affection. He enjoys also the company of other dogs, likes to run free in the field behind the shelter, and win over all the people who visit the shelter and see him. From Skinny to Happy.
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Pepe
2010-02-09
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Pepe was found tied up to the shelter.
He was sent to Germany where he found a new home after only 4 weeks.
Although he suffered from skin cancer (which has been successfully removed) he found a caring family where he enjoys life now!
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Irma/Triene found a new home
2010-02-07
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Irma was found near Ormos and was brought to Germany where she was waiting for a new home.
Finally, he was adopted by a loving family.
She is a very warm hearted dog who just wants to be loved - and that's what she is getting now!
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