In February, 2024 Animal Welfare Karpathos, in collaboration with Veterinary Global Aid, Inc (US based non profit), concluded another successful spay/neuter and education program on the island of Karpathos. This time, our team traveled to Othos village where for the first time a TNR took place directly in the village. The hospitality of the locals set the mood for a wonderful experience. The ladies in the village not only opened their homes to accommodate the volunteers, but took time out of their days to prepare delicious meals and traditional snacks. The Othos diaspora, from the US to Australia, and the Greek Othos associations supported the program with excitement through donations (see donors below). The program was approved by the City Hall of Karpathos, mayor Mr. Fellouzis and the majority of the municipality council. Our team consisted of a number of volunteers (see below) both from within Othos, but also from other parts of the world (Austria, Germany, Holland). The latter traveled specifically to Karpathos to participate in the program. We encourage you to please scroll through the donor and volunteer names at the end of this page.

In line with our mission, Dr. Katogiritis and Mrs. Sophia Hiras visited schools and interacted with the students in an effort to raise awareness about animal welfare. It is fair to say that with every program we encounter a number of difficulties and by overcoming these difficulties, we improve the next programs to come. This program exceeded our expectations in the number of animals treated (312) in just 3.5 days, all thanks to the hard work of the medical team and the trapping/releasing volunteers who were at the clinic for approximately 12 hours daily.

Before showcasing some of the program highlights, we would like to especially extend our gratitude to the following individuals for their significant contributions to this program. This campaign would not have been possible without the immense support of Father Demetrios Skarvelakis, who welcomed our team with open arms and inspired the locals to participate actively in the program. His sincere love for our beloved strays served as daily inspiration and encouragement in spite of the long hours our volunteers spent in and outside of the clinic. We would also like to thank the committee of the church (Transfiguration of the Saviour of Othos) for allowing us to use the space in the Megaron of Stes. In addition, the president of the village of Othos Mr. Mathew Economides who supported the program throughout its duration and offered hands-on assistance multiple times. Furthermore, Mr. Shamraz Sarwar was there daily and oferred pro bono assistance with the transportation of goods and the configuration of the space.

Last but not least, there is one special volunteer without whom this program would not have taken place in Othos to begin with, and this is Ms. Fotini Lagonikos. Fotini, wholeheartedly believed in the importance of this program and worked diligently over months to organize key details. Throughout the duration of the program she volunteered daily to ensure that all the volunteers were coordinated and that the trapping/releasing was done in an organized manner. After the completion of the program she continued to check on the cat colonies to make sure the cats recovered well.
   

As always, this program would not have been possible without the generosity of our donors and business sponsors. For this program, Animal Welfare Karpathos partnered with Veterinary Global Aid, a new nonprofit based in the US through which volunteer veterinarians can provide free care to animals in need around the globe.

We invite all of you to review the information below and help us give thanks to everyone who contributed to another successful campaign.