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Rescue in Crete

Sam Wilson is a volunteer at https://www.facebook.com/GeorgeShelterCrete/ She is a former police inspector with Nottinghamshire, England police. She served on the force for 30 years and retired in September 2020. A week later, she flew to Crete, Greece to volunteer with George Orfanidis and his George Stray Dogs organization. Sam’s plan was volunteer for four weeks, improve her Greek language skills, and then return home. The return-home part of her plan became complicated. Her time there inspired her to book three additional flights to Crete over the following two months, with more planned in the future. Sam now has a very long commute to work and works side by side with George.

George Stray Dogs was founded by George Orfanidis, who has devoted more than 20 years to rescuing and caring for dogs and bringing about positive change for animals by changing people’s minds and hearts through education. George houses 100 dogs at his shelters, which lack electricity and water supply. Every day, without fail, he drives the 70 km round trip bringing water and food to the dogs.

Animal welfare is not a priority in Greece. There are estimated to be 8 million stray dogs and cats in the country. They are routinely abandoned in the rubbish, in the mountains, and on the street. Some dogs are chained to barrels for the length of their lives, with little food and fresh water, and riddled with ticks, fleas, and worms.

George has been reliant on his fellow Greeks for donations for food for veterinary medicine, but Greece has been in recession for a long time. Many of the people who care about animal welfare have little money to give. The struggle for funding was somewhat alleviated when Australian animal activist Stella Savvas set up the organization’s Facebook page. George has also received various volunteer assistance from his brother Nikos Orfandis, and volunteers Katerina and Debra. The organization also received a boost when George’s friend, well-known Greek rescuer Takis Proestakis, mentioned him on his FB page.

The access to a wider audience has allowed George to build infrastructure at one of the shelters, which will allow all of the dogs to be housed at one site. Fencing, kennels, and easy access to water will make the rescue work easier. George, Sam, and other volunteers are currently working to complete the site work before winter sets in.

Some of George Stray Dogs rescue success stories – Before and After:

Tommy – George found Tommy in the filth of an abandoned house. The sight of Tommy reduced George to tears. Tommy had little fur and wounds all over his face and body from the effects of leishmaniasis, a parasitic disease which afflicts many dogs in the southern Mediterranean. After months of care, love, and treatment, Tommy was transformed into a beautiful dog. Tommy and George are now inseparable.

Hara – Hara was abandoned in the rubbish five years ago. George was caring for her as a stray on the streets. One day, he was alerted that some men had her on a chain and were ready to hang her. George went to the location and fought with the men to save her life. (He has been attacked more than one occasion for his work.) The men damaged George’s car and bruised him, but Hara was saved and she now lives at the shelter. Hara is a contented dog with a sweet and gentle nature.  The deformed leg with which she was born causes her no issues.

Dias – Dias is known as the Gentle Giant. He is a 60kg Greek Shepherd found on the highway with shattered legs, unable to move. With two surgeries and care from George he is thriving. The puppies particularly adore him. He’s the alpha dog in his pen but  calm and even natured with others.

The transformation of dogs from when they arrive at the shelter in heart-breaking condition to health, balance, and friendly dispositions. They form close bonds with each other and adore George. George has a huge heart, dedication, and deep compassion for the neglected, abused, abandoned, tortured animals on Crete, Greece.

If you would like to make a donation to George Stray Dogs, their Paypal account is

https://www.paypal.com/donate/?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=YDFUP26WDRCBN&source=url

George Stray Dogs also have a Go Fund Me to raise money for a 4×4 car to provide consistently reliable transport to the shelter in winter.

https://www.gofundme.com/f/njrrqe-a-car-for-christmas?utm_source=customer&utm_medium=copy_link&utm_campaign=p_cf%20share-flow-1&fbclid=IwAR2vvl5KnvdSCzzwc7f9owIRdB6hksCeBijO0SsaqkHNZKmG2T0EqByKnko
Hara
Dias

For further information: https://www.facebook.com/GeorgeShelterCrete/

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Steps to Take To Help a Stray or Lost Dog

Most people assume that a wandering dog is owned and/or temporarily lost and will find his or her way home, but many do not. Rather than assuming things will work out for the dog, consider taking action. Yes, it’s a tad inconvenient for you, but what you’ve done is save a lost or abandoned animal from dehydration, starvation, exposure to the elements, fighting over scarce resources, and injury from animals or automobiles.

Here are some safe ways to help lost dogs.

If the dog is friendly:

  1. If the dog seems friendly and is willing to come to you, call him, and slowly move your hand forward palm down (palm up can signal that you might strike). Exude a calm confidence rather than fear. Talk to him, let him sniff you, and then stroke him gently.
  2. If he has a collar read the info and make the appropriate call.
  3. If he does not have identification, see if he will enter your (often calling him and simply opening the car door will inspire him to jump in) or corral him into an enclosed area, like a fenced yard or a room in your house. Provide water and food.
  4. Call your local SPCA, humane society, or police to notify them that you have found a lost dog. To find the number of your local animal rescue organization, search by “animal shelter,” “humane society,” or “animal control.” Public animal care and control agencies are often listed under the city or county health department or police department. You can use this link to find animal rescues in your area: https://www.petfinder.com/animal-shelters-and-rescues/search/
  5. Either deliver him to the shelter (where they can check him for a microchip with identifying information) or ask that someone pick him up.
  6. If you choose to retain him while searching for the owner, staple easily readable flyer (if possible, with photo) on telephone polls, put a free listing in the local paper and in the “pets” section of Craig’s list, rubber band a flyer to neighbors’ mailbox flags, and provide the local animal shelter veterinary offices with his identifying features so that they can check their database for a match.

If the dog seems unfriendly:

  1. If the dog seems unfriendly, do not put yourself at risk. Immediately call the police and your local animal rescue organization with information on his last-seen location.
  2. Put down a plastic, disposable bowl of water and food, which not only will slake his thirst and hunger, but help to keep him in that location so that authorities can find him.

Thank you for doing what you can to help animals.

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Click Daily & Corporations Will Provide Food for Animal Shelters – Free To You

Animal rescue – corporate food donation

If interested, you can make this you home page, so that when you log onto the internet, you can click daily. It costs you nothing.

Here are instructions to do so, for various browsers:

Firefox

  • Open Firefox, then select the three, horizontal lines next to the profile icon.
  • Select Options, then select the Home icon.
  • Under New Windows and Tabs, select the dropdown next to Homepage and new windows.
  • Choose the option you prefer: Firefox Home (Default), Custom URLs, or Blank Page.

Safari

  • Open Safari, then choose Safari > Preferences, then select General.
  • In the Homepage field, enter a wepage address. To simply use the webpage you’re currently viewing, select Set to Current Page.
  • Choose when your homepage is shown.
    • Open new windows with your homepage: Select the New windows open with pop-up menu, then choose Homepage.
    • Open new tabs with your homepage: Select the New tabs open with pop-up menu, then choose Homepage.

Microsoft Edge

  • Here’s how to change your home page in the new Microsoft Edge :
    • Open Microsoft Edge, select Settings and more  > Settings .

    • Select Appearance.

    • Turn on Show home button.

    • You can either choose New tab page or select Enter URL for a page that you want to use as your home page.

  • Note: This topic is for the new Microsoft Edge . Get help for the legacy version of Microsoft Edge .

Internet Explorer 11

  • In the top corner of Internet Explorer, select Tools , and then select Internet options.
  • On the General tab, under Home page, enter the URL of the site you want to set as a homepage. You can add more than one URL. Or, to add the site you’re currently viewing, select Use current. If you add more than one URL, put each URL on its own line.
  • Select Apply, and then select OK

 

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Petition to Ban (Incredibly Cruel & Dangerous) Wet Markets

Please consider signing this petition: click to view and sign

Threat to Public Health

Animal Equality has launched a worldwide campaign and petition calling for the immediate closure of wet markets across the globe. Wet markets get their name in part from the blood, guts, scales and water that soak the stalls’ floors, remnants from animals brutally killed for customers who desire to eat freshly killed meat.

In exclusive footage shot by Animal Equality at wet markets in China, Vietnam and India, animals such as deer, raccoons, crocodiles, and dogs are shown living in filthy conditions, suffering from dehydration, starvation and disease.

These markets are also a threat to public health and have been the source of documented disease outbreaks in the past, including SARS. Researchers also believe COVID-19 most likely originated from a wet market in Wuhan, China, notorious for trading in wild animals.

It is because of the public health crises wet markets cause, as well as the intense suffering inflicted on farmed animals, that Animal Equality is urging the United Nations to ban all wet markets. Not only do these markets pose an immediate danger to humans, but they are also intensely cruel and abhorrently inhumane to animals.

“I think we should shut down those things [wet markets] right away. It boggles my mind how when we have so many diseases that emanate out of that unusual human-animal interface, that we don’t just shut it down. I don’t know what else has to happen to get us to appreciate that.”
~Dr. Anthony Fauci, Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.
“If you take wild animals and you put them into a market with domestic animals or other animals, where there’s an opportunity for a virus to jump species, you are creating … a superhighway for viruses to go from the wild into people. We can’t do this anymore. We can’t tolerate this anymore. I want the wild animal markets closed.”
~Dr. Ian Lipkin, Infectious Disease Expert
“The animals have been transported over large distances and are crammed together into cages. They are stressed and immunosuppressed and excreting whatever pathogens they have in them. With people in large numbers in the market and in intimate contact with the body fluids of these animals, you have an ideal mixing bowl for [disease] emergence.”
~Prof Andrew Cunningham, The Zoological Society of London
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WHO calls on nations to end wildlife markets

@WHO is calling on nations to end wildlife markets because of the high risk they pose for the spread of pathogens like the coronavirus that can jump from animals to humans.
World Health Organization says nations should end wildlife trade · A Humane World
The World Health Organization is calling on nations to end wildlife markets because of the high risk they pose for the spread of pathogens like the coronavirus that can jump from animals to humans….

blog.humanesociety.org

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Do I Need to Worry About COVID-19 and My Cat (or Dog)? In Short: No

The one and only animal in the US found to have coronavirus is a Malaysian tiger at a zoo. Tigers are a very different species of cat than domestic cats. “They’re even in a different genus,” said Katen Terio, Chief of Zoological Pathology, University of Illinois and expert on wild cats’ medical issues.

With more than a 1.36M human coronavirus cases globally and 368K in the US—and a multitude of them having cats and dogs as pets—Dr. Terio notes that it’s significant that the first clinical case confirmed in the US was a tiger, not a domestic cat.

If you are feeling sick and suspect COVID-19, restrict contact with both humans and pets, advises the CDC. Have someone else care for you pet. If you are not sick, practice standard good hygiene with care of humans or pets: washing your hands before and after coming into contact with any food, supplies, or any waste.

Worldwide there are reports companion animals starving or being killed—evidence of  the vulnerable existence animals endure at the whim of humans. And there is an influx of animals at rescues abandoned by fearful humans.

Please…have a heart.

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Urgent: 12 hours left – Please consider asking Congress not to fund China’s animal experiments

Please consider signing (and sharing) this petition to Congress preventing our tax dollarsfrom funding horrific animal experiments in China – the vote is imminent.  We must gather 47,849 more signatures or Congress won’t prioritize this. Please do not wait.
Click on this link to sign: https://bit.ly/2wA0hUU