Just a few of the people we help: Julie Tsiakmakis and her little shelter in Halkidiki. Julie works incredibly hard, single-handedly. Her shelter is always full with strays - dogs and cats - from the streets of Salonica and surrounding villages. All are neutered and found caring homes mostly in Germany and Belgium. She also feeds many hundreds of strays and is constantly receiving phone calls for help or advice for an animal... also keeps an eye out for an abandoned or abused donkey. Two years ago the shelter was devastated by a flash flood and CARAT was able to make an immediate remittance to help rebuild the kennels which were almost completely destroyed. 
Above are some of Julie's rescues
Christiana Karathanasi who works tirelessly for the stray cats of Salonica. ...trapping, neutering and using her home for post -op care. She also has at home some 21 disabled or elderly cats that she cares for. Below left Christiana with her vet Nikos Daskalopopulos who gives specially low rates for the strays and on the right, a patient awaiting his turn!
We have only recently become aware of the splendid work of KARDISTA ANIMAL WELFARE, a small society which rescues and neuters strays - dogs and cats, and wherever possible finds caring homes for them...they have even rescued abandoned donkeys! The society is run by a committee of five but the the bulk of the work is undertaken by two people, Katerina and Evi -seen in the picture below welcoming 1500 kgs of dog food donated by CARAT. They are responsible for the feeding, cleaning , maintenance, collecting animals, driving to and from the vet, and so on. They are tireless workers. A small petrol driven "gokart" would be a great help to them and we trying to find something suitable.
We have roofed the main stabling at the small LEFKOGIA DONKEY SANCTUARY on land owned by Cretan farmer Kostas Giukakis, where he cares for some 23 donkeys which had been abandoned or been abused by their owners. We have been asked to help refurbish a small stable which could be used for the older donkeys who might like a little peace and quiet at night - away from younger, more boisterous animals! If and when funds permit we should like to replace it entirely.
Roofing completed Donkeys in the unroofed stable
MESSARA ANIMAL WELFARE (Mires, Crete) ... a group of five dedicated people, headed by New Zealand born Barbara Doulyeraki, faces enormous welfare problems. .... a donkey with a broken leg whose owner doesn't want her and who was going to let her die! She will soon be safe - for the rest of her days - with Messara Animal Welfare, receiving veterinary care.
There is a big problem with the Cretan ponies, a so-called "protected" breed which abound on the island on account of an EU subsidy. Barbara reports: "They are tied under trees for days on end... hooves untrimmed - one mare in foal has to hold a foot up at a time for relief. (see pic below) .... covered in flies... no water. We take turns going twice daily taking water and untie them and put them under another tree where there is grass. I found another elderly mare with the rope so tightly tied around her front hoof it had cut into the flesh. It took me an hour to loosen it - she could have lost her hoof. "
And a happy ending for RALF (below) found by Renata (new member of the Messara team) eating out of a rubbish bin on the side of the road - just skin and bones. He had been dumped like so many others who are not good at hunting. He has been adopted by a friend of Renata's and now lives, much loved, in the nearby village of Kamilari.
