PAWS' services

PAWS sends 3 or 4 UK vet teams to Paxos every year. We also pay expenses for our Greek vet Nefeli Damigou to work at the PAWS Municipal vet clinic in Magazia 3 or 4 days every month to neuter strays and cover emergencies. 

PAWS also supports winter feeding and builds and maintains the feeding stations around the island.

PAWS hopes to improve education on animal welfare to both children and adults. We also intend to improve information and treatment for Leishmanisais.

Although there is no facility for a rescue centre on Paxos, PAWS does its best to rehome abandoned animals when they are brought to us.

Veterinary Services

Our Greek vet Nefeli Damigou has worked with PAWS since 2015.

She opened her own private clinic in September 2018. At the same time another private vet practice opened in Fontana.

Nefeli supports PAWS and works as the Municipal vet at the PAWS Municipal vet clinic 3-4 days a month and also covers emergencies on stray animals. She is an excellent vet and is always willing to help with any veterinary problems and can be contacted on (0030) 26620 30204.

PAWS charity co-operates well with Paxos municipality but we are only legally allowed to treat stray animals on the island. Every year we arrange for 3 or 4 vet teams from the UK to work at the PAWS Municipal vet clinic. These visits involve neutering and health checks of stray cats plus any emergency services.

Dog and Cat Neutering Voucher Scheme

PAWS introduced a dog and cat neutering voucher scheme in February 2020 where the charity donates towards the neutering of any privately owned dog or cat. Both private vet practices on Paxos support the scheme and will offer a further 20 euros discount.

PAWS continues to improve its education programme focusing on neutering and help with the prevention and treatment of Leishmaniasis and other Mediterranean diseases.

Please use the Greek National Hotline Number 10410 if you want to report animal abuse.

Winter Feeding of Paxos' Cats

Between 2007 and 2020, Rod Turner built over 40 feeding stations for the charity as well as helping a lot with clinic maintenance. Since Rod's retirement, John Durrant from Lela Construction has freely given his time to build new feeding stations and renovate existing ones. Marc from Landstone in Lakka most recently helped with feeding station renovation and clinic repairs.

We currently have 18 feeding stations around the island looked after by a group of volunteers. PAWS greatly appreciates the volunteer help and also the food that is donated by tourists during the summer months and is happy to continue its support to the winter feeding of cats.

Education

PAWS has initiated education on animal welfare on Paxos since 2006.

Animal Action from GAWF in Athens gave talks to both adult and children in 2006. Subsequently PAWS has provided leaflets about animal welfare and the importance of neutering that are continually distributed across the island.

In April 2015, PAWS was delighted to invite a group of 30 schoolchildren to the clinic as part of a worldwide volunteering project called 'Let's Do it Greece'. Our resident UK vet Russell Forbes explained with the help of Faye as interpreter about how the charity works and demonstrated all the equipment. All the children were very engaged and particularly fascinated by the pulse oximeter. Most of the children had a pet at home and were keen to support animal welfare.

Rescues

Sadly PAWS does not have the resources to run a rescue or re-homing centre and the situation of abandoned dogs and cats can be very distressing for PAWS volunteers and for tourists. We urge everyone on Paxos to take advantage of the Dog and Cat Neutering Voucher Scheme by taking their animals to the Paxos Vet Clinic or Fontana vet clinic to be neutered. This will help prevent the abandonment of unwanted puppies and kittens. 

Please see our Facebook page for the latest pictures.

Stray Dog problem 2019

In 2019, Paxos municipality built some dog kennels in the PAWS clinic garden to help with the stray dog problem. Dogs Trust UK sposored a dog catching and dog training workshop.Amazingly over the next 2 years all the dogs were caught and rehomed with the help of Corfu Care. Paxos was delcared 'Stray Dog Free' in 2021.

Below are a few of the PAWS rescue stories with happy endings:

2020:

Faith was spotted at the bottom of the cement pit on August 29th and the PAWS team was called. The dog was rescued by one of our volunteers Andreas being lowered into the pit via the bucket of a JCB digger and bringing Faith to safety. She was immediately washed and then taken to the PAWS clinic for further treatment and recovery. She was given drops for the inflammation in her eyes and stomach medication for the effects of the cement she had swallowed.

Five weeks later, after much love and care Faith was re-homed in the UK with Jules and Graham Lewis. A year later they decided Faith needed a companion so adopted Oscar from Paxos who had been a stray on the island for 2 years. What a success a story, as you can see from the video!

2017:

Jennifer McBeath a regular visitor to Paxos and loyal supporter of PAWS found a bedraggled white kitten at one of the PAWS feeding stations and with the help of the PAWS clinic looked after it during her stay. The transformation was amazing and Jennifer decided to adopt the kitten which she had called Olive and took her back to the UK to live with her 5 other cats!

Emily Hughes a volunteer at the PAWS clinic adopted an abandoned puppy found near the rubbish dump. she called it Freddie and it now lives happily in the Yorkshire Dales.

2016:

Victoria and Spithas

victoria and spithas

A beautiful dog now called Spithas was chained up in the summer of 2016 and then abandoned at the PAWS clinic in December. He is now living in Yorkshire with Victoria & Ken. He is greatly loved and has a wonderful life. Victoria and Ken regularly send updates and photos and boy is he a handsome dog!

2015:

A lively retriever cross called Nettles who was at the clinic for over 6 weeks was found a loving home in Cheshire with Debbie Gilbertson (one of our volunteer vet nurses).

Paxi, a beautiful white labrador cross that was involved in a road traffic accident was rescued by an Italian couple Simone and Deborah.

Jim and Maureen Lemin adopted Buddy a gentle black labrador that was found abandoned in a pitiful condition during the summer.

Takis, a beautiful ginger kitten, was adopted by Sally and now lives happily on the Isle of Wight.

Takis the rescue cat

takis the rescue cat

2014:

Molly with John and Sue

molly with john and sue

Two abandoned puppies were found new homes: - One in Paxos and the other (Molly, pictured) was adopted by John & Sue Sutcliffe who divide their time between Paxos and the UK so Molly has her passport and is bi-lingual.

A beautiful abandoned Setter cross called Rea was adopted by Grahame and Jan Chambers in 2014. In 2016 they adopted 2 puppies called Fred & Ginger, which is now the 3rd time they have come to the rescue as they gave Chuck a home back in 2006.

2013:

PAWS vet Russell Lyon received an emergency call one Sunday to attend Biscay Bertie, who had just sailed into Paxos and had a terrible bout of colitis. Russell’s treatment soon had Bertie back to rude health much to the relief of his worried owners. Bertie subsequently wrote a very amusing blog about his Paxos experience and raised over £1000 for PAWS.

A bedraggled kitten given to Lindsay in a cardboard box and named Maggie was adopted by Eric & Jackie at the PAWS clinic opening party!

James and Kathryn Baird rescued a beautiful tabby kitten 'Gatki' from Paxos and took him back to their home in Belfast.

2011:

A very small kitten found in a metal cage was adopted by Christine and her family from Loggos and named Dissy.

Two other beautiful kittens found by the roadside were re-homed with Carol from Paxos Magic.

A handsome young dog Taxx involved in a car accident was adopted by Jacqui and lived happily in the UK for several years with a beautiful black Labrador as a companion.

On-Island Volunteering

Our volunteers on the island of Paxos are key members of the team. Their activities include:

  • trapping of feral cats
  • maintenance of feeding stations
  • winter feeding at the feeding stations
  • arranging fundraising events on the island
  • advertising PAWS activities on social network sites
  • supporting the vets' visits
  • painting and maintenance work at the PAWS clinic
paws logo

Paxos Animal Welfare Society

Registered UK Charity: 1155941

Contact

UK mobile:
0730 605 2399

For emergencies with stray cats on Paxos, please call:
(0030) 26620 30204

Email us at
info@pawspaxos.com

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