Every summer we receive many contacts from visitors to this beautiful island who are concerned about the health, safety and well-being of some of the animals they see around the tourist areas and in the more remote parts of the countryside. We have put together this information to help advise and support our animal loving visitors in working with us to help these animals wherever possible.
General
We are a Registered UK Charity (No. 1177945) and a registered nonprofit organisation in Greece. The rescue is run by Sue Deeth and her small family who live on Zakynthos and welcome many rescued puppies and dogs into their home, alongside their own dogs, cats and other animals.
The charity is supported in the UK by a small team of volunteers who give their time freely to support Sue in her rescue work, ensuring proper governance of the charity, promoting fundraising and publicity, responding to contacts and queries and of course, working hard to match adoptive families to the perfect dog, providing support and advice throughout the process.
There is no public shelter on the island so places for rescued animals are in extremely short supply. It is a sad fact that many puppies, dogs, kittens and cats are dumped in rubbish bins, turned out onto the streets or even driven into the mountains and simply abandoned. There is still resistance among many owners to the idea of having their animals spayed and neutered, so the numbers of puppies and kittens are endless!
Unfortunately, as a visitor to Zakynthos you are very likely to come across some of these stray, abandoned or sick/injured dogs and cats during your stay and we have prepared some information to help you to help these animals.
We have very limited resources to help directly in response to the hundreds of messages and requests for help we receive every tourist season from animal loving and caring visitors. We do not have a shelter, kennels, cattery or other premises on the island, so we are unfortunately unable to rescue and take in every animal in need.
We are, however, hoping to embark on an ambitious project to raise funds to build a dedicated animal shelter which will allow us to rescue, rehabilitate and rehome many more animals than we can do currently. More information about our Great Greek Shelter Build can be found on our website.
We hope that by providing you with this information you can do your bit to raise awareness with the senior municipal figures on the island and emphasise that poor treatment and neglect of animals is not acceptable to the visitors who provide the major source of income to Zakynthos.
We thank you for caring and trying, with us, to make life better for so many of these animals. We will work with you wherever possible to help any stray, abandoned or suffering animal but we need your proactive support too!!
PLEASE don’t wait until the last day of your holiday (or after you arrive back home) to report an animal in need or to ask about adoption.
We don’t have the resources to locate animals once you have left and we really need your help to report and make formal complaints about stray or neglected animals while you are still on the island.
If you wish to adopt an animal you have met/found in Zakynthos we will do our best to help you, but you will need to visit the State Vet in Zakynthos Town to complete the adoption paperwork. This is due to new European rules on the adoption of animals from Greece.
Reporting
The Municipality is responsible for all strays, and we ask that you please report any strays to the Municipality and Mayor of Zakynthos.
The telephone number for the Mayor is 0030 26953 61300 and his Facebook page is https://www.facebook.com/stasinopoulos3
There is a new Deputy Mayor with responsibility for animal welfare at the Municipality, Mr Kokonis. His email is
dimoszak@otenet.greece
The telephone number for the Animal Welfare Office is 0030 26950 27722.
Reporting your concerns to the Animal Welfare Office raises awareness at senior level and helps to make clear to the Municipality and the Mayor the situation visitors are experiencing with so many stray animals on the island. If all visitors reported strays this would hopefully encourage more action from the Municipality to help these animals and educate and, if necessary, hold irresponsible owners to account.
Veterinary Assistance
We receive a very high number of contacts from concerned visitors during the tourist season and we are simply unable to cover the whole island to locate and collect animals for vet visits, therefore, if you are really concerned about an animal, please consider taking it to a vet yourself.
All vets will treat a stray, and, unlike the UK, you will not pay a consultation fee. You pay only for any treatment given, which is generally nominal in comparison to the UK and the rest of the EU.
Most taxis will accept an animal for a vet trip, provided it is carried in a secure pet carrier or a strong box. The nearest local vet to your resort can be found via Google. Most vets are open in the morning and then again in the early evening.
Animal Cruelty or Neglect
Unfortunately, you may come across owned animals (including dogs, sheep, goats, donkeys, horses etc) which are not being looked after and cared for as we would like and expect.
As a charity we have no authority to intervene with owned animals. The Greek law is very clear on that point! We have no rights to attend private property to check on or challenge animal welfare issues and to do so could risk formal complaints from the owners about us which could put the whole of our rescue work at risk.
If you witness animal cruelty or neglect, for example, tethered/chained animals, lack of food, water or shelter from the sun, poisoning and other mistreatment please make a report to the Police. It is always better to make a report in person with any photos or video evidence and precise details of the location. Please remember to take your passport with you when you make a report.
There are police stations at Zante Town and Katastari.
To report cruelty or abuse at Zante Town police station the email address is:
Telephone numbers for the two police stations on the island are:
Zante Town +30 26950 22100
Katastari +30 26950 55068
Dogs
Many visitors to Zakynthos are concerned to see so many apparent stray dogs around the tourist areas. However, do bear in mind that many of these dogs are, in fact, owned animals who are allowed out to wander freely, especially in the summer months, and most usually find their way home. These dogs will generally appear to be well fed and healthy and may even have a collar. Many of them are very friendly and love to meet and greet visitors around the hotels/apartments and on the beach! Visitors mean attention, affection and treats/snacks!
True strays, however, tend to be very thin and are often in poor condition, with ticks, fleas and possibly injuries from fighting or road accidents. These dogs should be reported to the Municipality as soon as possible. We are unable to take in many strays each year as we are usually full to capacity with abandoned puppies (often with their mothers). Adult unneutered strays are extremely difficult to accommodate with the dogs at Sue’s home as they affect the equilibrium of the pack.
Many strays are fed by volunteers as part of feeding programmes in the bigger resorts. If you wish to feed a stray, dog food can be bought in all supermarkets but please feed them well away from the hotels, apartments and restaurants.
Cats
You are likely to see large numbers of stray/feral cats and kittens on the island as they gather in large groups in the tourist resorts where kind visitors feed them.
Many of these cats have eye problems due to the climate on the island. Eye infections can be helped by eye drops which can be bought from any chemist under the brand name “Tobrex”. The drug is Tobramycin which works by stopping the growth of bacteria and will greatly improve the cats’ eyes. The drops cost a few Euros.
Large numbers of the cats also have other health problems as they are mostly interbred and so many have serious genetic disorders. Many also suffer from Feline Aids and most will have fleas and ticks. Please don’t take cats or kittens into your hotel or apartment room as fleas can infest the beds and bedding!!
If you wish to feed the cats, food is available in most supermarkets. Please provide only water, not cow’s milk as this is not suitable for them. We kindly request that you feed cats well away from the hotels, apartments and restaurants.
Healing Paws Animal Rescue do assist in the rescue and rehoming of a very small number of cats each year, but we are unable to help the huge numbers of stray cats and kittens you will see around the tourist areas.
We may be able to help if you wish to adopt a cat or kitten, but you will need to secure a foster home for them until they have completed all the necessary vaccinations and, in the case of kittens, are old enough to travel. Foster homes are in extremely short supply on the island and will charge you a daily foster fee until your cat can travel. You will also need to consider and pay vet’s fees and payment for transport to your home country.
Due to the large number of dogs we have at Sue’s home each year it is simply not safe for cats to be fostered there.
Visits
Healing Paws Animal Rescue does not have rescue premises currently, although we have purchased an area of land and, as mentioned, are fundraising to enable the construction of a purpose-built shelter in the future.
The dogs for adoption live at Sue’s home and she is always very busy during the tourist season. It is a very different situation from visiting a rehoming shelter in other countries!
However, it may be possible to arrange for you to visit Sue’s home by prior arrangement. Sue lives well away from the tourist areas so you will need your own transport, or we can arrange transport to and from your resort for an agreed donation. Please contact us by email on general@healingpawsanimalrescue.com and we will do our best to arrange a visit if possible.
Adoptions
Healing Paws Animal Rescue has an excellent record in rehoming stray, abandoned and unwanted dogs to the UK and to other countries in Europe. If you would like to consider providing a forever home for a “Greekie” from us, please see our available dogs here
This gives full details of the puppies and dogs available and provides lots of information about the adoption process. We are always happy to work with you to find the perfect souvenir from Zakynthos!!
Adoption of cats can be supported as detailed above if the adopter is happy to cover all foster and vet’s fees in advance as well as travel costs. However, due to the issues with interbred cats as outlined this is not without risk in terms of their future health and this should be considered carefully before adoption.
Help Us to Help Them
Healing Paws Animal Rescue relies on donations to enable Sue and her family to continue to help and rescue the many animals on Zakynthos which are in great need. All veterinary bills, food and general care is funded by very generous followers, fosterers, adopters, supporters and fundraisers in the UK and wider Europe.
The longer-term aim of the charity is to open a purpose-built shelter on Zakynthos which will enable us to rescue and rehome many of the animals who desperately need our help. If you would like to know more about our fundraising and rescue work, please get in touch!!
Any donations would be most gratefully received.
UK Donations
Healing Paws Animal Rescue
Lloyds Bank
Sort code 30-99-15
Account 28068468
Or
Paypal info.healingpaws@gmail.com (for Paypal donations please indicate Friends and Family)
International Donations
National Bank of Greece
Healing Paws Animal Rescue
SWIFT: 345-Zakynthos
IBAN: GR46 0110 3450 0000 3450 0471 809
BIC: ETHNGRAA
Or
Paypal healingpawszakynthos@gmail.com (for Paypal donations please indicate Friends and Family)
Thank you for caring about the animals of Zakynthos.
Healing Paws Animal Rescue Team