SCANSKOPELOS.ORG - Skopelos Caring for Animals and Nature (SCAN)

SCANSKOPELOS.ORG

P.O. Box 46

37003, Skopelos

Greece

info@scanskopelos.org

Our Activities

Throughout the year our members and volunteers support a wide range of activities. During the winter months a group of volunteers feed stray cats at feeding points in Skopelos town, at Stafilos and at Old Klima.

We have a good relationship with a mainland vet from Volos; George Mikhail who visits the island every 2 months. In the two previous visits, in September and November 2006, George neutered 5 dogs and 18 cats, as well as giving inoculations and providing consultations for a range of problems.

We also coordinate visits by vets sponsored by various animal charities whose aim is to neuter and care for the large population of street cats and dogs. Vets are always welcome! We now have our own permanent clinic space where vets can work.

In order for the vets’ visits to succeed, a team of volunteers is on hand to advertise the visit, make appointments, collect and return animals, and to assist the vet.

Another main area of activity is the struggle to rehome stray dogs-this can sometimes be to families on the island, but more often they have to be sent abroad to loving families in Germany, UK and as far away as America. We are very lucky in that we have contact with an excellent German charity. Arranging rehoming is very costly both in terms of time and money; we have to try to find foster homes to care for the animal until it goes abroad, to send the animal to Volos for its programme of vaccinations and blood tests, volunteers then have to transport the animal to Athens airport and get the paperwork in order. When it succeeds though, the result makes it worthwhile, and we often get photos and progress reports from owners for years to come.

See breakdown of costs as follows:

Pets Passport 30 Euros

1^st & 2^nd injections, de-fleaing, de-worming 90 Euros

Rabies injections 30 Euros

Rabies test (for UK and Sweden) 50 Euros

Microchip 160 Euros

Feeding during fostering 2 Euros per day

Average cost dog crate 120 Euros

Average cost airfare 300 Euros

Travel cost to Athens & return plus hotel for volunteer 300 Euros

Paperwork & phone calls 15 Euros

Totals 1265 Euros

Local Veterinarian

George Michaels

In summertime our kiosk (located at the Old Port on Skopelos waterfront) is manned by a dedicated team of volunteers. The kiosk is essential to SCAN’s activities in two ways; it provides an information point for locals and visitors on SCAN and our anti-poison campaign; and it provides an important source of funding for all our activities, as people can donate here.

Recent vets visit

MIA: I first saw Mia when she was about four months old, in May 2005. My daughter, who lives in Skopelos, had gone to collect some abandoned kittens, and as I was staying with her at the time I went along. Mia was there with her mother Marley, chasing around the garden and having fun. At first I was going to adopt both of them, but in the end I just had Mia. The process of obtaining the pet's passport took ages, but finally Mia was on her way to England.

In March 2006 my friend drove me to Heathrow to collect her. She was quite traumatised by the flight and the men in the animal reception wouldn't get her out of her travel box. We put it on the back seat of the car beside me, and within a few minutes she had crept out onto my lap, instant love both sides. Mia soon got used to her new home and my other dog, Muffy, and everybody loves her. She loves people, and just wants them to make a fuss of her.

I am very proud of the fact that she has won a bronze certificate and rosette for good citizenship from the kennel club, next step silver, then gold!! She is a wonderful little dog with a lovely nature, she loves to play, and go for walks, and is very happy. I love her so much and dread to think what would have happened to her if it wasn't for SCAN. Thank you so much Barbara, Liz, Hilary, and Sue and Lucy who took Mia to Athens airport, and looked after her so well. (From Ann Engstrom who adopted Mia)