This is the story of a stray dog that Amanda and her family could not forget when they returned home from their holiday in Corfu. Knowing that the season would soon come to an end she was worried about how this large dog, which was hanging around the beach and hotel, would survive the winter. After some sleepless nights they got in contact with us and we went to look for him. Everyone had seen him all summer, but now he was nowhere to be found. At the beginning of October we got a phone call to say that he had been spotted and the reward which had been offered was kindly donated to the Ark. The dog was checked by the vet who confirmed that the dog was fine and had no chip. It was a happy day for Amanda who wrote; "That date was always a sad day for me due to a family death. Now it has turned into a good date".
Then we had to go through all procedures to get the dog to England. Unfortunately the UK still has a six month quarantine period - either in the UK or abroad. So Zeus, as he was now called, went to England at the end of October on the last charter flight. He is a very gentle dog , but huge, and we were lucky to find him a pet carrier big enough for him to travel in comfort. Once in the UK he had to go straight into quarantine kennels. Amanda had found one just an hour's drive from their home and was able to regularly visit visit him during those long months. It was a difficult time both for Zeus and his new family. In quarantine hardly any exercise is possible, due to the strict rules.
Finally his day of "freedom" arrived and the family could collect Zeus. Amanda was so happy that she could walk with him outside and he could sniff fresh air and grass. She was running with Zeus on a long extending lead when the lead suddenly pulled her forwards. She did a somersault in the air and landed awkwardly on the ground. Only when the family - and Zeus - had rushed her to the hospital did she discover that she had a broken shoulder! So Amanda was now the one in "quarantine".
Zeus is enjoying his freedom and his new home and has met Jack, the family's other dog. He has been for a long walks in the park off the lead and he and Jack have even had a swim in the lake. Zeus is lucky to have found such a caring family who have gone to a lot of trouble and expense to give him such a safe and loving future.

We recently visited the two puppies Barney and Lulu (see story below) at Agios Gordis. It had been assumed they would be a German Shepherd mix, growing into big dogs. To everyone's surprise they are much smaller and longer haired than we had imagined - but still beautiful.They are both very sweet natured and enjoy running around on the beach. Their owners, Tina and Soeren, are very busy in the summer running "Blue Velvet", a nice place on the beach front. They also recently had a baby girl so as you can imagine they have their hands full with three "babies". But they seem to manage very well and all of them are very happy together. Tina often takes the dogs for a walk on the lead which is a good opportunity to teach your dog and build up a bond. (For a lot of Greek people this is an unusual sight.) Recently both dogs have been neutered, so with no offspring they will remain unique!

Luna was one of five tiny pups given to us in the hope that we could rehome them. Ans' daughter already had a dog from AAI and now Ans has little Luna. (She was originally called her Kori - Greek for girl - as she was the only female of the five.) Ans has sent us several emails and a letter with a lot of photos, saying how happy she is with this clever “Corfiotissa”. We hope that there are many happy years ahead for them.

Little Cofi, also one of the "Benitses Five", was the tiniest of the litter but also the most acrobatic. He managed to escape all the time from the area we had made for the puppies. You can see in the photo that Cofi has also found a new family and he is great friends with their little girl. Although Cofi has now grown up, at heart he’s still a puppy.

Asprom has found a nice home with the company of an older dog who teaches him from time to time some "dog lessons". His new owners sent us a short illustrated presentation about his first days in his new family. He really enjoys playing and is then so tired he falls into a deep sleep. We are all wondering how big he will finally become - which will be quite a surprise. So once again a happy dog and a happy family.

Erica, Katja, Kaya - what’s in a name? We told Erica’s story (below) some time ago when she had just found a new owner. Unfortunately she bit her owner several times so via AAI found her a new family who accepted the challenge to train her. Now she is called Kaya and it looks as if she is happy in her new surroundings with her new family. In the photo you see how much her owner Marion cares about her dogs. She even has a special T-shirt with the names of her two dogs. The two dogs were recently taken in the car to Austria on holiday, staying in pet friendly hotels. When we visited Kaya we saw how happy this dog - with its funny short legs - is. Close by is a big river which she really enjoys jumping into and trying to catch the ducks. She has a bit of respect for large horses but as for birds... she is a real Corfiot hunter!

Julia grew quickly from a small puppy. So when her new family saw her in the flesh they were surprised to see an almost fully grown dog which was much bigger than expected! But Julia is such a good natured dog that they could not resist her. The children are very fond of their new playmate and like them Julia is going to “school”. And of course, like all our Corfu dogs, she is a clever pupil. (Again her we all wondering what her final size will be.)

Humphrey is the son of Trompetta / Dinda (see story below). He is now much bigger than his mother. Evert and Els have told us that he is 55cm and 22kg, whilst his mother was only two-thirds that size. Humphrey is doing very well and the whole family (including Humphrey of course) are going on a special dog holiday in Switzerland. Who would have ever thought what would happen to this little puppy who was thrown down a hillside towards the sea here in Corfu just last October? A very happy ending to a rescue by a local boy who loves to help animals.

Ayia / Caya was a beautiful big puppy thrown into a garden by her previous owners. They were really thoughtful as there was also a plastic bag from a pet shop with some food and a dog’s bowl in it! Who could have abandoned such a sweet, gentle dog? We tried to rehome her on the island. Although everyone agreed she was very sweet we couldn’t find a family for her. (Perhaps we should issue a special certificate stating that the breed is......... For a lot of people a dog has to be a pedigree. In Greek this translates as "clean blood". But do stray dogs have "dirty blood"?) Caya is now happily rehomed in Holland where she is in the company of two similar dogs - both also from abroad. Her new family have sent us emails and videos about their activities so we are well up to date with Ayia’s life.

Marietta (see Frida’s story below) also told us about this little puppy. She is very sweet and eager to learn and has found a new home in Amsterdam. Her new family wrote to tell us that she is doing well. They take her for long walks and she is going to training classes with her owner. They are very happy with Gucci who is growing fast. Once again, a happy dog and a happy family.

Some puppies were dumped in someone’s garden in Agios Markos. Luckily those people were willing to foster them, so they could grow up safely while we tried to find caring homes. Unfortunately we were unsuccessful here in Corfu but they found a welcome in Holland. Little Marzy - now Ginger - went to Bilthoven and enjoys all the attention of the lady of the house. She loves to be outside in the garden and especially in the woods which are just behind her new home. Ginger will be spending her summer holiday in Italy, travelling in style on the car-train and has come a long way since being abandoned in Agios Markos!

Two puppies have found good caring families here on the island. Tonia was looking for a puppy to raise as a companion for the family. At the time there were two puppies looking for homes. Sometimes it is better to have two dogs as they can keep themselves occupied by playing with each other, especially if they have to be left on their own for a while. So Tonia took both pups, but it didn't work out as she also had a little boy and it was all a bit too much. Happily she was able to find a good home for the other puppy and now everybody, including the dogs, is happy. Thank you Tonia for caring for the puppies. We hope that you all have a lot of fun with them.

We had a phone call from Marietta, a Greek woman, saying that she couldn’t keep her dog any longer. Some months ago her daughter had found a puppy in the road and taken it home. But puppies grow and now she couldn’t cope with it in her small apartment and please could we help? She had tried to find a home for “Frida", but as usual no luck. Marietta and her husband were very pleased when we told them that we had found a family to take the puppy. Frida travelled with Bambi (see below) and is now with a lovely family. They have changed her name to Kyra, which is an appropriate name for a dog from Kerkyra (Corfu). Kyra is going to training classes and Monika, her new owner, is very proud that she already understands commands for a more advanced level. Now she only has to learn how to behave with cats! Dutch people like to tour with their bikes. They also like the company of their dogs. On the left you can see that Kyra's owners bought a special "dog-transporter" so Kyra can join them on their trips!

Bambi, a miniature Pincher, was found wandering around near Ipsos at beginning of December. The people who found him put photos up everywhere. But there was no reaction so we fostered him. He was about seven years old, had a torn ear, missing teeth and a previously broken front leg, but turned out to be a great character. He preferred to be on his own and not to be disturbed by the other dogs at the foster home. Although lots of people said, “What a funny little dog,” no one was interested in giving Bambi a home here in Corfu. Then a family in Holland saw Bambi on the AAI website and offered to give him a good home together with their other dogs and cats and at the beginning of March Bambi was rehomed. We have met his new owners and Bambi seems to have found an ideal place. In their letters they say that he is finding his way around and that they respect his "independent" behaviour. He loves long walks and follows his owner everywhere. Bambi has even started to play with a ball, something he never did while he was here. We too are happy that he has found the right place and will have a caring family to look after him in the future.

Casey’s story (below) was written around October 2006. Since then we had visited the dog twice and everything seemed fine. We phoned Dimitrios at the beginning of March as we wanted to use Casey’s rehoming as an example to show that there are also success stories here in Corfu. It was a great shock to be told that the dog had been dead for more than a month due to poisoning. Poor Casey, after all she had gone through. We had hoped she would finally live the life she deserved. This poisoning, either by accident or on purpose, is widespread both in Corfu and in the rest of Greece. It is unbelievable that it happens on such a scale, yet hardly any official action is taken to stop this cruelty. What a sad ending to a previously happy story.

Janna was found wandering by the seaside, all wet and miserable. She must have been outdoors for quite some time as her feet were swollen and she was terribly skinny. As usual we let the vet check for a microchip and leishmaniosis (an illness caused by the sandfly). He found neither but he did discover another ailment which she was treated for. Due to a healthy diet Janna's condition soon improved. On March 1st she moved to her new family in Holland were she is the children's playmate. We have heard from them that Janna already feels at home and that she especially likes to chase birds. But that is "not done" in Holland! They will go to training classes with Janna, not because she is a difficult dog, but to get a better understanding - the owner learns what dogs "think" and the dog gets to know how to be a good member of the family. She is also learning Dutch - proving that dogs can be multilingual!

"Superdog Laiko". That was the heading of the email Gerry sent from Dronten in Holland to update us again about the dog they got in September 2006. They are still amazed how kind, gentle and easy this big dog is. They are both now going to training classes and Laiko is enjoying it immensely. Laiko, was found wandering on a busy coast road and was constantly trying to get into a garden where there were some other dogs. Finally Laiko was allowed to join the crowd. From the beginning he was one of the most gentle, calm dogs and being quite big he did not need "to show off". Although we tried hard no-one was interested in taking him and even through AAI it took quite a while to find a new owner. But it seems to be a perfect fit once again - Gerry and family happy with Laiko and for this Corfiot has certainly found his "golden basket" in Holland.

Dinda was found when Steven went down a hillside near the sea to rescue a pup which he had heard crying. He also found a dog down there, with a rope twisted around her back leg, tangled up in the undergrowth. After a struggle he managed to free her but her leg had been badly cut by the rope. The vet came and stitched it and as she had to wear a “trumpet” around her neck she was named Trompetta. Steven’s family kindly fostered both dogs while we tried to rehome them. We were unable to find homes for them in Corfu but AAI had more luck in Holland. Trompetta found a family who loved her at first sight. Unfortunately, on entering her new home, Trompetta ran straight through an open door and disappeared! Of course the dog had a microchip and a collar but how could she find her way back to her new home? From time to time she was spotted on neighbouring farmland but no one was able to catch her. The local animal welfare organisations were informed, as were the police stations. Flyers were posted and also given to farmers in the area. Finally, after nearly a week, a farmer phoned to say that he had found the dog in one of his stables and had immediately closed the door. The dog was reunited with her new family, who were so glad to have her back. We have received some photos of Dinda (her new name) and emails saying that she now feels at home and that she has a special bond with Anja, the wife, as she is also home most of the day. In the beginning Dinda was afraid of men, but once she discovered that these men were all OK she is now fine with them. She has also slowly begun to play and specially loves her duck. She enjoys long walks in the countryside, but for the time being is still on a lead! Dinda will have a happy life with her new family; Frans, Anja, Frank, Susanne and Denny.

Two small puppies just dumped and abandoned. They were fostered for quite a while although one had some health problems. Luckily both became perfect little puppies but as usual we had the problem of how to find good homes for them - people who will love and care for them not only while they are small, but also when they grow big. (A puppy is a puppy for only few months, but will be fully grown for the rest of his life which can often be 10 - 15 years.) Then we got a phone call from Tina who wanted two pups which would grow into big dogs! So we arranged for her to meet the pups and Tina and Soeren immediately fell in love with the two German Shepherd mixes. Now they are growing up in a caring environment, perhaps learning Danish as that is the language of their new owners in Agios Gordis.

This little poodle was found in Moraitika. Anna called us to say that the little dog had been running around for weeks in the busy street. We always check every dog in case they have a microchip, but in this case it didn’t. So we fostered him until Kerry phoned to say that she would love to have a small dog. It was "love at first sight" for both of them and after a few days she came to fetch him, signing an agreement saying that she would always take good care of him, make sure that his vaccinations were on time, etc. (This is always the standard procedure.) Now Murphy is in Acharavi, where Kerry has started a regular “teasalon” with muffins, etc. Murphy is friends with all the guests and he enjoys all the attention. Why not go and see Murphy and enjoy the nice scones, tea and other goodies at Kerry’s (and Murphy’s) place.

Benni from Benitses is now with Ginny in Groesbeek Holland. Benni was the most recent puppy dumped in Angela’s garden (see story below). Now he shares his life with Ginny, their Jack Russell. Ginny has already accepted that he is the boss, although Benni hasn’t realised it yet. Frank and Danielle are very satisfied with Benni and wrote to say that he is even more beautiful and lovely they could have imagined. He listens well and "potty training" is going fine. The only drawback is that he is an early bird and wakes up wanting to play at six in the morning! On long walks he already carefully follows his new family and plays with all the other dogs. He seems to have a preference for Labradors which is the breed of Angela’s dog who was his last early morning playmate in Corfu.

Maia was adopted by Katerina and her son and daughter this summer (see story below). In February they passed by with her to tell that they all are still very happy with this little poodle.

Another example of a "perfect fit". Guus was dumped at Gouvia Marina, a common place "to leave a dog". He was a big dog, with a very special face on an unusual body, but so good and sweet that you wonder how people could have abandoned such a lovely dog. (Perhaps because he was growing too big.) Poor Guus, but also lucky Guus because he was fostered from last September. Being big, and not a pedigree, we tried hard but could not rehome him here. Luckily AAI found the perfect family in Holland. Guus has only been there for a week but almost everyday we have received an email telling us how he is doing and how happy the family are to have such a lovely dog. They told us that the children in the neighbourhood came to bring toys and food to welcome the newcomer. They live next to a forest and Guus enjoys the long walks which he got used to with Molly here in Corfu. Molly, who took such good care of him, misses him but knows it is for the best. (You can see her in the photo taken at Corfu airport.) Gus is already used to living in a house, enjoys his big basket and uses the garden to hide his bones, digging a hole and covering it neatly with his nose - still fearing that other dogs might want his goodies. Granny is also happy that the family have a new dog and has fallen in love with him. The whole family decided that it would be a nice gesture "on behalf of Guus" to give AAI 150 euros as a donation for the dogs in Corfu! Thank you all - it seems that everybody, including Guus of course, is glad that he came into their lives. As we say in Corfu "Na Sas Zisei!" (may he live long for you.)

Three times in nine months Angela had a puppy dumped in or close to her garden and three times we managed to find good homes for them. (We wish we knew were they are coming from, so we could persuade the owner to sterilize the dog to stop these "surprises"). The puppy dumped in May found a lovely home in Corfu with a Dutch woman who had already adopted another stray via The Ark. She was looking for company for her "Kyra" which she had kept despite its lysmanisis which she had treated. When we told her about this little pup she immediately took it in and now it has grown into a huge dog, but with a lovely nature. In the photo you see Bennie - not even seven months - and Kyra. She takes her two dogs everywhere with her and they have even travelled to Holland. Angela's second puppy was rehomed with a nice family in Germany and she is now fostering her third puppy which will soon go to his new family in Holland. This little pup, Benni, has just had an operation on his stomach but he is recovering well. Angela has kindly sponsored his operation. Thank you all for helping three abandoned puppies have a new future.

Elke from Holland sent us some photos of Plonos, now named Bo, in the snow. He has settled in completely with his new family and he still goes, like a lot of dogs (and their owners), to "school" and is enjoying all the training . Bo also likes the snow and is well equipped with his beautiful coat for this type of weather. It is hard to believe that just last summer he was a small puppy surviving in the olive groves and that he has completely recovered from a critical disease. (See story below). Now he has grown into a big, healthy, beauty and enjoys long walks with his family in the woods close by.

2006 didn't have a happy ending for this white setter called Hugo. He was homeless but being regularly fed by Cameron from the Ark. He was walking along a road when he was hit by a car. Luckily nothing was broken and after medical treatment he recovered. Marion kindly fostered him until a family in Holland fell in love with him. Hugo now has a good life with a nice family and a another doggie friend, their six year old red setter. Although the vet in Holland discovered some kidney problems, Helma and family will care for him. The AAI organisation's logo says, "Give a dog with a past a new future ". This came true for Hugo - what a good start to 2007!

A little pup was found on a road last year and we managed to find a Greek family who were willing to foster him until a good home was found. Being a boy he was named became Bobos or "man of the village". Unfortunately no home was found on the island but luckily he was found a new home with a nice family with children in Holland. Bobos, now renamed Bassie, is going with his owner Peter to training classes and as Charlotte told us, "Bassie is better at listening than our other boys and we all are very happy to have this Corfiot with us and consider him as a very valuable extention of our family life". Happy Bassie, happy Dutch family and also a happy Greek foster family who have adopted a puppy themselves after discovering the satisfaction that dogs can bring us.

Gypsy , neglected here in Corfu, has found a new home in home in Athens. A Greek family in Corfu were looking for a nice little dog for their mother in Athens. When they saw Gypsy they decided that she was just the dog for her. And they were right. Gypsy quickly became the "mascot" of the Athens building where she is already fully integrated into "city-life".

Barba was found near Barbati. At first she was very shy but slowly she came to trust the family who fostered her. They tried to find a home on Corfu, but no luck. AAI Holland offered to rehome her but soon after her arrival the vet found that there was something wrong with her heart. The University Clinic in Utrecht diagnosed a failure in the veins around her heart and lungs. This lovely, playful dog is only about one year old, but due to this disease her life expectation is only about another six months. The good news is that the University Clinic can cure the condition with a complex operation. The bad news is that this will be very expensive (despite the discount for AAI). The Dutch website of AAI are asking for donations to help with the cost. We also want to help this Corfu dog so please give generously so Barba-Bella can have a healthy future and be placed with a new family. When Gaby Jacoby heard about this operation, she was the first to offer financial help and made a substantial donation directly to AAI. We all know that she always will care for "her" Corfu strays.
Your gift is most welcome via any of the following accounts:
Holland – Account no. 7276816 stichting aai, Maastricht.
UK - Barclays plc, sort code 20-51-23, Account no. 80795070.
Greece – Alphabank, Account no. 680 00 2002014311a.
Or bring it to our Charity Shop in Corfu.
For further information please call (0030) 26610 80308 or send us an email. We would also appreciate if you send money that you let us know us via email and mention "Operation Barba-Bella”.

When Ioanna moved to Corfu last year she was not used to having nor ever intended to have any pets. But sometimes others decide for you and now a cat and kittens and two dogs have adopted her! Leon, a big collie which was wondering around, was the first to decide to stay with her. Then in November another dog came around. She phoned to say that there was a stray at her place. When tested the dog appeared to have lysmaniosis, although treatment (for life) is relatively easy, to rehome such a dog here or abroad is more or less impossible. (There are exceptions - see the story below of Yannis who was adopted in Germany). Ioanna felt sorry for this dog so Lucy is still around. Lucy has been sterilised, although her friend Leon the collie might not appreciate it!. Thank you Ioanna for taking care of these strays and giving us a donation to cover all medical costs. May both dogs bring you a lot of happiness.

Chance was reported to us by Sue and Jan who spent their week’s holiday more or less completely caring for five strays. (See story below.) Chance was re-homed in Holland and his new owner Irene has sent us some letters and photos to let us know how he is getting on. He is a great friend, but if he can, he escapes - and always quickly returns! He had a bit of a hard time on New Years Eve with all the fireworks! The best example that they are happy with this lovely boy is that Irene’s sister Wilma will also be getting a puppy from Corfu via AAI. So Chance will soon be seeing another Corfiot. The plan is also to arrange a meeting with his brother Shadow, who was also re-homed in Holland.

When we were in Holland we took the opportunity to visit several of our Corfiot dogs which had found new families. Here you can see Erica (the blond one - see her story below) and Barba. Barba had been fostered for months near Barbati, hoping to find a home. But as is often the case no one was interested in this lovely but shy dog. Then AAI offered to find a good home, so Barba went to Holland where unfortunately the vet in discovered that she had had a heart condition from birth and now they are trying to find a way to cure her. Ines is taking good care of this special dog and lets hope the vets can help her. Even the expertise of the University of Utrecht has been asked for advice. If anybody is willing to donate for her medical bill AAI is always grateful.

Mary found a lovely puppy that had been around for a while on a busy road. She took it home hoping to find a caring home here in Corfu. The puppy grew, and although everybody said, "How lovely", no one was interested enough to take her and care for her. So with the help of AAI a nice family in Holland was finally found. Luckily they are patient with her because being a pup she has still to learn a lot. The first day Lotje, took care of the plants…

Strinas, a little black "poodle", was reported to us as having been around a small village for about two months. We cared for him until he found, via AAI, Hans and Noortje in Holland. He really is the favorite of the family, always happy, especially if they go to the beach. And instead of surviving on his own in Corfu, he sleeps comfortably on their bed, laying on his back and snoring all night!

A Dutch family and their children came to Corfu for their honeymoon. They brought with them a suitcase full of wedding clothes to make a full photo session of their honeymoon! Returning home they had more luggage with them – a puppy cxalled Mythos! On a trip to the north of Corfu they found three abandoned puppies. They felt sorry for them and decided to take them to the nearest animal shelter, not knowing that there is not a proper one on the whole island. Eventually they took them to their apartment and then got in contact with us. They wanted to adopt one of the puppies, and over time they found two other Dutch families who were happy to offer a home to the others. So this was a happy ending with three abandoned puppies finding three caring families. Soon the three families will have a reunion as they are all curious to see how their pups have grown. (We will keep you informed about this.). Thank you Family Feenstra thanks for saving three little Corfiots.

Who can help Brandy? This lovely "old lady", needs help. Her present owner (also an old lady) has health problems. She will move permantly to Athens and can't take the dog with her. Having cared for Brandy she is desperate to find a new home for her 13 year old collie. Financially she can't support the dog either, so we are looking for a good home, where this lovely dog can have a few more years. Or perhaps there is someone who is willing to "financially foster" so this dog can enjoy her old age in good circumstances. Please help. Contact us if you have a suggestion.

Yannis was wondering around the seaside, thin and abandoned. We first took him, as always, to the vet to be tested for lysmaniosis. Poor Yannis was positive and being so youngfinding a home in such a situation is always difficult. Although with a (cheap) tablet every day the dog can have a good life, people are scared of the unknown. We were thinking that Yannis would be here for ever when we got good news from Tierhilfe-Korfu in Germany. After a special appeal on their website, there was a family that was willing to foster Yannis. So Yannis went to this new family and from the moment they saw him they decided not just to foster him but that he would be staying there for good. Lucky Yannis, you deserve such a nice home.

Beertje was brought to us from the St. Georges Bay Country Club. He was a lovely fluffy puppy, and although we put photos all around there was no response. So we were very happy that via AAI a nice family fell in love with our little Corfiot! Beertje now shares a big house and big garden with his new owner, three other dogs and lots of cats in Holland.

Sue and Jan, an English/Dutch couple, spent their entire week’s holiday in Corfu caring for five stray dogs in the village where they were staying. Because they lived in the UK they could not take them with them so they decided to finance their adoption, and give them a safe and caring future. Over time we found good homes for all of them in Holland. Thank you Sue and Jan, you saved the lives of Shadow, Chance, Chippi, Chippo and Chip.

This little dog was found on the busy main road to Lefkimi, near Marathias. We put photos of the dog around, but no there was no response. As always, we went to the vet to check for a chip, but nothing. We are currently fostering this little dog who is sweet and gentle.
Update 6/12/06 - Unfortunately, since then, little Mara found a way to get out of the fenced garden and was hit by a car or motorbike. Missing her, we found her nearby lying on the side of the road covered in blood. We rushed her to a vet and now she is fighting for her life. She was hit on the head, so it will take some time before we know if she will fully recover. Although Mara had a collar with our telephone number no-one tried to find the owner or to help this poor dog.
Update 12/01/07 - Good news! Mara has completely recovered from her accident. Thanks to good medical treatment, patience and care, she is fully back in action.

Fleur was looking forward to a nice relaxing time in Corfu with her parents and brother. Then she met this abandoned dog on the beach and spent the whole holiday looking after her. Back home she could not forget the dog. And so finally, after all the necessary formalities, Lady was reunited with her in Groningen. You can find them both in the Grand Cafe near the University.

At last a happy ending for this poor dog. She was rescued from a bad home situation. Then the dog was fostered for a long time by Dawn and Geoff from the Dog Pension in Chalikouna. They were so kind to take care of her while we were trying to rehome this dog with a bad past. We nearly gave up, then Dimitrios came and there was "a click" between them. So now Casey has a new life and she is so proud of her new owner. Good luck Casey and Dimitrios.

Tommy, just a pup of about 3 months, was found roaming on the busy road to Corfu Town. He was reported to us and we went to fetch him. We tried to rehome him here on Corfu, but that was very difficult as he was "just a stray". Now he is with a young couple in Holland who are crazy about this little fellow. We are sure he will enjoy life with his caring owners who even take him to work with them. In the photo you can see Tommy with his new owner, looking a little grubby after having had a nice jump into a little "slootje".

Mikroula, was brought to us by a Greek woman who had found her in a village near Acharavi. The condition of the tiny pup was bad - infected skin etc. - and as she could not keep her she contacted us. After treatment - the pup had mycitas and ringworm - she could play with the other dogs. Her best friend was Beertje (see story above). She was adopted and went to Holland where she is now part of a lovely family.

Plonos, a little puppy, was found with his sister by an Englishman in the fields near Temploni. We took the puppies, who were both in poor condition, to the vet who found that the puppies had the dangerous disease Parvo. The female could not be saved, but Plonos made it after spending five long days on a special drip and medicines. It then took some time for him to get in good shape, but all the time he was such a gentle little fellow. Via AAI he found a lovely family in Holland and he now is a fully integrated Dutch youngster.

Erica was reported to us by her owner, who got her as a small pup. She had thought it would be a nice companion for her son, but as is so often the case, they discovered that a dog is not a children’s toy and needs care and attention. So she asked if the Ark could find a good home for the dog. She had tried all around but with no success. So we tried as well. Then AAI offered help and so Erica went to Amsterdam. There she got her first training around the house and walking on a lead. She is doing well and she has just found a new family.

This is a story of a Dutch couple who have adopted two Corfu dogs within a short time. The first - they named her Tessa - was dumped in a garden. We took care of her, trying to rehome this sweet "Settermix" on the island, but as usual not one telephone call! She was chosen by this Dutch couple and soon adapted to the new situation in Holland. Then this couple heard that another Corfu dog they had seen via AAI was fostered in Rotterdam. They drove for more than two hours and also fell in love with this "Labradormix", Marga. This poor dog, with an old broken leg (therefore her front leg is not "perfect") was found by a Greek girl who is always very concerned about Corfu strays. She and a Greek man had taken care of her for some months but could not find a home for her here. So there are now two female Corfu dogs who are keeping each other company and enjoying the love and care of this lovely couple. They sent us this lovely picture of "My three girls"!

Lima was reported to us having a broken leg and a problem eye. In addition she must have given recently birth as her breasts were nearly on the ground. So Lima (from “limani” or harbour) was treated by a vet who put a collar around her neck. Being a "free” was not really working so she was fostered to a home where she could be kept quiet and under control. Lima really liked the sofa! It was clear that with the problems of Lima's health it would not be easy for her to survive on the square near the old port. We decided that there might be a better future for Lima by finding her a caring home and better treatment in Holland. The association AAI Holland had offered to find her a good home and to treat her health problems and it was agreed that Lima would have a better future by going to Holland. Lima was treated and cared for three months in Amsterdam and has recently been found a perfect home. The couple who now have her have told us that they are very happy having Lima with them.

This female “Poodlemix” was thrown out of a car in Garitsa Bay, and had been wandering around for a while before she was taken by Nicky who fostered her for a little while. Then we took her as some Greeks had said they were interested, but finally no one wanted her. So we took her in and she slowly regained her confidence in humanity. Maia's hair was all matted and full of grass etc. It was quite a challenge to clip and clean her, because she was afraid and snappy. We put photos of her around, but as usual, no reaction. Finally after two months a Greek lady heard about this dog via her vet and came to see her. She and her family all fell in love with little Maia (she was found in the month of May). They took her and now Maia is in Kavos with Katerina and her son and daughter. Maia had good luck, as this was the first time that a Greek family had taken a stray dog.

Hanna was dumped and her coat was matted and neglected. She was fostered and cared for, but no one wanted her. Now she is with a lovely family with two children of two and five years old in Holland. The family is happy with her and keep us up to date by sending news of her.

These two pups were found near the bins in the village of Agios Mattheus. The Greek animal welfare woman saved them and we fostered them. They were tiny but grew quickly in safe surroundings, spending their days eating, playing and sleeping. Originally one pup found "a home", but the child was soon fed up with its new "toy" so it was back on the street. Luckily for Sammy and Mattheus nice families were found in Holland and they are now there growing big and strong.

Some Dutch people could not leave knowing that they would be leaving behind a pregnant cat with part of a bone sticking out of her back leg. So on the morning that they were leaving we all went to a vet. To get the cat into a box was a challenge, as was the vet examining her. The bone, already sticking out for a long time, was getting rotten, so an operation was essential. The Dutch people immediately offered to pay all expenses. But the healing process would take months of antibiotics and good care. AAI in Holland offered help and so the (pregnant ) cat arrived at her foster family. The cat had been quite wild all the time, but the day after her arrival she changed completely and that morning four kittens were born.

Last October a German couple found a small kitten in a rubbish bin near Messonghi. They wanted to save its life, so we went together to a vet. Although we all tried hard, after a few days the little kitten died. They were so sad that kittens were just dumped alive in bins that they wanted to save another one and take it to Germany. So we found them a small kitten that was not accepted by the other cats. Now Robin the cat enjoys life with Alexandra and Mario's family. These people have been so nice and caring. They sent us a Christmas parcel for cats and dogs and recently a summer parcel arrived full of surprises.

Athina, was already the name given by her previous owners, who told us that they were moving and could not keep the dog any longer. Allthough the dog had had vaccinations, they were out of date and the hair of this "poodle" was so matted that it took quite some work to get it right. Also her health needed some special attention. Luckily, after fostering this sweet dog for a few months while trying to find her a good home, a very nice Albanian family with three children took her.

Last year a small puppy was dumped out of a car in Benitses. We tried to rehome it in Corfu. Then a nice family in Holland was found via AAI. The little dog, Choco is now their little daughter's best friend. The family's neighbours, who also have a dog from AAI, came specially to Corfu to see where this little dog came from. They collected from shops, people and bazaars all kind of useful things to help the animals in Corfu. They arrived with dog/catboxes, collars, leads, baskets you name it... they hardly had room for their own luggage! During their stay they saw a stray dog and addopted him and a few weeks later this dog, named KYK (like most number plates here), joined their other three dogs in Holland.

We believe that Adonis was thrown into a cesspit at appoximately twelve to fourteen weeks old. He was found in the middle of February suffering from hypothermia and a massive ingress of liquid from the cesspit. He also had serious body lesions which became badly infected. Thanks to the efforts of vet Antonis, who incidentally the dog is named after, we managed to save him and he has now been happily re-homed in Corfu.

This dog was abandoned in a field near Aqualand in mid-winter and was living in a hollowed out olive tree. He was close to death due to starvation and was also sick. He has been treated by a vet and has been re-homed in Corfu with four other dogs as companions. Hopefully, he has a happy life in front of him.

Robbie was found wandering around the marina by a German tourist. He was thin and emaciated. The tourist left Corfu at the end of his holiday but could not get the dog out of his mind. He contacted us and we found the dog and got the necessary paperwork to re-home him in Germany. He now lives with another dog and has 12 acres of forest to play in.