We rely on donations to provide our services. You can JOIN us for only £10/€17.10 per year. We hold regular fund-raising events. If you or your business would like to help out and hold a fund raising event, contact us. Regular details of events will be posted here on Cyprus Local and will also appear on our website and in publications like the Napa News and the Oroklini News. PLEASE CLICK HERE TO VISIT OUR FUND RAISING PAGE for news of forthcoming events and reports about past events.
Such a sad story! Our thoughts are with you Stella
This is a copy of an email Stella sent me today 17th April 2008!
'On a sad note now, it is with a heavy and devastated heart that I must advise you all that Lucy the abandoned grey/black poodle we found with her two pups was shot and killed on Friday. she was strayed from her normal surroundings to the fields behind our house. We suspect who did it but cannot prove it because we found her 5 days later in the ditch. The irony of it all is that Lucy was due to be rehomed in two weeks time.
We loved Lucy to bits because she was a gentle, friendly and affectionate creature and with a sadness in her eyes that betrayed a harsh previous existence. We miss her so very much and I cry for her constantly. See my Lucy attached.
stella'
Lets hope this 'person' is brought to justice!
How Argos helped us by Anne & Pat at Cyprus Local
Our story began this year. We live in a complex in Oroklini and there has always been a few cats wandering about the place. People tend to leave the lids open on the rubbish bins and the cats are usually about looking for food. We had seen a couple of cats about the complex both with collars on so we assumed they belonged to someone, both were very friendly and always ready for a fuss. We later found out that one of the cats did belong to someone on the complex but the other seemed to be getting quite thin. We called 'him' Felix as he looked like the very famous Felix the cat. He kept calling on us on our veranda regularly and we used to give him tit bits. Then his collar disappeared and on making some enquiries we found out that his owner had gone abroad and just left him behind. So that is the story of how Felix adopted us.
But that is not where the story ends, we soon found out that Felix was a 'she' and pregnant. We went back to the UK in March and our friend Erin, a qualified vet nurse, kindly offered to feed Felix for us. When we returned Felix had produced four beautiful kittens on our veranda. Erin made a bed for them and that is where they lived during their time with us. Although only a young cat herself, Felix made a wonderful mother and her kittens thrived. Some friends had found homes for them, so we were pleased and enjoyed watching them grow.
However, the homes never materialised and when the kittens were 13 weeks old, in desperation we contacted Stella. They were getting much too big for our top floor veranda and trying to get out into the outside world. It was unsafe for them there and we had to move them in the hope of rehoming them.
Stella said we could take the kittens to their temporary sanctuary at Dhekelia. So earlier this week we put them in a box and took them. Inga met us and showed us where they would be and told us about their work there. We met all the other cats and kittens needing new homes. The volunteers work tirelessly to look after the cats, cleaning and making sure they have food and water every day.
The cats and kittens were all so pleased to see Inga when she opened the door. Despite some of them having such a poor start in life, they have so much love to give and if anyone reading this is looking for a cat or kitten to care for or can offer one a loving home that they all deserve please consider rehoming one from Argos. Please contact Stella if you can help on 99326045
Well the end to our story is that we will continue to care for Felix the abandoned cat and I have said that I will help them out at the sanctuary for a couple of hours on Saturdays. I will also take some food to the sanctuary to help them out. The sanctuary relies on donations to feed and keep the cats and kittens healthy so if you can help in any way please contact Stella.
Here are a couple of pictures of Felix and her tribe! Daisy, Rooster, Tickle & Flash
Thank you Argos from Felix!
Argos Update
ANIMAL RESCUE & PROTECTION ASSOCIATION LARNACA/FAMAGUSTA Year Inst. 2006 Reg.No. 2864
2007 has been a busy year for Argos in the signing of the lease for the sanctuary land, high level government meetings, fund-raising, the various cases of abuse we are called upon to investigate and the many animals we transfer to safety.
The developments on the sanctuary have been very exciting albeit slow but moving along with Argos appointing Mrs. Dina Tsangari, a local architect, to draw up the sanctuary plans. Mrs Tsangari has already completed the plans of the operations 1 recreation complex of buildings. We have also tendered the security fencing and hope to begin construction as soon as possible.
Ayia Napa Charity Shop No.2 now open
On the yth December we opened our second charity shop which is located at 16, Gianaki Pappouli, shop No.1, Ayia Napa (opp. Bank of Cyprus and behind Ambeli Restaurant)
Transport
We have finally managed to purchase our first pickup car at a cost of CY£2,000. Transporting animals and other bulky items will now be carried out safely and comfortably for all concerned.
Fund-raising events
Our fund-raising events for 2007 have raised a total of £4,521.27. We thank the public for their generosity and all the volunteers who have worked tirelessly to raise these much needed funds.
Animals Rescued
As our sanctuary is not ready yet, we have come to an arrangement with Sharon Becket of the Nicosia Dog Shelter to take in all our confiscated and stray dogs. Argos donates CY£10 for every dog transferred as a contribution towards the costs of running the shelter. From the 04/01/07 to 13/12/07 we have transferred to the shelter in Nicosia a total of 303 dogs at a cost to Argos of £3,030.
Cats
Argos maintains about 12 cats rescued from difficult situations and are temporarily housed in a compound at Dhekelia Garrison, former contractor's offices. As this is strictly a temporary solution until our own cat sanctuary is built, we are limited in the number we can accept, due to lack of volunteers to help, problems of overcrowding and the health hazards that would ensue.
Equines
Our Egyptian Arab mare and donkey which we confiscated earlier this year are liveried at the Dhekelia Saddle Club at a cost of about £82.50 plm plus any extras that may crop up. Both are much happier in their appropriate surroundings.
A Christmas Tale
All Creatures Great and Small……..And Christ said, “I tell you, whenever you refused to help one of these least important ones, you refused to help me.” (Matthew 25:45 TEV)
These resounding words of Christ serve to remind those who have closed their hearts and their minds to the needs of lesser creatures that God will hold them responsible for the suffering inflicted upon them. Man has been entrusted with the responsibility of caring for and being stewards of God's creation (Gen. 2:15) but the “Christian” who abandoned these two puppies, just five weeks old and five days before Christmas is irreverent of God’s creation and of His wondrous gift to humanity. Alex with Clyde and Jan with Bonnie. Instead, the “good Christian” during the holy week of Christmas, a time of peace, love and goodwill to all, dragged the puppies away from their unsuspecting and trusting mother and dumped them. These helpless and innocent God’s creatures were abandoned and left to die of exposure as their frail little bodies would not have been able to withstand the bitter cold of those frosty evenings. Those coldest nights of the year when the North wind blows down from frozen Siberia and over Cyprus and every wild and tame creature alike seeks the warmth and safety of a shelter.
On Friday 21st December, Mr. Bob Taken, resident of Pervolia in the Larnaca District, had by chance, come upon the pitiful sight of two little shivering puppies, huddled together and abandoned by the lighthouse in the middle of nowhere. He asked if we could rescue the puppies and assisted by meeting us halfway between Pervolia and Ormidhia to hand over to me two forlorn, cold and weak bags of bones. They were dirty, covered in fleas and ticks and stank of manure. I took them home and bathed them immediately, dried them and combed out the dead fleas and ticks that covered their bony frame. I placed them on warm blankets and set them in front of the fire and let its warmth seep through to their bones and bring life back into their cold and worn out bodies. The liver and white puppy, overcome by weakness, could not walk properly and kept toppling over. He didn’t have the strength to go and eat and had to be picked up and taken to the food and then carried back again to his bed. He would pee and poo in his bed and his little sister, the black and white one, would lick him clean. Although she was smaller in size, she had a stronger constitution and could walk but she chose to lie next to her ailing brother protecting and keeping him company. From the sadness in their eyes, they seemed to know that they were alone in the world and this realisation drew them closer together and helped them to overcome their adversity. It would be heartbreaking to have to separate them if ever they were adopted as not many people want to take on two dogs. I wanted so very much to keep them but as I already have four dogs, my family forbade me to take in any more. A predicament faced by many people who rescue. I prayed to God for help because I didn’t want them to suffer any more. They needed to be embraced within a family unit that would care for them and make them a part of their warm and loving hearth.
With a heavy heart, I set out on Christmas Eve to effect a transfer of dogs from BFAWS (British Forces Animal Welfare Service) to the shelter in Nicosia and reluctantly, I took the two puppies with me. Instead of putting them on the truck with the other dogs, I asked BFAWS if they could keep them for a few days so that we could try and re-home them. They agreed and I was elated.
BFAWS kept them over the Christmas holidays and on Saturday 29th December, Mrs Jan Young who worked at the BFAWS establishment, called me to give me an update on the puppies. Jan related to me that by chance she went in to work on Christmas day and found them both stone cold, the liver and white puppy lying motionless in the cage. Pity and compassion overwhelmed Jan as she picked him up and placed him inside her jacket which she tied with string at the bottom to keep the puppy from falling out and continued to finish her chores whilst trying to keep the puppy warm against her body. Jan left taking the puppies home with her. It was touch and go for a while as to whether the weakest liver and white one would make it. But Jan and Alex’s love and solicitous care revived them both.
This special family of greater vision and spiritual development had decided to adopt Bonnie and Clyde, the name chosen for them and reminiscent of the bonnie river Clyde in their native Scotland.
Stella Stylianou
Argos President
Argos does not at present have a shelter to keep unwanted animals but is presently in the process of constructing one and envisage being able to make a start mid 2008.
THEFT JANUARY 2008 - REWARD OFFERED
Last Thursday evening one of our members who runs a boarding kennel and is also a dog trainer, had a break in at his farm and two dogs were stolen; one male 6-month old long haired german shepherd and the other a mini doberman pinchser that has an unusual ridge on its back (hairs growing opposite direction) female about 50 days old.
The thieves not only stole the dogs but they also opened all the kennels and freed the dogs and amongst them was an old black labrador who was blind. This dog is now lost. The owner of the kennels " Savvas Dog Farm" went in on Friday morning to find nearly all the dogs (except the blind labrador) running around the fields and spent all day trying to catch them.
During the course of the night some dogs got into a fight and he found one with a broken leg and another with injuries to its chest. The fortunate thing is that the thieves did not open the door to the pitbull's cage, otherwise none of the dogs would have survived.
I guess they were scared of him. The black german shepherd was at the farm for training and his owner is offering a large reward for the return of his dog.
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Stella Stylianou
99326045
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Ritsa Hadjisterkoti
99421102
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Becky
99115881
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Website: www.argossanctuary.com
Email: argos@cytanet.com.cy