First things first as we need to report on the December TNR, which was extremely difficult due to the fact there were ONLY two of us and so many areas to cover.. We also had to use different vets as our local vet couldn’t cope with more than 6 at a time making it unusually difficult, especially when we trap up to 20 per day.. Backwards and forwards to Rhodes Town not only cost time and money it made for VERY long days 11-12hrs spent trapping and on the road, day after day. However we still managed to sterilise 75 cats.
The bills were paid leaving our coffers virtually empty, we then had a flurry of incoming donations from some amazing supporters. Unfortunately those funds didn’t last long as serious accidents came in, one cats tail had the skin totally ripped away and another poor male was caught in a rabbit snare, tightening daily around his stomach…
Our February TNR has also been completed, this time 4 x volunteers making it much easier especially with 2 x cars to drive further afield, however we still needed to utilise the 2 x vets costing us in the region of 2200 euros for 123 sterilisations… Roll on summer, hoping we will have large numbers of tourists who like cats and leave their euros behind !!
Last August GCWS-Rhodes realised that food prices were sky rocketing and the only way for us to keep the winter feed program going was to purchase 6mths stock in advance.. This we did with the help of a Go Fund Me page, raising the required amount of 2000 euros in a matter of 10 days which was simply amazing. Generally 100 bags would see us through to around end of May, unfortunately it didn’t work out this year as many volunteer feeders & locals couldn’t cope with the amount of cats they were having to feed.. We did our very best to assist where we could, within 3 months we were down to 27 bags well under the half way mark and not only that many of the paper sacks had holes chewed in them. I asked the wholesaler owner “ George do you have rats”? He replied “Yes”.. Why don’t you get a cat to catch them? His answer had me in stictches.. “ We do have a cat, but she says to the rats, come in and enjoy yourselves “. Hahahahh
Thankfully the weather has turned and so much work is going on in the tourist areas, cats are dispersing early and requests for biscuits seems to have subsided. Fingers crossed we manage to get through until end of May…
( At present our Coronation Day, May 7th ) fund raiser lunch is all organised, fully booked and we hoping for a great day.. Photos in the next newsletter.
In the meantime we wish you all a wonderful Spring & Summer, possibly see some of you here on the beautiful island of Rhodes but if you are thinking of holidays please remember to book through https://www.easyfundraising.org.uk helping us raise a small amount from every online purchase . Thank you
WISHING YOU ALL, A HAPPY EASTER
