The wildfires we feared are no longer a threat on the horizon-they are happening right now.
Across parts of Greece, communities are being evacuated, homes are under threat, and vast areas of land are being consumed by flames. For animals, the consequences are devastating. Companion animals can become separated from the families who love them, while countless stray, wild and farmed animals are left trapped, injured, terrified, or struggling to survive as their habitats are destroyed.
On the island of Paros, the devastation of these fires became a reality. Luckily our Community Cat Care Manager, Flora, rushed, with others to help. Here’s her personal account of what she witnessed, from fear, heartbreak and a community coming together to rescue the cats in danger:
“Every summer, when I heard about wildfires, I was filled with awe, an overwhelming sense of nature’s fury, intensified by the damage we humans have caused. I felt terror for the people desperately trying to save themselves and everything they loved, and despair for the helpless creatures left behind with no way to understand what was happening or where to run: companion animals, working animals, farm animals and wildlife.
Yesterday, that terror reached our own doorstep.
At around midday, a message appeared in the WhatsApp group for Paros animal welfare organisations and volunteers: Martina’s sanctuary, Cats Eden in Paros, was in danger.
Martina Guerra rescues abandoned kittens and sick cats, the most vulnerable animals, those requiring the greatest care and often the ones nobody else wants. For many of them, her sanctuary is the first place where they have ever felt safe. Suddenly, that safety was under threat.
My husband and I immediately decided to go and help. We collected the Cats of Antiparos van, loaded it with equipment and set off.
By the time we arrived, approximately half of the cats had already been moved to the home of a volunteer couple, the amazing Birgit and her husband Karl. What I saw there is difficult to describe: cages filled with frightened cats and tiny kittens, with two or three adults sharing a cage and groups of five to seven kittens huddled together. They were confused and terrified, taken suddenly from the only place they knew, surrounded by unfamiliar sounds, smells and people.
But they were alive. They were safe.
Dimitris and Heike from Paros Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) were already there. Keiran and Giorgos were at Martina’s arrived shortly afterwards. Elaine joined us soon. There was no time for long discussions and no need to explain what had to be done. Everyone simply began helping.
We transferred the cats into larger crates provided by PAWS, PAROSCAT, Cats of Antiparos and FEP. We settled them as comfortably as we could, fed them and provided water and litter trays. The smallest kittens were taken into the homes of volunteers, where they could be kept safe and cared for through the night.”
“At one point, I went with Martina to check on the cats that had been left behind at the sanctuary. Along the entire journey, we saw cars filled with people assessing the situation, while firefighting aircraft flew repeatedly overhead. At that moment, the fire appeared to be subsiding.
We fed the cats and prepared to leave. Before we did, we made absolutely sure that every door was left wide open. If the fire reached the sanctuary, none of the cats would be trapped inside. At the very least, they would have a chance to run.
At around 8:30 p.m, the situation became worse. We watched the fire intensify and knew that we had to return. Following Martina’s lead, Keiran, Giorgos, Kosmas and I went back to the sanctuary.
We managed to evacuate several more cats and again ensured that all the doors were open. Sadly, we could not take them all. Cats are sensitive and extraordinary creatures. They were terrified and hid from us, unable to understand that we were trying to save them. It was heartbreaking to leave without every one of them.
Martina was the last person to leave.
The journey from the sanctuary back to Birgit’s home was frightening, as the fire continued to grow stronger behind us. We returned to the makeshift shelter and once again began transferring cats from small cages into larger crates, trying to give them a little more comfort after everything they had endured.
Eventually, we said goodbye to the wonderful people who remained there to care for them through the night: Martina, Birgit and Karl.”
“Today, we must assess the extent of the devastation and find out what happened to the sanctuary and to the cats we were unable to evacuate.
What will remain with me most strongly, however, is the emotion I felt when I arrived at Birgit’s home and saw so many cats alive and safe. They were frightened, exhausted and crowded into temporary crates, but they had been given a chance because people had refused to leave them behind.
I will also remember the people who came together without hesitation. Different organisations, volunteers, friends and strangers shared their equipment, opened their homes and worked side by side. In those terrifying hours, there were no differences between us, only compassion, determination and a common purpose.
Amid the fear and devastation, there was also something deeply moving: the sight of so many people coming together to protect lives that might otherwise have been forgotten.
We were all there for one purpose and one shared struggle: to save the cats.” – Flora Tsilaga, Community Cat Care Project Manager, Animal Action Greece.
As our own team member Flora witnesses the impact of these fires firsthand, her words are a stark reminder that behind every headline are real people, real communities, and vulnerable animals fighting for survival.