FINAL UPDATE:
HERMES ROCKS THE ROLL
Scroll down to our latest comment on our post immediately before this one to watch Hermes putting the finishing touches to his appearance before leaving for his new home (hilarious video). And here they are, in their new home… (Following his antics in Athens, we’re amazed at how clean Hermes looks)!
UPDATE:
Thanks to our supporters, these two Skyrians, evicted from their home in the outskirts of Athens, this morning embarked on their journey to a new one in the Peloponnese.
Many people worked behind the scenes to coordinate their rescue, but just now we want to extend our heartfelt THANKS TO THE GENEROUS PEOPLE ⭐️ THAT DONATED TO OUR APPEAL. We have reached our target! Any funds remaining will be used to continue our work for the animals of Greece.
We are becoming increasingly anxious about domestic pets as the public health crisis deepens. 😷 Greek families are facing a ‘double whammy’. They were already reeling and struggling to recover from the economic one. As incomes are squeezed, we are bracing ourselves for a new wave of abandonments.
Our emergency interventions and our support to local welfare groups will be needed more than ever!
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All over Europe countries are in corona-lockdown and Greece is no exception. People worried for themselves and their loved ones feel they should concentrate on the essentials. So there really couldn’t be a WORSE MOMENT for these two, elderly horses to be facing an emergency… but they ARE!
“Angel” and “Hermes” are rare breed Skyrians and they’re being made HOMELESS. They’ve been granted just a few more days before being kicked out. The small menagerie in an Athens gardens where they have lived for years, is being closed (in a decision taken before this health crisis arose). All the animals were found adoptive homes, but the arrangements made for these two fell through at the last moment so they’ve been LEFT BEHIND! Now, what would normally have been just a temporary setback has turned into a CRITICAL SITUATION because in just a couple of days’ time there will be NO ONE THERE TO LOOK AFTER THE HORSES! Government services are being shut down and only skeleton teams are to be left running things. Due to a lack of funds, the Municipality of Central Athens made plans to relocate Angel and Hermes to cramped and unsuitable lodgings in the National Gardens instead. But there are no staff there with either the knowledge or the experience to care for them properly. It’s a place with a bad reputation and a history of losing its animals to disease. Hygiene and housing are both inadequate. So the welfare community is up in arms. But if we can’t provide an alternative, the National Gardens will be their fate. To make things worse, time is short and we must act quickly.
There is a possible solution: We want to send Angel and Hermes to a farm in Western Peloponnese that has plenty of space and is willing to adopt them. Mr Alexopoulos and his family are animal lovers and we have been in long discussions with him to make sure the little horses would be properly cared for if he took them. We’re more than satisfied that this is the right place, but we’ve got to find the funds to cover the cost of the 300km journey. If we can get them there, Angel and Hermes will be joining dogs, peacocks, ducks, and even a couple of ostriches! There used to be a retired racehorse too, and the family was devasted when he recently died. So, there’s a horse-shaped hole in their lives! (Initially, they were only considering adopting one new horse, but we managed to persuade them that: 1 x big ex-racer = 2 x small statured Skyrians)!
We know it’s a good solution. Now… we only need to conjure up a transporter lorry and driver somehow! We haven’t got a fairy godmother with a pumpkin and a wand, but we HAVE got caring supporters. Will you help us send Angel and Hermes to the farm?
Thank you for caring. (Please share)!
