APPEAL TO HELP BUY LAND ON ZAKYNTHOS, GREECE TO BUILD AN ANIMAL SHELTER

My name is Sue Deeth, I have been rescuing the abandoned strays and injured dogs, puppies, cats and kittens (and other animals) for ten years on Zakynthos as Healing Paws Animal Rescue.

Thousands of little sick and abandoned souls have been rescued, treated for injuries and disease, and gained healthy lives, lovingly cared for by me and successfully adopted by wonderful families, the adopted pets themselves have also helped their new human families in many ways to overcome loneliness and improve health.

The DREAM has always been to build a shelter/sanctuary. A safe secure place for the animals to recover and be nurtured back to health and sanity as well as a holistic retreat for people

Animals are natural healers (hence our name Healing Paws). Our shelter will be a place for volunteers to come and stay or visit, to heal, to spend time with the animals to holistically improve their mind, body and soul.

The NIGHTMARE - Sadly, due to Brexit and local laws around the collection, fostering and transportation of the strays life is becoming more and more difficult. A legally licensed shelter has become a must as opposed to a DREAM! We are at the stage now IF we don’t build the shelter, we will have no choice but to stop the rescue.

There is not a legal shelter here on the island, and sadly I can no longer continue to stay in the rented property I live in providing care and shelter for the animals that have been rescued as a few days ago I was advised by the owner of the property that it has been sold and I have two months to vacate. IT IS NOW EXTREMELY URGENT FOR ME WITH YOUR HELP TO PURCHASE THE LAND AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE

I have been looking for the right piece of land to purchase for years. Due to the Greek Ministry’s interpretation of the animal welfare laws the criteria to build is very high, and rightly so in many ways. I was contacted and offered help by a local land Estate agent. He looked for three years but there was always a problem with pieces of land for sale! Either a building to close, no access from a Municipality owned road or it was on the side of a mountain!

Then an animal loving colleague of the Estate Agent, suggested his family sell a piece of their land! It is perfect in all ways! Even better was the fact that over the years our UK charity had been saving a small amount of donations received by so many wonderful people wanting to help us, we have sufficient funds in the charity bank account to purchase the land!! Excitement followed by many days, weeks and months of preparation then took place.

Our amazing civil engineer worked so very hard for ten months finding out all the information needed and what was required legally to buy the land but more importantly now, to build the shelter! As far as I am aware, there are only approximately five or six legally built licensed shelters throughout the whole of Greece. Hence nobody really knows what is supposed to be done and next! BUT with a dedicated team of the most amazing people, we have got there, to that point, we have the first license to continue with the building! The Mayor of Zakynthos has given his written permission! We have looked into grants etc for the building but we cannot apply until we own the land.

The tax had been paid, and the contracts to purchase the land were due to be written this week. Unfortunately, The The Charity Commission, advised that it could not happen, that the charity could only purchase the land if they owned it! Due to Brexit and Greek laws this is not possible.

Please help me to purchase the land to provide a DREAM legal shelter for the animals in my care and enable me to rescue many more poor souls as well as a holistic retreat for visitors, guests and volunteers to come to relax and rejuvenate.

Healing Paws Animal Rescue, is a registered Greek non-profit organisation, I also have a contract to work with the Municipality to help the stray and abandoned animals. I can legally raise funds here in Zakynthos and also have a Greek corporate bank account for Healing Paws Animal Rescue.

It is a big ask I know, but we need to raise 50,000 euros to purchase this perfect piece of land, legal costs. Please can I ask you wonderful people to support me in raising the funds by donating as much or as little as you can.

The funds in the UK charity account is safe and will still be used towards building materials and labour costs, just not to purchase the land we so desperately need.

We are looking at fundraising platforms for Greece but in the meantime please make your donations directly into our Greek account.

I thank you all from the bottom of my heart. Please help me to continue to help the animals.