It's pretty much the same here Tangutica.

Hi crystalgirl. I'm relieved that you feel it settles them, because since starting this thread, the other stray that was turning up occasionally at the gate has also joined us...so now that's three! (Well four of course including my little dog Poppy). I have named the new one Blondie. She took a while to gain trust. I couldn't make any physical contact for several days, probably because she has no doubt been abused so far in her life.

They are three large boisterous dogs and it's quite a task feeding them...ie keeping them separate to avoid fighting over food...so I'm hoping neutering will calm them a bit, and of course in time, regular meals will also help.

Megan and Sammy are being neutered tomorrow, and Blondie next week.

Some pics of my recent rescues:

Sammy:



Megan:



Blondie:

https://picasaweb.google.com/Ayak48/...eat=directlink

Not sure if this has worked, because I can't seem to upload the images, just the links.

What lovely photos.

God bless you for what you are doing-I dont think I could live in a country which sees dogs as dirty or dangerous.

And as for the view that dogs "dont have souls".

I find it hard to believe that some members of this so called "human race" have souls

Keep us updated.

Re your question-we have had dogs,both ,male and female and had never seen any side effects of neutering or spaying.

When our first female, Ginger , was spayed,my daughter then aged 13 told her younger brother
"Dont speak to mum as she has denied Ginger the chance of motherhood!"

Good luck and God bless all of you in the same postion.
Maureen

Thankyou Maureen. I tend to have little faith in the human race these days. Give me dogs anyday, with their loyalty and unconditional love. Yes I'll certainly keep you updated.

(Glad you could see the photos..I'm a bit of a pc numpty..not good at uploading stuff!)

Hi will you get help with the cost of neutering,its a lot to keep all those dogs crystalgirl

Our vet is charging us a very low amount to neuter Sammy and Megan,and for their vaccinations and treratments, and he has offered to do Blondie free of charge, including all her vaccinations, worm and flea treatment. This really helps as money is very tight.

The ops have been postponed today, as we have had terrific storms overnight and the village is flooded, so the vet can't get in to collect them. So it will be sometime next week.

Stay safe in those storms Ayak. I thought for a while that I couldn't remain in a country with such a bad track record for animal cruelty and welfare. It's the culture shock at first.

However I got stuck in for a year and a half in the cat sanctuary in Limassol and still do what I can to support the rescues and charities and I see it differently now.

Obviously if EVERYONE who could not bear to see animals abandoned or mistreated left the island there'd be no one left who cared about them.

You meet people like Ayak - angels with hearts of gold. I posted last week about the woman here who has given up her bedroom for 2wks because a feral cat she'd been feeding got into the house and gave birth on her bed! And the owners of the Auction Rooms rescuing the hunting dog with it's paw cut off by a trap - they didn't even want a dog and they've had it a year now and it is in fine form and they adore it.

You meet some really WONDERFUL people when you start getting involved in Rescue and helping out with street dogs and cats.

And not every street or stray dog is unhappy or mistreated - you have to remember for most of the year the weather here is kind to animals outside. If they can get water and shade in hot season I reckon they are better off than a lot of those who are caged and cooped and tied up in backyards.

Look at these two 'lookalike' street dogs. Came to say hello yesterday as we set off. Trotted along with us to the old cemetery but I had to tell them NO when they thought they were going to come in the car with us later when we drove to the park lol!

A group of people are currently working hard to relocate a colony of beach cats to a safer place now that that particular beach is being developed.

People who regularly feed a little colony will put a call out on the forums for someone to come and take over if they have to be away for any time. They give all the cats names and take as many as they can catch and afford to be spayed.

And I always hope that setting a good example is of some use. When people can see what a JOY it is to own an animal that does what you tell it to and happily accompanies you safely. I even live in hope that seeing me and other Brits PICK UP DOG DOO might rub off on them (not literally of course!) In fact I can no longer say that NO Cypriots pick up after their dogs because I saw one do it with a flourish near here last week - he then laughed and proferred the huge carrier bag to me saying 'would you like some sausages for your dinner?' lol! I gave him the thumbs up and a big BRAVO!

They are inseparable


Quick hello before setting off with Bella (one each end of her!) but NO you are not getting in the car with us!

Tangutica you are so right. There are many people doing so much for the animals, and hopefully this will set a positive example...well we can hope. And it's true that not all people mistreat animals. The recent demos here about the plight of the street dogs certainly showed this, with thousands of Turks taking to the streets to show their disgust at the government's plan to round up the dogs and dump them out of sight.

There's still a long way to go to change attitudes, but we can't give up can we?

No we can't and I sometimes think all I can really do effectively long term is make sure I take the best possible care of my own dog.

Living in an apartment I am only allowed one dog. But I have to say I am now rather glad I didn't move into a little house with a yard as I just KNOW I would not be able to turn a blind eye to strays turning up at the gate. Like the two in the photos here - how could you sleep at night knowing they were parked outside your door 'waiting for you'?

Every week I meet someone else who has taken in a stray dog. Fortunately there isn't much snobbery about dog pedigrees here - only among the idiots who want to be seen with an ARCTIC type sled dog pulling them along the dry dusty streets in sweltering heat!