Greece – Lesvos
From litters of tiny puppies too young to fend for themselves being abandoned in the mountains, to a Mum and her young pups being spotted in a neighbouring field, or a lone stray dog following hikers or weaving around traffic; there can be around 70 dogs found abandoned and alone on the island of Lesvos during any given month.
Without rescue initiatives in place to give these dogs a second chance at safety and happiness, they would be resigned to a life of struggle on the streets, all too likely to be cut short.
Our Project Partner
Wild at Heart Foundation have partnered with independent dog rescuer Vassilia Mavraghani on the Greek island of Lesvos since the inception of the charity in 2015; she runs the shelter single-handedly day in, day out, all year round.
Vassilia has personally rescued, rehabilitated, provided safe haven, medical care, regular food and treats, not to mention a huge amount of love and kindness, for many unwanted dogs across several years. Her dogs are given the chance to play and socialise in a far more stress-free environment than public and overcrowded shelters. She also works closely with a network of foster carers on the island, who together, pour their hearts and souls into ensuring that the dogs in their care experience the safety and love they truly deserve, away from the threat of lives full of pain and suffering on the streets.
Our Support
The Wild at Heart Foundation team have visited Vassilia’s shelter on 3 occasions since 2016, most recently in September 2021.
You can read more about our 2019 project visit via our blog.
We are proud to have supported this shelter financially every month for several years with welfare funds to ensure that the dogs in Vassilia’s long-term care are fed, their medical needs are met, and that they have a safe place to call home.
Shelter re-build
Vassilia works tirelessly for the sake of providing a better life for her dogs and after many well used years, during which hundreds of dogs have passed through towards a better life, our team have witnessed first-hand, the state of disrepair Vassilia’s shelter now finds itself in. Her house is also regularly taken over by puppies, as the shelter site isn’t sterile enough to ensure they’re not at risk of catching anything before being vaccinated.
The shelter, much of which has been built, maintained, and expanded by hand desperately needs to be upgraded, so that the dogs in its care have a safe and sterile place to call home, where they can run and play to their heart’s content.
Thanks to funds raised from an exclusive art show in 2019, selling pieces by Lesvos resident and friend of both Vassilia and the Foundation, Matthew Usmar Lauder, we began our fundraising journey to help re-build the shelter. Further sponsorship has also now been acquired and we are looking forward to being able to report on exciting developments in the coming months!
It’s thanks to this kindness and generosity that many more vulnerable strays dogs in need will soon have a future-proof place to call home.
If a regular donation towards a specific project is set up and we subsequently cease to provide support in the future, any recurring donations will be allocated to the areas of our other work requiring the most support.