Sasch's Blog #2: 82 Furry Friends, "Feeding Time," and a Little Hammock Wonder on Corfu

Do you remember the Lukmanier Pass? After a tough internal struggle, where his ego pushed him up the mountain despite all doubts, Sasch, our long-time Ticket To The Moon companion, has reached his major milestone: He has arrived in Corfu! He will spend the next few weeks volunteering at a local animal shelter.

Here is his unvarnished, emotional report after the first week, balancing the everyday life of animal welfare, shelves full of pastries, and unexpected hospitality:

“ROUTINE” after a week at the shelter?!… NO! Everything is STILL too new, too unknown, too exciting, too interesting for that. Interestingly, the question of whether my idea of a dog choosing ME is actually realistic?! Impatience!? YES, it’s setting in and YES… patience is not my greatest strength.

Maybe I won't meet my new travel buddy at the shelter, but on the street??

ANYWAY.

Back to the shelter. Back to numerous souls who stay here for a short time, a longer time, or even until the end of their lives. Big, small, fat, thin, tame, aggressive. Everyone here has their own story. One tied to a tree, another thrown over the fence.

Building trust at the shelter – dedicating time to the anxious souls.

And yet – at least in my perception – they look forward to us every day. To the attention, the cuddles, the food, clean water, and the daily chance of finding a new home soon.

As for the bipeds who work here in shifts…

At 8:00 AM, the "feeding frenzy" begins. Currently, 82 dogs need to be cared for. Some of the bipeds then take care of cleaning the quarantine station daily, while the others distribute medication, paired with delicious liverwurst, to those in need.

Peace settles in, everyone is appeased, the bipeds take a short break. Breakfast, coffee, blah, blah…

Then comes the best part of the day…

“Keep the poop away, keep the shelter clean all day” ;-)

At first, it’s quite odd for the mind – and I am certainly NOT the dog expert – to enter an enclosure where a 30-40 kg dog is growling and barking at the fence. But as soon as you enter with strengthened conviction, silence falls. And yet… keep your eyes open! Never lose eye contact with the dogs.

Finally, the water buckets are refilled with fresh water if needed. This process is repeated 365 days every morning with currently 82 furry friends. During Corona times, it was over 150.

Vet visits, castrations, maintenance work, buying food and medication, as well as waste disposal round off the daily routine.

Finally, one of the most wonderful tasks: preparing adopted dogs for transport to their new homes… microchipping, vaccinating, grooming, and wishing them a good journey.

The joy of being able to contribute to the long-term survival of this shelter and its four-legged residents has already been worth every kilometer cycled.

As for the joy of EXPERIENCES outside the shelter, the following words apply…

Barely two days passed. I had "settled in" one of the enclosures with my hammock including an underquilt,...

...when a long-time shelter employee asked if I would like to spend the upcoming time FREE OF CHARGE in an apartment nearby?

I had actually been looking forward to the nights in the hammock, as I sleep extremely well in it. But I gladly accepted a stove, a shower, and a place away from barking through this incredible offer. Complete strangers who care about you… I could hardly believe it!!

From the hammock spot in the shelter enclosure to my own apartment

Move done, groceries bought for the coming days – and so I explored the surrounding area by bike. Oh, how glad I am to be cycling! With all these incredibly delicious baked goods that I almost daily fall victim to here, I would argue that the soon-to-be-cycled kilometers to Tuscany would otherwise not be enjoyable. But thanks to the activity, the pounds are dropping and my fitness is increasing! ;-)

At 6:50 AM, the first rays of sun come over the mountain, and I'm already in the saddle, ready to greet the day with a cappuccino in hand in Lefkimmi – a town not far from my apartment. I love being able to witness LIFE awakening in a foreign place.

Looking back at the first days of this adventure and everything that has happened so far, my anticipation for the coming days grows.

And who knows – maybe Sascha’s new travel buddy is already waiting around the next street corner? We’re excited to hear what he reports next week!