It was a busy week in Pompia, where wagging tails and meowing citizens took over the village square. The Municipality of Phaistos, in partnership with Zero Stray Pawject and the German veterinary team Förderverein Arche Noah Kreta e.V., ran a five-day operation that turned a quiet Cretan village into a full-blown animal wellness center.
Between October 23 and 27, 2025, the teams worked nonstop, proving that when it comes to compassion, Crete never runs short on heart — or fur.
By the Numbers (Because Even Dogs Love Stats)
- Total animals cared for: 376
- Dogs: 272
- Cats: 104
- Microchips placed: 263
- Sterilizations performed: 235
- DNA samples collected: 117
- Registered strays: 33 dogs, 88 cats
Participants included 128 citizens from vulnerable social groups, 44 hunters, and 17 livestock farmers — a rare mix that shows animal care cuts across every walk of life.
The campaign’s success came from teamwork: local hunters, animal welfare groups, volunteers, and the indefatigable Animal Welfare Association of Messara “Agapi”, who stood by throughout the effort.
“The care and protection of animals is everyone’s responsibility,” said Mayor of Phaistos Grigoris Nikoloudakis, adding that such actions “show, in practice, respect and love for every living being.”
And that’s exactly what happened — cooperation, compassion, and a lot of purring gratitude.
From Stray to Star Citizen
Beyond the numbers, the real success is cultural. Villagers who once saw stray dogs as a nuisance now see them as neighbors with names, microchips, and bright futures.
Pompia’s streets may still echo with barks, but they’re happier barks — vaccinated, sterilized, and properly registered.
It was a simple message wrapped in a community project: when people work together, everyone gets a better life — even the four-legged ones.
