"Our goal here is really to work from the bottom up and help change the mentality, help the groups to negotiate better fundings with the municipality. We are only here for a limited time, right? So we wanna make sure that we are building a lasting, sustainable system."
This episode is sponsored-in-part by Maddie's Fund and The Community Cat Clinic.
Stacy LeBaron talks with Isabel (Isa) Borst, Communications, Engagement and Education Lead for Animal Action Greece's groundbreaking community cat care project on the Cycladic islands of Paros and Antiparos. Originally from Brazil and having lived in Germany, Isa moved to Paros after the pandemic and never left, drawn by the island's active animal welfare community. She now coordinates the largest community cat care project in Greece, supported by Battersea Dogs & Cats Home, which launched in April 2023 as a three-year initiative focused on mapping stray cat populations and building local involvement in humane care.
In this episode, Isa shares the unique challenges of running a TNVR program on tourist-dependent Greek islands where the population swells dramatically during summer months. She discusses how the project has sterilized, microchipped, and vaccinated over 4,728 cats (averaging 200 per month), working with five local animal welfare groups, three veterinary clinics, and two municipalities. Isa explains the seasonal dynamics of trapping—winter brings concentrated colonies that are easier to trap, while summer disperses cats across tourist accommodations but brings increased visibility and tourist engagement. She also addresses the importance of building collaborative, systems-based partnerships with diverse stakeholders, capacity building for local organizations, and creating sustainable programs that will continue after the three-year project concludes.
Listeners will gain insights into implementing large-scale TNVR on islands and in tourist-heavy locations, understanding how community cat programs must adapt to unique local conditions, and the critical importance of collaboration between municipalities, veterinary clinics, and welfare organizations. Isa's story demonstrates how thorough planning, community engagement, data collection through colony mapping, and a holistic approach can transform cat welfare while preparing local communities to sustain the work long-term.
Press play now for:
- How Greece's largest community cat care project achieved over 4,728 sterilizations since April 2023
- The unique challenges of TNVR in tourist-dependent locations where populations fluctuate dramatically by season
- Why winter is peak trapping season and summer focuses on education and tourist engagement
- Building collaborative partnerships with five welfare groups, three vet clinics, and two municipalities
- The importance of colony mapping and health score tracking for strategic planning and advocacy
- Capacity building strategies to ensure local organizations can sustain the work after the project ends
- Working with municipalities to secure funding and implement infrastructure like feeding stations and road safety measures
- How to balance requests from tourists with fresh eyes versus managing realistic expectations
- Creating systems-based, holistic programs that address overpopulation, health, and community attitudes
- The concept of proving a model on islands that can be replicated across other Greek islands
Resources mentioned:
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