1 Year At Birdisland Farm

It has been an incredible year 2020. So very difficult, so very busy and so very new for everyone, I would think!

Birdisland Farm opened its gates in January 2020 and it has now been a year full of surprises, learning curves, sadness, happiness, concern, doubts, fun, love and throughout all of it, a feeling of being needed, doing right by those that can't talk and genuine commitment - felt and acted on by each and everyone who has helped, acted alongside us, worked long hours and given both bodily and mental strength to our cause. For this commitment we are beyond grateful.

In February Monika brought her beautiful pack of 13 dogs to the farm. She has rented an area and has been looking after them, together with Apo. As we are in the process of finalizing many legal issues around the property and expanding our cause, we have agreed to stay in this physical agreement until April 2020. By then hopefully most of Monikas beauties will have found their forever home. We will, as of course we all do in Kuşadasi, continue to work together, relentlessly, to make the lives of the pups without a save place in the world a better one.

In 2020 we have managed to turn the farm into a well working, clean, organized, safe and loving place for many dogs. We have grown immensely not only in regard to the number of pups we are able to look after but also in regard to how we look after them. Our team, Apo, Gökhan and myself learn new ways of dealing with dogs every single day. Every dog soul is a different one and every single one of them deserve the effort and time we have or make available to get to know them and help them. Basic dog training (and cuddle training!) and dog/animal reiki, alongside learning basic medical care and simple veterinary treatments to name just a few of the ways we try and grow everyday.

2020 has brought many new Frıendships to the farm! Friendships that remained as such and always will, and some that have over the year grown into fully fledged partnerships. Partnerships with one aim only - finding each and every dog that enters through our gates the perfect home, ın Turkey or abroad and bringing them there safely. Philippa Johnson, with her enormous heart, knowledge of and comittment to the street dogs of Turkey and our area in Kuşadasi, her Network and unequivocal insight and compassion towards all things DOG and Helen Kingman and Adrian Leah who provide road transport to and from the UK in a proper, legal, incredibly professional and at the same time personal way.

Lisanne Hillen who is in the same boat as we are not too far from us (Sponsor A Dog) has been a source of advice and knowledge for us, her limitless love for dogs is an absolute joy to witness, as was Hakan Sacaklli who is a beautiful force on nature to be reckoned with when it comes to the welfare of street-pupps. Döndü Alkan who lives in Germany and acts as an angel here and an advocate over there, the help and support of local charities such as Animal Rescue Kuşadasi and Paws & Claws Kuşadasi and many more individuals we have met along the way - We are grateful.

We had our share of loss this year. We have said goodbye to many pups this year due to an epidemic of Parvo that reached us in summer and the usual downsides and difficulties in the life of a street dog in Turkey. Gatsby, Molly, Riley (my own private dog of 10 years), Elsa (the pony),Püpi, Muco, Smiley and Snowflake (2 goat ladies), 3 Chickens (due to old age) and 6 un-named beauties we hadn't been given the time to name before they went over the Rainbow Bridge.

We had our share of success this year. We managed to take in, treat both physically and mentally many dogs - leading to the ultimate goal of any rescuer - re-homing successfully.

Hugo, Betty, Tony, Lulah, Batman, Lucky, Otis, Ruby, Elsa, Denzel, Motsi, Peggy, Dudley, Pepsi, Pablo, Likör and Jack and have managed to be helpful in the capture and temporary housing of Inci, Tyler and Chickpea.

All this, all the happy ends and all the painful experiences that are ALWAYS seen as learning curves to do a better job in the future, the maintenance of 5000m2, the salaries, would not have been possible without the support, kind words and financial aid of our followers.

Thank you to:

Nicole Zimmermann

Zerrin Yilmaz

Heidi Yang

Chris Wilson

Sadie Williams

Gill Webb

Hugo Wareham

Marcus Trembath

Janice Starkey

Stephen Smith

Stephanie Schleiffer

Eliane Schleiffer

Philip Sands

Karen Robson

Heidi Rhodes

Selina Pirinccioglu

Tracey Picasso

Mechtild Pauli

Sharon Özdin

Coral Nottage

Rebecca North

Charlotte Neary

Tracy Mueller

Caledonia Mottishaw

Holly Momaney

Holly Momaney

Lindsay Martin

Alexandra MacDonald

Canan Liedtke

Laura Lherbet

Carol Bingham

Christine Keenan

Paul Jones

Caroline Jones

Becky Jones

Philippa Johnson

Piotr Jaworski

Sharon Huwen

Peter Horncastle

Rana Erkan Tabanca

Idil Tabanca

Emrecan Pirincçioğlu

Giselle Southworth

Helen Kingman - 4Paws Pet Transport

ARK

Paws & Claws Kuşadasi

And quite possibly more that have slipped our list here - including personally delivered Food Donations as well as Medical bill coverage - and we do apologize and rest assured - we received them and they are very much appreciated.

Every penny donated to Birdisland Farm is used for the well being of our animals.

In this first year we have managed to survive and we are hopeful in the year coming our financial situation will be less strained - it is and always will be an impossibility for us to turn away an animal in need - so remember dear friends. Every Little Helps.

Love & Light

Chantal Özbaş