Irene van Klinken, a resident of Geldrop, is receiving substantial support following a devastating fire that ravaged her animal shelter on the Greek island of Kythira on Saturday. Three or four crowdfunding initiatives have collectively raised approximately 13,000 euros as of Tuesday. Despite this outpouring of generosity, the emotional toll on van Klinken is immense.
Van Klinken has resided on Kythira for eighteen years, providing refuge for around three hundred abandoned animals. The fire, which consumed a quarter of the island, destroyed her entire animal shelter, leaving almost all cats missing. A sea container holding essential supplies, a water tank, water pipes, and all animal feed were also lost.”It is indeed black to the wall and inside is only ash,” she described.
When the fire reignited on Sunday afternoon,a second shelter housing disabled kittens was also threatened. “Other people opened the runs so that they could flee. But three are so heavily disabled that they couldn’t just leave,” van Klinken explained. She is currently searching for two blind cats, leaving food out and the door open in hopes of their return.
Burnt Remains
No missing animals from the burnt shelter have returned. “I’m afraid I was lost a lot,” van Klinken stated, noting that only six of the twenty-five cats were accounted for, and she discovered a burnt kitten. She is now spending her days at the shelter grounds, bringing water to her horses on a scorched patch of land. While water tanks are scheduled for refilling, hay remains a significant concern, as all of it was destroyed. However, other horse owners have donated hay, and the animals are gradually recovering, though they experience stress when fires are sighted nearby.
Rebuilding Efforts
A Greek priest remarked that van Klinken and her partner were blessed to have survived the fire, a sentiment she echoed, stating, “He was right about that, because we had not left the animals.” Even though Greek government officials surveyed the damage on Tuesday, van Klinken expressed little optimism, remarking, “It’s Greece, not so much happens in that area.” She noted that other fire victims in greece received an allowance of 5,000 euros, an amount surpassed by the crowdfunding efforts.
The aid actions have provided van Klinken with hope and gratitude, acknowledging her need for assistance. “Only we can’t do this,” she stated, emphasizing the monumental task of rebuilding. Share your thoughts on this inspiring act of community support in the comments below, and subscribe to World Today News for more impactful stories.
This article provides facts about a fire and animal rescue efforts. It dose not constitute health, finance, or legal advice.
