The long-term goal for the charity is to build and fundraise for the construction of a purpose built animal rescue and rehabilitation centre but, in the short term, the objective is to constantly raise funds to support Sue’s work. The charity continues to support and promote the sterilisation of 'owned animals' as well as work with the local volunteers in the resorts, collecting stray cats and dogs and sterilising these when funding allows.

We are an exclusive, family-orientated, animal rescue on the Greek Island of Zakynthos (Zante), dedicated to saving the lives of many abandoned animals on the island.

Healing Paws Animal Rescue was founded by a British expat Sue Deeth.  In 2011, Sue started rescuing a few stray dogs and cats on the island and, through her network of friends and supporters across the UK, Holland, and Germany, she was able to find loving homes for these unwanted strays. Since these humble beginnings, the support has grown and, to date, over 2,000 dogs, puppies and cats have found their forever families.

Unfortunately, there is no government funding or authority in Greece that accepts responsibility for animal welfare  The Municipality does not conduct a sterilisation programme, nor do the owners of dogs usually have their dogs neutered. Due to this, Sue and the other charities on the Island have been unable to address the underlying growth of the stray animal population.

Therefore, the suffering of the stray cats and dogs continues. Unwanted puppies and kittens are discarded in plastic bags in rubbish bins and some of the islanders, around the main tourist resorts, use poison to control the stray population.

Unwanted pets are taken up into the mountains in the centre of the island and abandoned by the roadside without any water, food or shelter by their owners, leaving them to starve to death.

Sue has a loving and healing home environment with her son Oliver and their own resident cats and dogs. The dogs looking for adoption are kept within a home environment; they are well socialised with all dogs and cats. The cats and dogs all live together in a huge loving pack and each new member is welcomed like a long-lost friend. They all groom each other, play together, and sleep together!

Sue and her son Oliver have dedicated their lives to rescuing the strays and, in April 2018, we were successful in registering Healing Paws Animal Rescue as a UK Charity No. 1177945. This provides greater financial support to Sue for the relief of animals suffering on the island. Healing Paws has a dedicated UK-based Adoption Team who support Sue and the work she does on the island.