'They're our best friends': Solicitors holds 'celebration' for animals

Highgate Hill Solicitors welcomed residents to meet local furry friends and talk together about the value of animals in people’s lives – over Turkish and Greek cakes.

The business in Dresden Road, Islington, has a black cat called Bibby who is well known to the area, often roaming the streets.

Many people at the community gathering on August 1 talked about pigeons, asserting that many people treat them unfairly.

Dr Kathy Alexander Theodotou, the firm’s principal, told the Ham&High: “We have brought the neighbourhood together to realise that we are all as one.

From left: Margaret Milner, Dr Katherine Theodoton, Ibrahim Halil Olcay, Evangelos Stefanis with Agapi, Gabriella Elia with Theofili, and Liza Voloboeva (Image: Polly Hancock)

“If we live in a neighbourhood we have to be joined together and to show respect to the animals who have played an important part in our lives in this isolation [during the coronavirus pandemic].

“During this isolation a lot of people suffered mentally. I've seen people who never drank before go out and get drunk.

I've seen people quarrelling with each other, it never happened before.

“It is a good lesson that animals are our best friends, whatever the animal. They are our best friends and they get us out of a lot of bad circumstances.”

Rescue cat Kotsos (Image: Polly Hancock)

Dr Theodotou said her cat Bibby has acted as a “companion” to many during lockdown.

In this period the firm has supported elderly residents by looking after the animals of residents who weren’t able to go outside due to quarantine and shielding.

However the organisation’s founder acknowledged that not all neighbours appreciate the local business feeding the pigeons, although she brushed this off as “narrow mindedness”.

Dr Theodotou continued: “By giving a reception to our neighbourhood we helped a lot of people to come together who have never met before.

“We had people who we did not know living in this neighbourhood. They came along to express their sympathies and some people talked to us about their personal problems.”

Dr Katherine Theodotou with neighbour Jeannie Rau who had brought a gift of food for the resident cats. (Image: Polly Hancock)

In addition to its north London base, Highgate Hill Solicitors has offices in Nicosia in Cyprus, and Athens in Greece.

It has committed to providing free weekend legal advice to elderly and isolated residents.