Friday, July 31, 2009

Dog Walking Saturday- Volunteers Wanted

Dear Volunteers and helpers,
We have sent out e mails but with our Internet functioning poorly some may have got this information, and some not.

Animals Without Limits again needs your help for a “Dog Walking” mission August 1st --this Saturday.

With approximately 500 dogs and an adoption rate at more or less zero, the dogs will live their whole lives in cages. Clean cages, but cages none the less. Many are fairly large dogs --- particularly hard to adopt away, and more in need of exercise and stimulation than their smaller brothers. The people that do come to consider adopting, want well behaved and socialized dogs right away.

AWL’s goal is to assemble some dog-walking volunteers to start socializing and interacting with these dogs. Not only will this help prepare and make the dogs more adoptable, but it will be a great mental “vacation” for the dogs that will help them to be calmer and happier.

Refreshments will be served for the volunteers.

Material things that we still need:
FOOD.
Dog snacks tasty, moist(not dried).
Leashes and collars
Mild dog shampoo.


Dress accordingly (you’ll likely get dusty) and comfortable--sunscreen and hat. If possible, please wear a dark blue Tshirt, so we can easily identify our volunteers.

Animals Without Limits looks forward to seeing you out there, and to accomplishing this noble cause.

Amore cause for both parts. See you Ci Vediamo.

Friday, July 24, 2009

Panorama Newspaper


Animals Without Limits is in the newspaper Panorama. page 6.
Thank you so much Vania for writing the article, and big Thank you Liza at Panorama for publishing the article helping those with no voice get it better, in the shelters and those out on the streets.
Grande Amore!

Tuesday, July 21, 2009

Mission 2 = Dog Walking

Dear Volunteers and helpers,

Animals Without Limits again needs your help for a “Dog Walking” mission August 1st.

Shelter is well established, having been founded in 1960 and has some paid employees to help clean the shelter. It is one of the best shelters as far as cleanliness, but problems remain. With approximately 500 dogs and an adoption rate at more or less zero, the dogs will live their whole lives in cages. Clean cages, but cages none the less. Many are fairly large dogs --- particularly hard to adopt away, and more in need of exercise and stimulation than their smaller brothers. The people that do come to consider adopting, want well behaved and socialized dogs right away.
AWL’s goal is to assemble some dog-walking volunteers to start socializing and interacting with these dogs. Not only will this help prepare and make the dogs more adoptable, but it will be a great mental “vacation” for the dogs that will help them to be calmer and happier.

I’ll explain more when we meet on Saturday, 1 August. We will meet at my house for a short briefing so we are prepared to have a wonderful day together with loving, curious, excited dogs.

Animals Without Limits looks forward to have you with us, and to accomplishing this noble cause. The Shelter is located in Campania for more info please contact me

Remember, if you need rides, please let us know. director@animalswithoutlimits.com

www.animalswithoutlimits.com

Monday, July 20, 2009

Shelter Mission 1 = Amore


We AWL had a nice day together, and enjoyed spending our time together with the dogs. It was very re-warding


Bruce and Rosa gave the dogs a lot of Amore, and played with them.



It was wonderful with all the dogs. So much love.



I wanted of course to bring them home....so difficult.



At the very end of the shelter, they had a pet cemetery. It was a heartbreaking/warming day.
Mission 2 will be held August 1. More food and a lot of dog-walkers, another Amore day. I know the dogs will be giving us a lot of joy, like always.

Photos copyrights (c) 2009 Todd A Mercer. All rights reserved



Sunday, July 19, 2009

Life in Garbage


(photo Copyright (c) 2009, Todd A. Mercer. All Rights Reserved.)

On our way home from the shelter we stopped by the dog that lives among glass and garbage near the lake. There used to be three from the beginning, but two got killed.
Someone has recently been cruel to this beautiful girl. Normally, she would happily come to anyone for some petting and treats. This day, she would only come up to me, scared towards the others. She is so gentle and loving --- last night my worries were (are) big for her, she deserves a better life. Please help me!
She is sterilized and we will pay for the de-worming and health tests, we need a foster or forever home for her quickly!

Saturday, July 18, 2009

Shelter Mission 1 = The Start

Today the shelter mission started and we delivered food to the Shelter with 500 dogs (read earlier on the blog) Olivia is making sure the bags wont blow away.

Rosa and Keegan with two happy dogs.


Dennis a hard working Dutch carrying the bags that was donated by wonderful people.



Bruce, his love to the dogs was amazing to watch
today, and it was fun. The dogs are in all sizes, shapes and personalities.





From the left, me Keegan Olivia, Bruce, Rosa and Dennis. Todd is behind the camera

My fantastic team did a great job. We will miss Rosa and Dennis who are leaving Napoli. Thank you for everything you did for AWL and the dogs. Your love and commitment, wonderful, you have been giving us all hope.


Listen!

St. Francesco Shelter: 500 hungry dogs

Interview after the Mission 1 today, taking some food to feed the 500 dogs of the Saint Francesco shelter in Campania. Came away with some ideas for future missions to help the dogs here.

Listen!

Friday, July 17, 2009

Heartwarming Help



Today I picked up AWL t-shirts and they look great. But I am so thrilled over how many wonderful persons are involved in our projects. Tomorrow Mission 1 starts, the research and at the same time we do the donation food drive. The shelter has 500 dogs, and like I have earlier said, "the adoptions are more or less zero"

I want to thank China (SE), Ulla (IR) Mitra (IT) Himmelska Hundar, and to the Organization Chans (SE) for their generous donations.

Eric came by yesterday with two big bags of dog food and also a generous monetary donation.

Vania is working hard to promote AWL in general and specifically for Mission 2 in August. She even managed to get three huge couch pillows that will work wonders for the older dogs with arthritis.

Tomorrow we will post pictures from the research mission, and see how many bags of dog food we can deliver in our new t-shirts. Thank you all, you give me inspiration to continue with the Missions!

Tuesday, July 14, 2009

Interview with Volunteers

On Friday, we had a going away/appreciation dinner for two volunteers who had helped with all the shelter cleanings. We hate to see them go, but had a good dinner and conversation. Seemed like a good time to conduct an intereview!

Listen!

Monday, July 13, 2009

Tigers Progress

Photos Vania Lamanna (c) 2009

Remember Tiger, that was labeled aggressive and the family got the advise to let Tiger out by an animal organization? According to his foster mother he is progressing very well.

"I think we have progressed as much as we are going to progress with him though-my guess is he will calm down within a year or 2, he is still a young cat and full of energy, the best home would be someone who has a garden for him to take out some of that energy-he goes nuts cooped up in the small apartment. "


"Again, not suited for a family with young children-not unless they have been taught how to respect animals and give them their space and distance. "



"I wish someone Italian would take him in and keep him, then he would get used to the one family and be able to bond fully with them. He's sweet, even though destructive-we bought some glass from venice(I love hand blown glass)and left it in the box, until he leaves we won't bring it out. Can you imagine him with a Christmas tree????!!!!!!he'd be the angel on the top, haha!!" Vania






Sunday, July 12, 2009

Sully--Brandy Is This the Same Dog?

First, go and look at these pictures....then, can you believe it is the same dog?
She is on medication and is doing so great, recovering.
Please enjoy the pictures. This is true Amore.


Thursday, July 9, 2009

Interview with Mia Mattsson-Mercer

Listen!

Interview with Animals Without Limits founder and President Mia Mattsson-Mercer, conducted at a wind-swept coffee bar on Monte Faito, Sorrento Peninsula, Italy.

Wednesday, July 8, 2009

Food Mission


AWL is now collecting food for one of the shelters with 500 dogs. Its summer vacation time, and many go away on vacations and forget about the strays, or won't pay anything toward the shelters, saving money for their trips. But the dogs still need to eat!

The adoption rate is nearly zero. Here there are thousands of strays roaming around, many are big dogs and not many people prefer big dogs.

Please donate a bag of dog food or some cans of wet food to AWL. Or, like grandma donate 10 euro and then make a big fuss that the stamps are more expensive than her donation.

Saturday, July 4, 2009

Interview

David Bailey, MBE, conducted an interview with our Public Relation's Director during some Social Media training recently. Here is the interview, posted on David's blog.