Mission: Italy

(In Italian)
Yesterday, I received an email from Genni, President of NFOA asking if AWL could look into another email from Ana and David. Their email asked for help to check on a dog that's been howling in an area difficult to reach. Of course Inga the Veterinarian and I would go and have a look, it happened to be not too far from where we live, as it turns out.


The howling had been heard by people for a couple of days, and there were plenty of other dogs running around in this deserted area.


Veterinarian Inga and I left in the morning to check it out. A bumpy road took us to three skeleton houses, and the last several dozen meters we had to walk by foot. The area was covered by thickets of thorn bushes, with sticky balls that are hard to get off once it gets stuck to the cloths (or fur).

Suddenly we heard the howling! It was like a spooky, lonely wail. So close to Halloween made it even more spooky.

On the back side of the last "skeleton house," on the second floor, sat a beautiful white dog. We said some kind words--the tone was gentle--and he wagged his tail while sitting still. What was his problem, and mental status? Would he hurt us?

His eyes looked worried, maybe his thought was; "will these people hurt me?"

We had to find a way into the house,. Finally, through dirt and waist-high weeds and thorn bushes, we were able to locate an opening. We walked up the small, debris-filled stairs, over rocks and loose concrete pieces. Holding our breaths all the way: what could jump out from the deserted rooms?

Well no worries! The sweetest young male dog greeted us, happy to get the help he had been howling for. He was trapped in the skeleton and couldn't come out! The combination of going down stairs (not a natural act for dogs) and the loose debris underfoot kept him trapped on the top floor of the house. Doctor Inga helped him out and what a happy dog! He peed and sniffed joyfully --- and then showed us a better way to get out from the "jungle"

Doctor Inga checked him, cut off some nasty knots on his fur, and what a good boy, he stood still next to her --- trusting his savior. We gave him food that he gulped down, and he drank some water from pool of water (it had been raining heavenly early in the morning)

We got so attached to this dog that we decided to continue feeding him, and make sure he doesn't get trapped again. What a howling, darling Amore!

Thank you Ana & David for caring and sending an email, and NFOA for helping us to find the "howling Truffle", a great Amore team of caring hearts!


Ieri ho ricevuto un email da Genni, il President della NFOA , chiedendo se AWL poteva vedere un altro email mandato da Ana e David. Nel email chiedevano se si poteva andare a fare un controllo a un cane che avevano sentito in una aera dificile da raggiungere.

Il pianto del cane lo avevano sentito in tanti per í ultimi due giorni. E cerano tanti altri cani che correvano in questa zona deserta... Ovviamente io e la Dr Inga siamo andate a vedere. Per caso non era neanche tanto distante da dove abito io. Dr Inga e io siamo partite presto la mattina per vedere com era la situazione. Non potevamo neanche arrivare fino al posto preciso con la macchina perche era cosi terribile la strada. cerano alberi dappertutto e non si vedeva quasi niente. tanti di quelli palline che si attaccano e che possono fare male ( non so come si dice in italiano ) e che poi sono difficilissimi da togliere.

all´imrovviso abbiamo sentito il pianto, sembrava cosi triste, cosi tragico.... visto che era quasi Halloween ci siamo quasi spaventate.
Dietro a una di queste case abbandonate al seccondo piano abbiamo finalmente messo un immagine alla voce,, la c´era un bellissimo cane bianco. Abbiamo detto quattro parole carine con voci dolci, e si vedeva che era contento di vedere qualcuno. Ma qual era il suo problema ?

Poteva farci del male ?

Sembrava molto preoccupato , forse il suo pensiero era ; "ma mi faranno del male?"dovevamo trovare una possibilitá di entrare. e finalmente sporcandoci abbastanza siamo riuscite ad entrare. Siamo salite le scale, spaventate,...perche, cosa poteva venire fuori dalle stanze abbandonate ?.che paura! Comunque , niente per quale preoccuparsi. . perche un cane cosi dolce cosi contento di vederci ci e venuto incontro. Contentissimo di avere ricevuto finalmente l´aiuto che stava cercando da giorni! si era intrappolato dentro la casa e non riusciva a uscire. La paura di dover scendere le scale ( che non viene naturale per i cani e i gatti ) gli faceva rimanere al seccondo piano .

Dr Inga gli ha aiutato ad uscire! E mio dio quanto era felice !! poi ci ha fatto vedere subito una strada molto migliore per uscire dalla "giungla".Doctor Inga gli ha controllato, e ha tagliato qualche palloncina di quelle la che si attaccano :) era cosi bravo, rimaneva fermo fino a quando lei aveva finito di fare tutto. si e fidato completamente. Gli abbiamo dato da mangiare e ovviamente aveva tanta fame.

Ci siamo cosi tanto innamorate di questo cane che abbiamo deciso di continuare a dargli da mangiare, e per assicurarci che non si intrappola di nuovo , che tesoro questo cucciolo con la voce da fantasma... Amore!

Grazie Anna & David per averci mandato l´email, e NFOA per averci aiutati a trovare "howling Truffle", un team fantastico fatto di Amore e cuori grandi!!!

Thank You, Again

(anche in Italiano)
Veterinarian Inga, who donates medicine to Animals Without Limits, so we can help the dogs to feel better with a healthier chance to survive, while they live on our streets. She is helping them with their colds, itching, ear infections, coughs, arthritis, and so much more.

To Bella Appelblom, who lost her dog recently in a tragic accident , Bella donated money to the foundation in Bambi's name. I know Bambi had a fantastic time together with you, you adopted and gave her so much of your time and love. We are all thinking and sending Amore to you.

Animals Without Limits also want to thank Leila, for donating money to our strays' health.

Thank you for all your Amore, it gives us strength and courage to continue our missions.

Veterinaria Inga, Che da medicina a Animals Without Limits, cosi possiamo aiutare i animali a stare meglio, e dargli una possibilita piu grande di sopravivere sulle strade.
Lei li aiuta con raffredore, quando bruscia, quando prude, infezioni, e tanto altro...A Bella Appelblom, a quale purtroppo e morto il suo amato cane in un incidente molto tragico. Bella ha donato soldi alla nostra fondazione in nome della sua BAMBI .
Io so che Bambi ha vissuto un periodo bellissimo con te, le hai adottata e data cosi tanto amore e tempo, ti pensiamo tutti e ti mandiamo tanto amore.

Animals Without Limits Vuole anche ringraziare Leila, per donazioni per la sanità dei randagi.
Grazie per tutto il vostro Amore, ci date tanta forza e corraggio , e cosi continueremmo i nostri missions !

Flu Time for Tutti

(anche in Italiano)
It is not just we human beings that get the flu!

We don't talk about it when our dogs get a virus or bacteria, that breaks out to a flu. Many find that their homes are being dirty, or afraid that people will think their dog is disgustingly sick. I have to admit, I don't like when people cough--I don't like when I cough myself. The same with dogs, when they cough and sneeze some people look at them with a wrinkle on their forehead: "Ugh! Whats wrong with your dog, can I get it?" they ask while backing away.

My house is currently under quarantine --don't we tell people when we are sick not to come and visit? Three of our dogs got a cold or the flu, and are on heavy medication together with herb vitamins boosters. When our first dog got the diagnosis, I was horrified "How could she get the flu? Its 25C plus outside and she is also an inside dog?"

Virus or bacteria travels, and we do not know who brought it to us. I always make sure to disinfect the SUV and kennels after a mission --they (dogs) are not allowed in my SUV until after it has been thoroughly cleaned and disinfected--I spray my cloths and boots with disinfecting spray. And I was told today that bacteria dies quickly, it is the sneezing and coughing that travels.

Suddenly, I realized that, my whole family has also been having bad colds, before the dogs. And poor Max, he is already on his third in just a couple of weeks!

Here is a lot of Amore bacteria in our house!

Influenza per tutti !
Non sono solo le persone che possono soffrire dalla influenza... Non si parla tanto di quando i cani diventono influenzati grazie a qualche virus o bacteria. Molti lo notano perche vedono la casa molto sporca o pensano che se viene qualcuno a casa nostra -guai- faremmo una vera figura visto che il cane sembra cosi malato ! Devo amettere, a me non piace quando gente esce anche quando si sentono male.

La mia casa e per il momento in karantena-- scusa ma non diciamo alla gente di non venirci a trovare quando ci sentiamo male ? lo stesso vale per i animali direi.
Quando il nostro primo cane ha preso la influenza mi sono chiesta subito "ma comè possibile? " cerano 25 gradi fuori e lei e un cane "di casa " ????
Virus e batterie viaggiono e non si puo mai sapere chi lo ha dato a noi. Mi assicuro sempre di aver dissinfettato la SUV dopo i missioni. I miei cani o altri non sono permessi nella macchina se non ho dissinfettato bene prima, uso anche un tipo di spray su di me e su i miei stivali. Ma oggi sono anche stata detta che la batteria muore velocemente.

All improviso ho realizato che tutta la nostra famiglia stava influenzata , prima dei cani. E povero Max e la terza volta in due settimane che sta male..quindi nella nostra casa ce un sacco di love batteria !

Adoption Websites

Don't forget to visit the adoption site My Tail Wags For You

The shelter St Francesco has an adoption site also, it was sent to me for my knowledge yesterday (yes I was stunned by how similar our blogs look, guess it is Amore mind to mind)

So many Amore!

Gianni a True Amore Dog

Gianni (the dog in the picture) is around 1 year old. He was roaming around on the busy street here in Italy. Antionetta, who owns the nearby dog store gave him food and water, and of course plenty of Amore. He was taken to the veterinarian by Animals Without Limits (AWL); got castrated, de-wormed and frontline. Brought back by AWL to the dog store where he could sleep over during the night(s). During the day he laid outside the store and when I walked by to escort Olivia to her school, he would follow us. Together with me we walked back to the dog store, where he laid waiting for the next person to escort. Such a sweetheart!

Vittoria (pictured) and her boyfriend went to the dog store to give him a foster home, and during that time Gianni could play with their other dog, Camille.

Gianni is ready for a permanent home! He is young, energetic, loving, child friendly, good with other dogs and full of curiosity to explore the world together with YOU.

For more Amore information about Gianni, contact me director@animalswithoutlimits.com .

Pet Adoption Drama Queens

Reasons have been many why I haven't gotten a chance recently to write on my blog every day as I normally do.

Finally some things have been solved, and some have to be followed up. It's been busy on my phone from some drama queens about their adopted dog(s) --even if we do not have adoption as our priority number one mission. We are working with animals' health, that is our number one priority.

Some disappointed "drama" phone calls with high-drama in their voice --- they cannot handle the dog they brought into their home a couple of weeks or months ago!

I cannot help smiling a little in the middle of frustration, they are calling me --- who has 6 dogs and 2 small children and a giant house --- oh I forgot to mention my husband, too. The expectation they have is for me to drop everything and go and get the dog that is taking up their time and house.

I understand that it takes time, sure I do, mopping the floor twice a day....but what I don't get is how their thought process is working when they bring in the dog for the first time to their home? Where did the joy go walking the dog, having a friend, someone that is always happy when you return home?

I have never in my life heard so many people complain and seem to be expecting the stray(s) to be thankful to them for bringing them in a home!

Instead of helping to solve their problem with them, they expect Animals Without Limits to solve their problem (not the dog who is having a problem adjusting to these people that first claimed to love them and now see them only as a burden). Its amazing those that have adopted with the support or assistance of AWL, think that AWL owes them something special when it isn't "happily ever after". And everyone wants to discard the dog, not modify the environment to adapt to the new reality. Does anyone ever blame the priest or reverend, or seek some sort of special treatment from the church when their marriage ends in divorce???

In other news, we haven't found the owner to the Dalmatian "Oscar" yet, but he is doing fantastic at his foster home.

Stop whining and help out solving the problem and we can have more Amore time for so many other things. No one likes drama queens!

A day of mixed results.

The frustration continues with trying to find the owner of "Oscar", the Dalmatian we found emaciated this past week. After calling Germany, Canada, the USA, The Netherlands and of course Italy, I was able to track the micro-chip back to the manufacturer (Bayer) in Milan, who sold it to a veterinarian in Naples (ah ha!). Unfortunately, that Vet. had no record of who purchased the micro-chip (uh, isn't that the whole purpose of micro-chipping in the first place?) But wanted me to bring the dog to them and they would continue to check!

Not!

So, no answer yet on who the owner is/was, and without that, we can't have him neutered, vaccinated, or anything. Its frustrating to say the least.

On the other hand, our efforts ended well with placing "Oscar" into a loving foster home. This family was a dog family, but lost their beloved companion to aggressive Cancer last Christmas. So, now until we find a "forever home" for "Oscar", these great people will nurse him back to health for whoever eventually winds up with this great soul.

Its almost like "Oscar" knows he is in good hands now, too. While he didn't seem too enthusiastic when I picked him up at the Vet's, when we got to the foster family, he brightened right up. He started to act almost like a puppy, albeit one that is still severely malnourished and living in an adult dog's body

Here is a picture of Stephanie and Oscar at their first meeting. Doesn't it look like they've been together forever?

Special thanks to Stephanie and her family for opening their home and hearts to this special Dalmatian in need of extra Amore.

Where are you, Owner?

Day and night we have tried to locate "Oscar" in the system (read about him further down.) His micro-chip number seems to be a big question mark. Since he has the micro-chip, no vet facilities can perform the necessary procedures without approval from his owner. If we can't find the owner, we can't get him back to health quickly.

"Oscar" is skin and bones and very weak, which is somewhat strange, considering all the garbage laying around, and many people feeding the strays. He may have a more serious problem, but we can't even have the diagnosis done without his owner's approval.

Oscar is a mystery, help me find the owner, so we can start treating him more at the veterinarian.

Give Oscar hope Amore!

Let's Hope

After many days of working with rescuing strays I promised my dogs that today would be their day. Trooper, our beige Labrador and I need to bond so I thought why not go with me for a walk on the beach?

Trooper is a one year-old loving goof with a lot of energy; and with blue sky and sunshine, a babysitter to Max we went down to the beach.

We had just walked 30 meters when Trooper stops and indicates there is something along a nearby fence.

Of course, I walk over!

It was a terrible view, my hands started to shake. There, half buried in the sand with his head stuck under the fence, was the skinniest Dalmatian I have ever seen. It was just skin and bones! The pictures don't even begin to show how horrible he looked, wedged under the fence and too exhausted to get free. He was shaking so much and looking at me with his beautiful eyes, begging for kindness.

I could count his ribs, his back hip bones were standing up, he couldn't walk --- that's how weak he was. I thought that maybe he had his back bones broken?

I called Angie, a Scottish volunteer for Animals Without Limits, and she agreed to meet me for help. I passed Antionetta, the dog-store lady, while I was on my way to drop poor Trooper off at home--so much for our bonding.

Antionetta had a bottom of a cage that we brought with us, and we returned to the beach. Thanks to my wonderful helpers we were able to lift him up on the steel plate with blankets and carry him back to the SUV. Even if the Dalmatian was a skin and bone 20kg, it was heavy walking in the sand. Five men glared at us but no one approached to help.

Off to LegaProAnimale and in the warm SUV and one hour of rest he was able to walk barely, but what a sight! Oscar --working name--so sweet and wanted to cuddle up to me the whole time, his closed mouth was sniffing in my hair. He is the most fantastic, gentle, loving, thankful dog I have met in a long time.

He had an American microchip.....maybe tomorrow we will know more about "Oscar."

Lets Hope for Amore solution, and Amore recovery!

A New Service Area

We have long said, Animals Without Limits is NOT an adoption agency. Rather, we prefer to assist and support those agencies that are already doing this difficult work.

Well, the problem is so acute in the Naples, Italy area that we are jumping in to help publicize some great dogs that are in desperate need of a family. We hope we work ourselves out of this particular mission, and quickly. In most cases, they are spayed or neutered, de-wormed and shots up to date (if not they will asap).

They are available NOW to make your family complete. So, however, you found your way to this blog, please take a few moments to look around at who might just be the companion you've been missing to make your life complete.

My tail wags for you is full of Amore waiting for you!

Morning Mission AWL

Yesterday morning, there was a beautiful, medium-size dog killed by a car up on our main road. What a terrible sight, his guts were hanging outside his body, I couldn't even bring my camera.

My husband told me about it on his way to work. I ran down to our garage and brought out a dog bed that was a little torn on the side and a big blanket from Naples Friends of Animals.

Antionetta, the animal store owner saw me and came running to help me lift him from the street and to the side. The dog was "new" in the neighborhood, and not old, maybe one - two years-old.

I move the dead dogs because I find it very disturbing to see these beautiful animals laying in the street, and people pass them like they are trash, and many times with children watching as well.

Also I want children to learn by example that we respect animals even when the animals are dead.

And one last reason is...if it was my dog laying there, I would hope someone would stop and put him to the side, and say some last Amore words to my friend.

Childrens' Best Friend

Sara, the dog in the picture was just one week ago roaming around in the busy streets here in Italy. What you would call "a stray"

We think she is about 9 months old, a German Shepard mix.

She was hanging around outside the dog food store, being feed and loved. Animals Without Limits took her to LegaProAnimale where she was sterilized and de-wormed. Poor thing, she was so full of worms that she had to stay there for a whole week.

Today I picked her up from the veterinarian. She is the sweetest loving dog, and so wonderful to my two small children, and five other dogs. She plays and obeys. I wish I could keep her.

Having a bath wasn't something she wanted, after chasing her around in the yard, Sara and I went into the house, up into the bathroom and in the tiny shower cabinet. There, she was standing still but not happy. Amazingly she didn't do anything harmful, not growling, not biting. I wish I could keep her.

Sensitive, warm and full of Amore. Do you want Sara?