MISSIONS HELP W THE CHILDREN

Olivia is a good helper, she had to hold Bonita in Dr Damianis waiting room while I and Capri were inside getting checked by Dr Damiani. Capri was scared constantly trying to escape. Bonita is a lady that is so cool. Two veterinarians were examine her, blood work was made and she got her rabies shot. And she didn't move a wrinkle.

Pio together with Max and Olivia we drove out to LegaPro to pick up the four females that got serialized three days ago. They were happy to see us and my heart sank closer we got to the shelter. I always feel so bad putting them back in there.

One of the females, Stella so sweet and gentle. They are so well behaved.

Three females in the back and Olivia wanted one dog to hold. She is such a helper. The dogs were very quiet and sweet, they are so patient in general. I can see more and more how we humans can make a dogs mind weak.


And what we don't like to see we want to take away...but this is reality so please support us in spay and neutering campaigns. There are 20 puppies in the shelter right now. We had their moms spayed! But four mothers =24 puppies

GIVE YURI A HOME

Yuri was a happy stray living with his own pack on the streets. A lovely lady fed him every day and loved him. Suddenly some men wanted to kill Yuri and started to abuse him. He was rescued by an Italian volunteer and brought to Rossella's shetler.

But now he is so sad and want to escape the whole time back to his "friends"

Please help us with a fosterhome or a forever home, we AWL will help you.

MISSION IN CANILE

It looks like a prison, and that is just what it is for dogs. Olivia sat inside petting many puppies

And so did our trooper Jackie. As always she brought blankets with her to the puppies, and treats to us volunteers, great muffins.

This little sweet pie we took with us to the veterinarian clinic to be spayed, and that was good since she was not doing so well. She has the tick born disease. Keep your paws crossed for her speedy recovery!

Darren's son was working so hard, he helped us a lot, walking dogs, cleaning the puppy kennel and carrying dog food in to the "safety" zone.

There was one Italian volunteer that walked the dogs and I loved how she told Phillipo "Look into the camera!"

For more pictures visit http://www.miamattsson.blogspot.com/

AWL SPAY DAY

After the mission at Rosella's shelter yesterday, Tammy, Todd, Olivia and me continued the mission with four rescue dogs to Lega Pro Clinic for sterilization. (One is out of picture a beautiful red and white Setter that Olivia is holding)

AWL got help from a warm-hearted, lovely Tammy a new volunteer but have worked on the "field" by herself. She took extra care of this little girl who has Ehrlichia, the tick disease. It was good we came in with her now because she can still be treated. But the bad news: the treatment will continue for one month so we would love to have her in a foster family. She is sweeter than sweet, so calm and so kind. She is great with children and other dogs. For now, she needs a quiet loving place to get her strength back.

Tammy and Todd with two beautiful ladies. They were so good in the car and so great with other dogs, and Olivia my daughter.

They are up for adoption--these are NOT AWL dogs but we are helping out to find a loving home and we pay for their treatments to set them off on the right paw.

More to come from the day of Mission

FINALLY ADOPTED FROM ROSSELLAS SHELTER

Ciuffina.......

Leone.....

Rosco Sanches.....

Sabrina......they all got a new home. At a wonderful farm up North with horses, rabbits, cheep's and chickens. What a wonderful day for these wonderful shelter dogs. And my loving Rosco that I wanted to adopt so badly....I am so happy for him.

AWL are saying...CONGRATULATION.

A BUSY MORNING

Yesterday morning was a very busy and sick day. Leroy was found in a Parco here in Lago Patria roaming around trying to find some help. Sarah left out a blanket and a box for him of course water and food. He was skin and bones, and full off pressure wounds, at the end of his tail bloody mess.

He had a chain collar on him, probably he had been chained up and not fed. Sarah and Rachel with her baby drove behind me to LegaProAnimale. I had a very sick puppy Rikky in my SUV with Parvo.

He was examine by Dr Gigi (that we all like, dogs as humans) and to our surprise he is 9 years old! We thought he was 9 months old that's how acted, but if you had been chained for many years and suddenly free....jumping and looking at everything for the first time.

His teeth were all down, we guess that he tried to chew off the chain, and eating rocks etc

(He was de wormed and frontline at the clinic)

Wonderful Sarah and Rachel are fostering him, and got some protein pasta to get him back in shape. According to the he is very sweet and kind.

If you look from a distance, he is a handsome devil! We are keeping our paws for Leroy.

While Leroy was in one room I sat with Rikky a 4-5 months very sick pup with Parvo. We had him on IV and antibiotic, vitamins and homeopathic for vomiting and diarrhea. He slept with his little head in my hand. What a sweet heart!

Isabelle assisted when Dr Gigi tried to find a vein it was a little difficult. After 2 hours started Rikki to "wake" up and small grrrrrr was heard from him. We all laughed! What a lovely sound from someone that was so sick for three days before getting treatment.

I got IV antibiotic and other shots with me and drove him to his owner, and together with wonderful Italian rescuers I showed and told them what to do twice a day. And they are there helping the family!

Keep your paws for this little fellow too.

Thank you Pio, Martina, Chiara for telling us about Rikky so AWL could go in and help. Thats what I call Animal Amore

WHAT A FIGHTER

Our first picture, from when AWL first saw Bonita (nee Linda) at the shelter, before getting so sick, and having surgeries.

A recent picture of Bonita, when she went to her great foster family, after being removed from the shelter and the clinic where she stayed too long.

Two different times (immediately above and below) you can see it on the colors of the leashes. To and from our veterinarians, Dr Damiani & Dr Loungo

We received wonderful news about Bonita's health and we couldn't be more happy--I guess Bonita and her new family in Sweden are the happiest that can be right now.

The biopsi and blood tests showed no diseases "only" inflammation in the wounds--and that we knew have been treating with antibiotic pills. The wounds have healed in a heartbeat, since we do not mess with the wounds, use antibiotic and a keep close eye on the wounds so they can heal in short time.

When you scratch and pick on the wounds, or live in an unclean, unhealty environment, or even put too much creme on the wounds, it can also delay or stop the healing entirely. So, we ensure she is now in a safe and clean environment, and we keep an eye on the progress, to make sure she is healing properly. Everyone is different, of course, so minor adjustments to the treatment or enviornment could always be needed.

Bonita is eating very well and putting on some weight. She had very little muscles so foster-parent David is taking her on nice long walks. Let me quoet what the foster family is writing to me:

One of her favorite things - I like to sit out in front of our house and she comes and sits beside me (or David) and puts her head on your lap. She LOVES to have her head rubbed just sitting with her person there and touching. This dog has had some very good training and attention in the past - it just got lost somewhere in here. It has been a very fortunate week for us to have her because David has been home and off of work. He enjoys long walks and so the two of them have gone off down the road on multi-hour walks. She is so well trained. She walks along, she waits outside stores (on the leash) when he goes in and so forth... this morning I heard the first bark from her - not a loud one - it just seems to me that she if finally getting a bit more comfortable perhaps. I cannot tell you how well mannered she is. We have not let her loose with other dogs, but twice (! - for some unknown reason) wild dogs have run out and bit at her when David was out walking. David said she is so meek, she cowers back into her person's legs. Also, all our neighbors have been over petting her. Even a little 18-month old boy and she has always been so kind and quiet. She is absolutely quaranteed with people in my opinion.

Her biopsy and our veterinarian's expertice tells us that likely she's been so thin and laying on the wet concrete is what gave her the pressure wounds all over the body (second picture on this page). When we found her at the clinic, the wounds were tripple as big and many as on the picture. AWL is doing everything we can for Bonita.

Interesting also is that everytime we asked about her age, we got different information. First time she was 4, then 5-6 and now she is 9 years old. Her wonderful family waiting for her in Sweden tells us that doesn't concern them at all.

Amore to all you who are making Bonita's life sunny after a long time of rain.

A COLUMN IN A SWEDISH MAGAZINE ABOUT AWL RESCUE AND NEBBIAS FORGIVNESS

In this column (see below) am I writing about when AWL went in and rescued dogs in a horrible shelter. Also about Nebbia (below) that was alone in a cage for 2 years because she was "aggressive" according to the people at the shelter. She told me she was misunderstood, I took her and Ariel (with her foot broken on four different places) and adopted them. Nebbia is today living together with 17 other dogs and is the sweetest, most humble dog.

Why was she misunderstood...they got food every 4-6 days and on one day, one dog came into her open cage, to eat her food. She protected her bowl, and because of that was considered dangerous!. Who wouldn't protect their food when they are starving? I call her my mini-Buddhist.

Read the story by clicking on this link

LET YOUR VOICE SPEAK

This is a protest against dog slaughter that took place last week in Castellammare di Stabia on the Faito Mount.

Many dogs were killed with machetes or poisoned. Puppies have been slaughtered by machetes.

This situation has been gone for a while over there. Now the D.A. and the Carabinieri are investigating.

The black is the color of mourning.

We declared a week of mourning trying to support the activists in Castellammare.

BELLA THE BEAUTIFUL IS READY

Bella Doberman is up for adoption. The wonderful family found her on the street last summer, skin and bones and with a terrible skin condition. Even though they have an old lady Doberman at home who doesn't like other Dobermans they didn't hesitate to rescue her.

Bella is over one year old a fast learner, but still very young in her mind. Her body coat is healed beautiful and she gained weight, we picked her up today after being sterilized. She was out for a walk today with another Bella on the picture and she was very good.

She behaved very well at the clinic, and Dr Gigi calm and nice did a good job. Bella got a nice bikini scar! Maura the mom in the family is having a hard time letting Bella go and want to stay in touch with the new adopting person (and also help out if needed)

Bella is having a problem being around young children, she doesn't understand their energies. But there is so much love in this dog, great in car, knows to sit and wait.....she is waiting for you.

She has to be an inside and outdoor dog....a family dog with rules and love. In that order.

PHILLIPO AND SCOOBY ARE BECOMING IT

A lot of drama and working not with our own veterinarian --- we finally got the dogs to our AWL veterinarian and to our next surprise none of them were castrated! An appointment was made right away.

Thanks to our great helpers Pio and Martina, the dogs are now at LegaProAnimale

I am very frustrated, because of the veterinarian that was out at the shelter giving them the rabies injections and blood tests we had asked for. But when we tried to get the results, asking several times via email, we never got a good answer. Phillipo's injection was made last November as we thought, or Scooby's two months ago. Phillipo got his little book but we are still sending the veterinarian emails that we want his full documentation.

Even more frustrated is Phillipo's new owner in Sweden, who had hoped to have him home in June. Now she will have to wait longer. That is really sad... both for her, and for Phillipo.

We are trying our best to rescue dogs and we were using the veterinarian that the shelter used (since it is not our territory, we didn't feel we could demand to use our normal vets, but now you can bet that I am demanding) to help getting animals out. The shelter's perferred vet was supposed to be doing the medical things required to adopt the dogs out of country. Saddly, this hasn't happened, and we have wasted a bunch of time. Sometimes I do really wonder what is going on in their mind! For people that should be looking out for the animal's best interests, either because that is their job or their stated passion... but seem to be doing just the opposite. For the ones that it is their job... don't they understand they will loose business this way?

Lately many people have been very rude, dumped their dog(s) and made our work that much harder. I may not write everything on the blog, but believe me I do it in my up-coming book. (and/or column in the magazine). That's not a threat, its a promise....you don't do that towards animals and then claiming you are an animal friend. Not good Karma!

SATURDAY MISSION

Last Friday picked up another big food donation from NAVY BASE NEX. We are so grateful to you all involved.
Saturday we drove out to St Francesco Shelter with 500 dogs and some puppies to Olivia's and Max big joy. They were so happy for all the bags of dog food, thank you so much.

Max and Olivia were not happy when asked to put the puppies down. And boy, did they run around petting and playing with all the dogs. I had a hard time keeping up. They loved it.

After wards we went to Lega Pro Animale to pick up Rose and Cody who had been spayed.

And Todd walked Athena and Bella while I was roaming around after Max and Olivia again...they roaming after all the cats and buffalo's. What an amore day.

WEEKLY COLUMN IN SWEDISH MAGAZINE

Copyright (c) 2008. Todd A. Mercer. All Rights Reserved.

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

This week am I writing about grieving for a dog you had for 9 years and another for 6 weeks. How a heart doesn't have the capacity of time. Tidningen NARA

A BUSY DAY

Marua rescued a starving doberman with terrible skin mange last year in June. Ever since she has educated, running to the vet, medicated and done everything. Bella is today getting serialized. Bella is up for adoption, but Maura promised her when she found her to make her strong and beautiful before getting her a good family. I admire Maura for keeping her word. Maura also helped me with the wonderful puppies Rose and Cody. They were adopted 2 months ago by Erica and her family. And we promised her too that they would be serialized and castrated.

They were of course charming us all. You could notice that they came from a good family.

In the car, Cody sang but Rose was quiet. But we didn't mind. At the vet with Dr. Gigi they were so good.

Even better behaving than me when I am visiting my doc.

More happened this day but that will be a follow up tomorrow.

HANG IN THERE BONITA

Our Bonita is very sick. She is now in good hands with Dr Damiani at his clinic and tests will be done so the right treatment can be performed. Please keep your paws crossed for her, and send Amore healing her way.

On our way to the clinic. I picked her up at her foster family's home, David and Lindy. Bonita jumped right into my car, and sat like a lady the whole way to Dr Damiani's clinic. Inside the clinic, her tail wagged to everyone she saw. Despite darkness in her life she is the most positive I have met, so thankful, so quiet, so loving and so forgiving. AWL is there for you, Bonita.