GREETINGS FROM FORMER RESCUED DOG VASILI

 The best part of rescuing dogs is of course when we get greetings from our former rescued dogs.
Vasili was found in a shelter very sick. Our Hospice brought him out and started working with him. He was a sweet heart...and he is an even bigger sweet heart now. A wonderful family in Northern Italy adopted him.
We couldn't be more happy. And, we know he is the happiest boy!

That's Amore!

LOCKED UP FOR 13 YEARS

They were locked up for 13 years. Thanks to AWL they got out and got a wonderful place at our Hospice. No cages only bedrooms and living-rooms, garden, warm dog beds, great food and love. Love from all our wonderful volunteers, that cares and makes a difference.

Sunny (white male) is dying. Even if we know that helping Senior dogs means a short time. Maybe short for us but long for them. Cher (brown female) was locked in the cage together with him for 13 long years. Can you imagine?

She knew long time before us that Sunny is "shutting" down, and she wont leave his side. She licks him, looks after him...calm and loving.

I said to my volunteer yesterday, that each dog (Senior) has (is) taught us a lot about different personalities. I love them, I adore them

That's Amore!

SPONSOR ONE OF OUR SENIORS

                                                   SPONSOR THE BEAUTIFUL LAIKA.

Laika came to our Hospice in December brought by our veterinarian. Her family who is an older couple couldn't take care of Laikas seizures and wanted her to be put to sleep. Our veterinarian hadn't the heart to do so since overall she was a healthy and happy dog. Our veterinarian wanted to try to change the medicine. Laika came to our Hospice, polite and lovely and the other Seniors welcomed her right away. With her knew medicine she hasn't had any seizure in soon to be one month. We are so happy, and Laika is the happiest one.
Please consider a monthly sponsorship of Laika for her medicine and food.
You can start your sponsorship today by contacting Ulla Linders at info@animalswithoutlimits.se

We have PAYPAL here on blog, you can sign up for monthly donation. 

That's Amore!

A HELLO FROM OUR HOSPICE SOUTHERN ITALY

THANK YOU TO ALL YOU WONDERFUL SPONSORS

There are many people out there in the world that are helping us AWL to be able to work, rescuing animals. Without your help we cannot give them any help;  medicine or surgeries. Food to starving dogs, de worming and vaccinations to Puppies. Or, our Senior Dogs at the hospice.

When treated and healed we fine super wonderful homes for them. To you, you are the strongest link in our chain, Team Italy. That's Amore!

Irena Lamadrid, Sweden
Michelle Gunter "Franka" earmarked puppies. USA
Julie Blair, UK

 Derek rescue by AWL, now having an easy life! Thank you sponsors.

 Our great volunteer Ryan, and his admire from the hospice Stella the Handbag (always want to be carried)

Our small rescue brats that are waiting to be transported to their new families, Germany and Sweden.

Tracey Kleber, USA
China Platou, Sweden
Gennie Greer Day, donated twice "puppies" USA
Clinton & Melissa Gunter "medical help to Franka" USA
Gunilla Tomasson, Sweden
Tracey L Nettles, "our long time monthly sponsor" USA
Helen Dale, USA
Elisabeth Biddle, USA

Franka rescued after many years in shelters. Senior at the hospcie. Barbara with family sponsored one day at the SPA!

Carina Lidbom, Sweden
Ulla Linders 'Capri & Phillipo"  Sweden
Else Marie Pedersen "Gaby", Sweden
Annica Wadstrom, Sweden 

Eva Nordstrand, "Franka" Sweden
Patricia Edwards, Sweden

Elisabeth Kruse, Denmark/Germany who is a great sponsor in every project we have. In one way or another, she is amazing.

Ann Livs Grollmeister, Sweden
Anna Persson, Sweden
Marie-Louise Andersson, Sweden
Henrik Ahlberg,  Sweden

And one donation it only says;- With Love!

One of Rosies pups that was rescued by AWL. That's Amore!

MY ITALIAN JOURNEY PART 2

After a great day in the shelter near Caserta, Martina, Olivia and I drove

home. As with every other day, we stopped by to feed The Mother of all the puppies by the church in Castle Volturno. 
We were very tired after a long day of working in the shelter, but decided we had to stop and feed them. And what a lucky decision! 

One of the puppies' head was stuck in an empty foodcan, totally exhausted and dizzy. We got his head out and could make sure he wasn't cut or wounded. 
We de-wormed them all; mother Bobby, puppies, and sister Chicca, and gave them plenty of food. The place was full of trash,and we tried to clean up a little. 

We found two puppies that had beenkilled, probably by other strays. But it made us concerned, we didn't want any other puppies to be killed. We had to move them quickly! 
Also pushing us was that mother Bobby was old and tired, and needed to have a break. Another big factor, was that other area puppies had gotten out, were killed by the cars on the busy street next to them.

The next morning we picked the puppies up, seven cuties. 

We started to wonder if the puppies were from two litters.  We drove to the hospice and Lori Garcia was there and helped us to make one room into a "nursery room" for the seven bundles of joy.


Dr. Vittorio came over on an Italian holiday, and helped us with examination and vaccination of all the puppies, and even some of our other associates:Valerie's rescue dog, and Chiarra's boyfriend's rescue dog. It sure was one hot, buzzy, busy day.

The next day we had a wonderful lady named Julia Johnson helping us to foster five of the puppies while two stayed for observation at the hospice: Tiny and Marlene. 

Tiny was the smallest and skinniest, he was very low and mellow, so he had to get extra puppy milk. Marlene was shy and we wanted him to grow and glow, and so they both did.

All puppies are now adopted and doing wonderfully.

 THAT'S AMORE!

MR EDGAR POES GUARDIAN ANGEL

Far away from Italy, we have a true Animal Rescue Friend. Craig Kleber who lives in Brentwood, LA--US Craig is helping Mr Edgar Poe to get the veterinarian and medicine treatment that he needs.
For us it is amazing and heartwarming to have such a wonderful rescue animal friend that cares about the animals wherever they are in the world. I know he is helping big time in LA, too.

Craig has followed our work for several years, and has always been there when we needed help -as we need all the time--

Edgar Poe --as you know if you from following our blog--is having heart-problems and some other "minor" health concerns as any old gentleman (dog) would get. But thanks to Craig's recent generous donation of 2000 dollar, we now have a "Fred Astaire" tap-dancing, happy dog at the hospice.

 Thank you Dr Damiani for helping AWL's Mascot Edgar Poe.

Volunteer Angy for being Edgar's VIP driver.

Thank you all, so much!

FOREVER IN OUR HEART

I saw her picture on FB. She was gorgeous. Big and gray-black with a wonderful smile, or was it her aura I saw?

Her name was Colomba and she was a senior dog that had been in a not-so-very-nice shelter in Southern Italy since 2005. In a cage with some other dogs and all together maybe 180 dogs.  All on concrete floors, and in a kind of darkness. The volunteers worked hard to do something; you could see in their eyes how tired they were. 

In the picture she sat in the sun, and around her neck a big thick chain. On our way down to Napoli we made a big turn to the eastern coast of Italy, into the shelter to pick Colomba up. My joy was enormous. Olivia who normally loved shelters and who always was my best volunteer didn’t like the place at all. She became very sad.

Colomba was mentally tired and we lifted her into our SUV. She smelled like a big horse barn with pigs and everything else included. My children sat and held their noses for the 3 hour trip to our Hospice in Lago Patria. There were a lot of giggles.

She was full of matted hair, and a big lump infection hanging from her neck. We had a veterinarian for a very short time at our clinic that did a fantastic job trimming her matted hair and generally helping Colomba.

Colomba loved her room at the hospice, with bed and mattresses. She was such a good girl, no accidents.  When the volunteers opened the door she would run out into the garden do her business, then straight back up to her room again.

In December, Colomba went in as an emergency to Dr. Damiani’s clinic for a long surgery. She made it through the surgery, our brave lady.  At the same time she also had dental work done. She came back to the hospice and recovered wonderfully, our Princess.

She was so loved by many, and they cared so much about her. The volunteers were amazed over how well she did.

Then one day recently, her internal organs started to say, “stop”. Cancer was growing fast within her, and we could see she was not doing very well. We worried, “another hard surgery and she would get maybe a couple of months?”  Was it worth putting her through the pain and suffering to only forestall the inevitable for so short a time?  Or would we could give her the peace that she so deserved.

My heart cried since I wanted her to have so much more experience with freedom, to love her bed, her room, her volunteers to have more of her around them.  But I realized then freedom was what she would truly get if I let her go --- her ultimate freedom.

My wonderful Colomba, it is a little while since you left us but my heart wouldn’t let me write. It was filled with such tremendous pain. You had a little taste of one kind of freedom, now you can lay truly free in the grass across the Rainbow Bridge, and wonder at the butterflies that are dancing on the warm breeze around you. Colomba, I am sorry life wasn’t better for you, but I hope you felt all of us loving and adoring you at the Hospice Casa dell Amore.

Forever loved. That’s Amore

MR EDGAR POE-ITALY'S MINI DIABLO

 Mr Edgar Poe, mini Diablo with the golden heart is searching after his own family. Mr Edgar is a super fun character. 
He was found very sick, left to die when found by one of our great volunteers.

Is your door open for Poe?

 I am like a grumpy old man, I can make my volunteers crazy and the clients even more crazy. But that is who I am....Gods charm to everyone--well if you are a good animal psychologist.

 I love children, they are pure. But if I don't like an adult, I show it and I mean....I show it.

Ok, who the hell put this on me? I am not a drag dog!

But I am looking for a home so if you are into Pink, I am fine with that! That's Amore.

GOOD MORNING FROM HOSPICE

Good morning from our two seniors, Mr Edgar Poe and Mrs. Fochetta. They love to snuggle up by the radiator to catch extra heat.

That's Amore!

ITALY TRIP DAY 2

A couple of months ago I received an e-mail from an American family who asked us for help. Their dog, GUS whom they had had for nearly 12 years had changed his temperament after a fire in their former home. (To refresh your memory please read earlier posting.)  

According to them, he had snapped at their young child and even the dad. 

I knew something was wrong in that statement, I felt it in my gut, and I couldn't acccept that he was in a kennel and the family was leaving Italy without him. I knew this was only a form of stress after the fire.

From Germany, I tried to find someone who could foster GUS until Minna and I would come down. It was about four weeks I needed help and I needed help to evaluate GUS since I knew he was not a dangerous dog. Help was important since we could work faster to find a solution for GUS. 

But everywhere we turned for help, either people had their own house full of dogs and cats, or they were afraid that he would be "harmed" to be in a home and then move again (never heard about something that ridicules, some would rather have Gus depressed loosing weight than giving him 24/7 watch and health!) Some were afraid what veterinarian bills would be high, he was old after all. 

No one expressed any desire to go to him every day just for a little while, to play soccer or give him some treats. When Minna and I finally arrived down to Italy we rushed to the kennel, and we were not happy what we saw. 

Gus was depressed, and didn't want to open up to us emotionally. Why should he?

 We were strangers! Every one in the kennel said they gave him food but he lost weight, about 10 kg in one month. They claimed they had taken him to the veterinarian, they had de-wormed him but nothing helped. I wondered if anyone had considered that he was depressed and not wanting to eat since his family after 12 years had taken a huge step away from him. 

The family had said they would give his bed, bowls and other things, but the Kennel owner said there was nothing, only a grey plastic bag with his journals inside. And the journal was big, they had kept him very up to date on all shots and examinations. It didn't make any sense!

Gus was dirty and greasy, he looked like a baddly treated stray I had the kennel wash him for a couple of boxes cigarettes.

 I promised GUS to come again the next day, and I also told him that we would get him out of that place. Minna and I agreed we would take him to Germany or Sweden. 

We would flip the coin, Germany or Sweden!

 Mia, the little cute wild puppy that was fostered by Martina had been into a small play accident. Mia is a tough 4-month old cookie and loves to wrestle with the big dogs. This day she got her ear bitten. A few stitches and then it was that horrible cone on her head that she didn't like, of course (who would?)
 I took it off right away since we would be with her 24/7 and could keep an eye on her. We released  Martina and Pio from this little cute monster, they sure needed a break.

Mia was excellent at the hotel AGORA (who are supporters to AWL.) Mia had to follow us everywhere we went, a very good practice. And Minna was a great puppy-sitter Thank you dear!

It was great to come back to the hospice, Casa dell'Amore, to meet all the old clients and the new ones. Ombra, the English Setter was afraid for the steps and the great volunteers carried him down and up every time he needed to go out. I had the evening shift  and could not for my life carry this guy. I knew he had not been neutered and we had one female in heat at the Hospice. I let her out first, and then Ombra. He flew down the stairs like a bird, then up and down, up and down like a Don Juan.

It was good to be back to Casa dell'Amore!

MY ARIEL

 My lovely Ariel is finally here with us in Germany. How I missed her, even if I knew she had a good time down in Italy. 

I adopted Ariel several years ago from a horrible shelter were it was so dirty and nasty,  that you had to hold your nose when you were near it. You had to close your eyes not to see all the pain, too. You had to cover your ears not to hear all 40+ dogs barking. 

Ariel had been in four different shelters and her front leg had been broken in four places and self healed wrong. She can walk, but very poorly.

 Ariel had to stay at our hospice in Italy for a little while during to our move up North, but last week I could drive down and bring her up. She is a 12 year old wonderful lady with some back problems due to her previously broken leg. As she hobbles, she puts stress on her other joints in ways they were never meant to be... and consequently, she now has problems in her front shoulders and back hips.  But with x-rays and medicine, we are keeping a very close eye on that.

 Dr Damiani made an examination, x-ray and we also had her pet passport made. (You can see how her right front leg is set at a radically wrong angle.)

Thank you all who looked after my Ariel. Martina and Pio for picking her up, and all the lovely volunteers for loving up on her. Valerie drove her to the groomer and have also been her nail trimmer. You all make a difference and with love for those whom loves you back. That's Amore.

SOME HOSPICE CLIENTS 2012

We got some new comers that are so wonderful in our Hospice Casa dell'Amore. Mister Vasili is one of them. German Shepard, probably 9 years old. He had an owner that tied him several years ago outside a Governmental shelter. Since then he has been inside a cage very sick and in pain.
He is a lovely male that follows and loves to play with balls. He will, when healthy become a great companion. He is on antibiotic since his whole body was full of wounds. Now he is being treated for Leischamania zyloric and Milteforan. Already we see a great improvement.
Sweet pie Ms Funny, also from the same shelter. Found behind a tombstone, and they say she was grieving her dead master. She is happy and today outside in the sun she was running around wagging her tail.
Ms Funny outside in the sun. No one of our dogs at the Hospice are in cages.
Our long term clients, Stella and Sassi. We would love to find a home for Sassi.
Ms Funny got her AWL tag with phone number in case she gets lost. Sponsored by the Kleber family in LA USA.
Ms Funny looks like an African bush dog.
Ariel, our wonderful old girl. You can see her right front-leg is bent like a Charley Chaplin leg. It was broken in four places and selfhealed. She has been in four different shelters. She is a cuddle bug.