GIOVES FAMILY IN SWEDEN

While in Sweden we met our good friends Erika and Bobby thanks to the survivor Giove that they adopted from AWL in Italy (concentration camp) He was so thrilled and wonderful we couldn't stop kissing him (and him us) What an Amore enjoyment!

Erika (designer and medium) is a wonderful calm person and my Max just adores her, so much that he climbed up in her arms and later fell asleep. Not many have that effect on him. He is a little guy who can read people very well.

Giove checking things out.

His big brother Akiles just loved to cool his legs off.

Olivia walking with Athena, and both loves the Swedish nature. This was an Amore day! Thank you friends for everything that you do.

That's Amore!

DIFFERENT TASKS IN A DAY

A I work with the foundation from 09.00 -15.00 and still it is a non-profit organization. My Olivia is a great friend to have with me and I try to make it exiting for her too. Today while I was paying AWL's bills Olivia fed the rescued male Buffalos. She just loves it!

We had Muffin with us (remember the rescue dog from nearly being run over by several cars in front of us) so she could now be steralized and microchiped since she gained weight really well and no more diarrhea.

Our wonderful Athena has now got her rabies vaccinations and microchip. She is such a wonderful, happy girl. I love to sit with her and let the comunication flow...she is such a talker.

"You are here finally! What took you so long?"

After this we went to the comune house (like a town hall)--it took me one hour to get there--and when we finally found the correct floor and Dottoressa, we told her we wanted to adopt Tiger from the Governmental Shelter. We had a discussion and now it will take 8-10 days before I get to know if we can get him out. This is a sensative project so when he is out and everything is arranged I can tell you the whole story.

TEST NUMBER ONE

This is the misread and wrongly understood Athena. Please read this link
Athena and my 4 year-old daughter and I took a lovely walk today (again).

Athena received her vaccination and today her rabies injection. Soon, she will be "good to go" to a loving, and understanding family. Will it be you?

ATHENA THE WARRIOR

Remember earlier on the blog I wrote about Athena and her partner.

Well for Athena it hasn't turned out so very well for. I am frustrated since AWL got a problem that we didn't ask for and we made clear in the begining that we only would help with medical bills. Now, I am so sad because this girl Athena doesn't deserve to sit locked in a cage, she had it great with her freedom. She got fed, she had her partner and most important her freedom. But some people didn't like to see her in an abandoned car--with broken glass--with K9 dogs they practise to walk on smashed car window glass and its not dangerous for their paws.

The "rescuers" saw the scars and thought it was from the car but it was actually from dog teeth, and they were old scars. As you read they were in Rita's garage and Athena defended her bone when her partner wanted to take it. That is so very "normal." I wasn't there when it happened, but those involved were upset and Athena was the one to be blamed. She slept outside in a crate as you can see in the video with her partner in the garage. Many times this sort of interaction between animals sounds worse and we get scared, its like hearing two adults arguing in a different language. Because you don't understand what is being said, it sounds worse than it is. We don't know what the dogs are saying, but it sounds bad. But think about it, if they wanted to kill each other it would have happened already, and how could they live together outside in their freedom with no problems?

Rescuing dogs in distress or bad situations is a nobel thing. But like anything, it should be done with cold calculation, not in the moment of high emotion, or solely with your heart. When rescuing, you have to have many different plans. And, unless you are an expert, why not get advice from someone who knows a lot about strays? I have heard people say "I have had dogs my whole life!" But how many of them were strays you rescued? I have been cooking for 30 years but I am not a chef!

AWL is against putting dogs in shelters and here I am with a dog someone rescued and dumped in our lap. No foster homes, no adoptive homes, we can't take her in. She can't go back on the street, especially without her partner. No donations are even given to help defray the costs, only silence from the rescue people who were so happy on Facebook that they had "rescued" dogs. Where are they now? Where is the "follow-through"?

I was visiting her today and walked her, she is wonderful --- so loving and gentle. It is dangerous when someone starts a rumor that destroys the possibilities for a dog's future. Much the same for when people talk bad about another human, and start unfounded rumors. If you are going to play "rescuer", get the facts straight! I have so many stories about people screwing things up for the animals, and I still get many emails from good people who are being dumped on with others' problems.

What is worse, in Cumberlain County (NC, USA) 800 dogs euthanized every month, or the ones roaming free in Campania, Italy?

So thanks to some "bleeding hearts" who thought it was uncomfortable watching this pair in an abandoned car...look at this picture...this is the result of your actions!

I want to thank Rita who is still there for Athena.