MISSION WEEK PART 2 CANILE CASERTA

Earlier we received a TV clip sent to us with the saddest news. A Town-hall shelter in Caserta with 387 dogs and 22 cats was not getting any money. The dogs were sick, they died and not even any money to dispose of them, they were put in empty dog food bags. AWL responded.

There were many who sent help to AWL via post packages and to our drop-off at the vet. clinic. Some arranged their own drop off zone at work. We also got money in our bank account for buying food. Thank you all wonderful sponsors.
We could all meet our new friends that are working hard in the shelter trying to keep it going.
The warm and lovely President Alessandra Prattico hugged Olivia
We got a guided tour around in the shelter. Many we wanted to take with us home and just show them the freedom and how it would feel to live with a human who's only thought would be "No one can love you as much as I can!"
This little fellow named Chimeteri (animal graveyard because he was found in one) will become AWL Hospice Casa dell'Amore's next client! So Sweet.
This one would love a home
Vacilius, German Shepard, with bad skin condition will soon be our hospice guest too.
All things considered, it was a good day....meeting new animalfriends and being able to help if so just for little...this time! Thank you all from us for helping making a difference.

That's Amore.

MY WEEKLY COLUMN IN MAGAZINE NARA

MY WEEKLY COLUMN IN THE MAGAZINE NARA,

Expectations are something that one carries with him in this life. We may have expectations of people, jobs, hobbies, animals, books, on almost everything. Expectations may also be higher on a public figure. I remember when I started working as an animal communicator the expectations for myself grew larger, it was something you could not "prove" that worked.

After a consultation with a horse the owner exclaimed when I was done, "God, I did not think you could communicate with animals with those nails!" I looked at my long manicured nails, wondering to myself what my nails had to do with my work?

A few months later I was with a family in Småland, who had four horses. I sat in the stall with the door open and notepad in my lap, the horse stood in the box and munched on her sweet hay. The horse conveyed that he was delighted in his old master whom had "saved" him. Suddenly I noticed a shadow of a person passing in the doorway, the person stoped and ran back and shouted, "But you are young!"

Every day, I heard different comments. After a consultation, I was invited to the family for coffee, the older man sat at the table. It was the grandfather, the man who owned the horse in the stable. He looked at me a little embarrassed and said: "I thought you would be old and ugly." I choked on the coffee! "Yes, you know one of those witches who can communicate with animals," he continued.

The man's eyes filled with tears when he heard what his horse had told. He wiped his tears and told me that there was a woman who could not ride, and who blamed all the errors on the horse. He had heard one day how the horse whinnied a heart-rending cry. He ran there and saw how she whipped the horse so hard that they later could not get into the stable with something in their hand, without the horse rearing up out of fear. The man bought out the horse. But had hadn’t been able to understand that the horse knew it, and was thankful.

Animals understand the different emotions, they can feel pain, fear and have a strong emotional memory. Their expectations are not high for us and it shows that they are very large creatures. Likewise with the kids, we have very high expectations for them when the community also has it. But children and animals do not expect much of we adults, only security and love. That's Amore!

Mia Mattsson-Mercer

THE LOVE FROM RAINBOW BRIDGE CREW

The rescuer at Rainbow Bridge

Unlike most days at the Rainbow Bridge, this day dawned cold and gray. All the recent arrivals at the Bridge did not know what to think, as they had never seen such a day. But the animals who had been waiting longer for their beloved people to accompany them across the Bridge knew what was happening, and they began to gather at the pathway leading to the Bridge.

Soon an elderly dog came into view, head hung low and tail dragging. He approached slowly, and though he showed no sign of injury or illness, he was in great emotional pain. Unlike the animals gathered along the pathway, he had not been restored to youth and vigor upon arriving at the Bridge. He felt out of place, and wanted only to cross over and find happiness.

But as he approached the Bridge, his way was barred by an angel, who apologized and explained that the tired and broken-spirited old dog could not cross over. Only those animals accompanied by their people were allowed to cross the Bridge. Having nobody, and with nowhere else to turn, the dog trudged into the field in front of the Bridge. There he found others like himself, elderly or infirm, sad and discouraged. Unlike the other animals waiting to cross the Bridge, these animals were not running or playing. They simply were lying in the grass, staring forlornly at the pathway across the Rainbow Bridge. The old dog took his place among them, watching the pathway and waiting, yet not knowing for what he was waiting.

One of the newer dogs at the Bridge asked a cat who had been there longer to explain what was happening. The cat replied, "Those poor animals were abandoned, turned away, or left at rescue places, but never found a home on earth. They all passed on with only the love of a rescuer to comfort them. Because they had no people to love them, they have nobody to escort them across the Rainbow Bridge.” The dog asked the cat, "So what will happen to those animals?” Before the cat could answer, the clouds began to part and the cold turned to bright sunshine. The cat replied, "Watch, and you will see.”

In the distance was a single person, and as he approached the Bridge the old, infirm, and sad animals in the field were bathed in a golden light. They were at once made young and healthy, and stood to see what their fate would be. The animals who had previously gathered at the pathway bowed their heads as the person approached. At each bowed head, the person offered a scratch or hug.

One by one, the now youthful and healthy animals from the field fell into line behind the person. Together, they walked across the Rainbow Bridge to a future of happiness and unquestioned love. The dog asked the cat, "What just happened?” The cat responded, "That was a rescuer. The animals gathered along the pathway bowing in respect were those who had found their forever homes because of rescuers. They will cross over when their people arrive at the Bridge. The arrival here of a rescuer is a great and solemn event, and as a tribute they are permitted to perform one final act of rescue. They are allowed to escort all those poor animals they couldn't place on earth across the Rainbow Bridge.”

The dog thought for a moment, then said, "I like rescuers.” The cat smiled and replied, "So does heaven, my friend. So does heaven."

— with Michele Leatherwood.

MYA THE WONDERDOG

Met Mya probably between 1-2 years old. She was spotted among garbage and hookers in Campania region. Brought to Lega Pro Animale where she had 13 puppies.
She is now sterilized, de wormed and frontline and resting in a warm loving foster-home until she can go to a forever home.
She is great with other dogs and children in different sizes. She is a wonderful and sweet girl.
Now That's Amore!

UPDATE ON SANDY

THE BIOPSY came back and it is a rare disease; Canine junctional epidermolysis bullosa (JEB) is an inherited autosomal recessive disease which is characterized by skin blisters in different body regions. The disease is clinically characterized by a bullous and ulcerative dermatitis. The disease causes a general fragility of the skin leading to the formation of the spontaneous or traumatically induced blisters and ulcers on footpads, ear surface, tail tips and pressure points on the distal limbs. The German Shorthaired Pointer (Kurzhaar) is predisposed. The authors describe an allele-specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for the molecular detection of the genetic mutation in the laminin 5 subunit gene (LAMA 3) which allows the identification of healthy carriers of JEB.


This is rare and neither Dr. Damiani (who was there last night) or Dr. Longo have ever seen this. I did some research last night and I contacted the Helen Woodward Animal Care and Education Society in Del Mar, California. They are a very well known organization for rescue, hospitalization, and research for all size animals. I am corresponding with a Dr. Carter about Sandy's disease and her chances for some kind of treatment. This disease was first discovered in France in the 1980's in this breed of dog. Now, they are seeing it in Italy as well (which makes sense). There is no cure for this disease since it is a genetic mutation and no treatment (that I have found) is recommended. Most puppies are euthanized immediately when they are discovered with this disease because the effects of it can be so severe. I think that Dr. L and Dr. D will first recommend some steroid treatment. We are hoping that she has a "mild" manifestation of the disease. They asked for a couple of days to do some research before they continue. We now know that everything we see in her is related to this disease. She did not have distemper. The pitting on her teeth is a side effect of the disease as well.

She will need to be on another round of antibiotics.

Now the good news...she is a loving, happy, grateful, sweet, beautiful little girl. We are so glad to have the opportunity to help her live!

Thank you wonderful "nurse mom" Joyce ZIck and thank you Dr Damiani and Dr Fransesco for never giving up, you are always searching for an answer. You are on the animals side and humans. You continue searching and wouldn't let an animal suffer, or put it to sleep only because it would be difficult. That is Amore.

SUNDAY ROSE OUR MIRACLE DOG

You have been able to read about Sunday Rose from earlier blog entries. Rescued from a water field ditch, with borelia, leichaminiosis, and underweight.

She was close to death. when Dr April found her and took her in to her clinic. Treatment started and AWL answered on her request for help, our Hospice stepped in.

We loved her this little bird looking dog, we continued medication and gave her good nutrition food
To our great news she is now with a lovely lady who adopts dogs with disabilities. Rosie is now living in Northern Italy living her dream life. Rosie is blind but finds her way around the house brilliant. This is Amore!

MISSION STUTTGART--NAPOLI--STUTTGART--MALMO

After two weeks on a rescue mission am I finally back in Germany. What a crazy and wonderful trip. I have so much to tell so let me try to start from the beginning.

My daughter Olivia and I started out driving in heavy snow and a rough wind via Switzerland down towards northern Italy. I wondered why I was out in this nasty weather but instead driving my big SUV filled with donations from different people around Europe. On the highway they had closed one of the two lanes because of heavy snow. My daughter asked me why we didn't go faster! We were lucky to stay behind a snow plow as it made it a little easier to drive 40km/hour. Finally, we entered Italy safe and sound, and stopped at an animal friends house in the Bologna area. Frederica invited us to a wonderful dinner and to meet all her rescue animals. She has a lovely house that made me think of Tuscany. We stayed at a lovely Bed and Breakfast --- I have to say it was like a romantic hotel. We loved it!

The next morning we loaded out from Federica's car to the SUV with even more donations from Federica and I had no possibility to see out, well only from the front window. We were packed to the gills! It was time to head down to Campania.

It was lovely coming back, not to see all the problems but to meet my friends and all the warm people struggling to do right with the animals. With smiles and hugs, it was amazing, still there were many I wanted to meet that I didn't get to see but maybe next time.

My schedule was tough. I had 5 dogs that were going to Sweden and all the documents needed to be done at the Town Hall veterinarian and the veterinarian AWL uses. Also I had two different shelters to go to and Giordana the homeless lady with her 9 dogs to meet and help.

Friday morning Angy and I went to the veterinarian with Layla, Dusty and Athena to have their passports done. Athena went crazy out of happiness to be outside and chewed off my seatbelts in the car. Layla was not happy to be in the car and threw up on the floor. Dusty barked and barked. At the ASL (Town Hall veterinarian clinic/buracracy) Olivia had chocolate with her and everyone loves her. I got to meet the Chief Veterinarian via an animal friend that introduced us. I love to be in Campania, it is much easier and less snobbish to work there even if the problems are many and not easy.

It was nice to met Stella again at the hospice. It was chilly no heat in the house. The volunteers had called the oil delivery and for two weeks had they said "next week, next week"

Back in our lovely hotel Agora I asked Christian to help me I told him the problem. He lifted the phone and the next morning we had gas.

In Campania you need the right people with a big heart.

We stayed at Hotel Agora as usual. Love that hotel, they are always so warm and loving and this is also an animal friendly hotel. Thank you Christian and Jennifer for helping AWL.