Pets in Italy

More Dogs and Puppies Needing Homes

I've just spend the last hour and a half putting up all the new dog and puppy appeals I have received this week. Can you help them find homes or pass round their details?

You can read all the latest appeals on the Dogs and Puppies page. If you need any help with translation or contacting the people concerned, let me know.

Can You Give a Home to a Three-Legged Kitten?

This is Trespolo who is in Lucca, Tuscany. He's a green eyed tiger striped tabby who has just had his front leg amputated after being found terribly injured in the woods. He has adapted brilliantly and loves playing and carries toys around in his mouth. he eats well and knows how to use a litter tray. Very affectionate.

I've posted more about him on the Cats and Kittens page. It would be fantastic if someone could give him a loving home.

So What Do You Give a Crow For Breakfast?

  We've had Merlina the hooded crow for over two years now and she seems quite happy in her voliera (aviary) which I made by enclosing part of an existing pergola with vines and adding an old gate I found under some overgrown bushes. Like the story of Tantalus, the grapes on the vine are just out of reach on the other side of the wire. I always make sure she has a big bunch available though and that is just a small part of her daily diet. She is not self sufficient, having only one wing and a gammy leg and so she relies on us for her food and entertainment. I have put twigs, sticks and cardboard plus a few beads and thngs in the aviary to keep her entertained and I find various 'treasures' hidden under her water dishes or actually in them on a regular basis.

By a bit of trial and error I have found a diet that seems to suit her and you can see a typical breakfast in the photo. When the builders spotted me carrying it to her cage last year they all laughed and said "antipasti!" because I suppose that's what it looks like. Every day she gets black insectivore vitamin pellets, salad, chicken liver, sunflower seeds, fruit, pine nuts and every other day or so a raw egg. She almost eats better than we do!

Little Blind Poodle Thrown Out With Rubbish

A tragic story this one. The poor miniature poodle you can see in the photo was found inside a rubbish bag in Rome – thrown out like an old shoe. Unbelievable. Thank God someone found him. They’ve named him Kiss, although he's probably never had one of those. He’s very old and he’s also blind. It makes you want to weep. This poor creature really can’t stay in the dog pound. He needs a loving home for probably the first time in his wretched life and to spend whatever time he has left with people who care about him. Please can you help?

He’s at the Canile Muratela, via della Magliana N. 856 – Roma. It’s open from Mon- Fri 10.00 – 17.00 and Saturday 10.00 – 17.00 (Sat for adoptions only) Closed on Sundays.

Mobile adotion number: 349/3686973  (10-17, Sat. ore 10-13 except public holidays Tel: 06/67109550) email: loverdog@tiscali.it

Books for Dogs Reaches Target!

I've just had an email with the good news that the volunteers who run Books for Dogs have now reached their target of €5000 and will be able to install hot water and a basic heating system at the Canile di Lerchi. I blogged about this here if you would like to read it again.

Well done everyone!

Mini Pinscher Puppies - URGENT

I've just had this appeal through for two 35 day old mini pinscher puppies in Livorno, Tuscany. They have a rare neurological disease known as hypomyelination or Shaky Puppy syndrome and their prognosis is, according to vets, impossible to predict. They could improve, get worse or even die. They shake all the time except when they are sleeping.

They need an urgent home or foster home by the end of the month or they are going to be put to sleep. They can be rehomed separately if necessary and can be transported to another part of Italy as long as they are fit enough to travel.

Please contact gabriellapaggi@gmail.com if you can help.

Cut Off Point

I think that Italians generally have a different attitude to neutering pets to the UK. I have heard neutering described as 'cruel',' unnatural' and 'not fair,' by many people. I remember telling a group of Italian teachers that my cat was at the vet's being spayed and they were quite baffled. 'Why?' said one. 'What a shame,' said another. I was surprised by their reaction. I'd never thought twice about it at home. All my animals were 'done'.

At the canile where I volunteer, the dogs are not routinely neutered and I asked them about that. One aspect obviously is the cost, which I completely understand. 'We do it on request,' said Domenico. 'but to be honest, quite a few people don't want it done.'

I am equivocal on some things, but not this. Unless used for breeding, animals need to be neutered. Period. This is despite a horrific experience we had here which still makes me feel sick today, twelve years later. We had found a lovely little stray dog and taken it in. We named him Truffles. He was quite a randy little thing and following our usual policy,  we took him off to our vet to be neutered. He was not a very good vet as it turned out, but we didn't know it at the time. He botched a simple operation, nicked the dog's bowel, and it died three days later. That was the day I learned the Italian expression 'sta morendo' (he's dying.) I also learned that the phrase: ' I heard a cry and realised it was coming from me' was not just a fiction writers cliché. I howled in anguish as my little dog died. I thought I would never forgive myself and that the guilt would never go. 'It's my fault,' I repeated over and over again.

But I still believe in neutering. There are too many stray animals. We took the two semi wild cats that have kind of adopted us to be spayed. The older female, who must have spent most of her life pregnant or raising kittens most of which did not survive, started playing. She started enjoying herself. It was nice to see.

Apart from giving me the greatest torment, getting the animals neutered also gave me my biggest laugh. We finally had our stray Mikey done. He was quite well endowed, shall we say, for such a small dog. I waited anxiously for the vet to phone. (The new vet.) 'He's fine,' he said, to my great relief. 'What would you like me to do with them? '
'Excuse me?'
'Well, some owners like to keep them.' His voice was professional, deadly serious.
'Keep them?'
'Yes, you know, as a kind of memento.'
Thoughts flashed through my mind. What could an owner do with a pair of dog's testicles? Make earrings? Paperweights? Threats?
'No, thanks.' I said. I think I'll leave it. Them. But thank you for the offer.'
'Prego, signora,'
And I put the phone down and howled again, but it was the right kind of howling this time!

Dogs in Wheelchairs?

Back in 2001 my heart was breaking. My lovely 15-year-old Doberman/GSD cross Kelly was having difficulty walking, her back legs kept collapsing and in the end she just stayed inside and I 'wheelbarrowed' her everywhere. We investigated doggy nappies, hoists and all sorts. The problem was that apart from the back leg issue she was in perfect health, bright eyes, shiny coat, waggy tail. She seemed alert and enjoying life apart from not being able to walk except if I helped her. In the end the issue resolved itself. My Mum in the UK broke her ankle, I had to go and stay with her for three months and sadly my beloved Kelly had to be put to sleep. I still cry about it to this day. (I'm welling up now as I type this.)

Fast forward a few years and I was at a local market in the Casentino. It's the first time I had encountered the little local animal association Lo Scudo di Pan (Pan's Shield). They were selling a few bits of bric a brac and stuff to raise funds. But what caught my eye was a little dog in a doggie wheelchair. He turned out to be their mascot Flippo Lippo and they found him badly injured and abandoned back in 1997. He has got along in his little wheelchair for twelve years and is the happiest little soul you could imagine.

A couple of years after that I interviewed a lady in the USA called Barbara Techel for an article I was writing. She had caught my attention because she too had a dog in a wheelchair and had written a book about him. Frankie the Walk n' Roll Dog. He too lives a fulfilled and happy life in his wheelchair and Barbara views him as an inspiration. His motto is 'always be positive and keep on rolling'.

Yesterday I was forwarded an email from a lady truly desperate about her paralysed dog, also a dachshund. I was able to put her in touch with Barbara and offer her some hope that if her dog turned out to be permanently disabled (the prognosis is still not clear) that he too could live a happy life.

Barbara replied to her with lots of good advice as well as a couple of links for her. I am putting them here in case any of you might have a handicapped dog and need them.

Doggie wheelchairs (USA) - Eddie's Wheels
Information and resources on dog spinal injuries - Dodger's List

It's too late for Kelly, but I am pleased that I can at least now point people in the right direction, and that there is light at the end of the tunnel if you have a paralysed dog.