Did my stint at the Casentino kennels yesterday. I don't think I mentioned that we volunteers are taking more of a hands-on role since the amazing Domenico who runs the kennels on a day to day basis broke his leg badly while skiing and has to be out of action for three months.
Although very hard on poor Domenico, the upside is that we are seeing the dogs more and also getting more involved in their care. So far this year three dogs have been adopted and the most heartwarming of these was definitely the adoption of Rinti - Rin-Tin-Tin, a very old dog who seemed destined to live out the rest of his days without knowing what it was like to have a family to love him. Volunteer Elisabetta wrote a very moving article for our local magazine Casentino 2000 and as a result of readng that a local guy Gabriele who already had an 11-year-old little dog decided he just had to do something. I was at the kennels when Gabriele brought his little dog to see how they would get on together - answer : brilliantly - and the next day he came to take Rinti home for good. You can see how happy the dear old boy is in this picture, leaning his head against Gabriele's leg.
You see, there are happy endings! I am hoping there will be one for my absolute favourite Beverley, who is progressing, albeit slowly, and is marginally less terrified of everything than she was. There is some hope now for Beverley as she gets more adoptable. Fingers crossed!
.jpg)
