Pets in Italy

Can You Give a Home to a Kangaroo Dog?

Ariel is a lovely five-year old dog that was born without any front legs. She is kept in a kennel and has no space to move around. She is looking for someone to adopt her and this would ideally be someone with a big heart who has a lovely garden where she can move around freely (or as freely as she can with this terrible handicap.)

I've seen dogs like Ariel on Youtube and know they can adapt brilliantly, despite how things appear. They can even learn to get around quite well, althogh I have no idea how well she can move, given the confined space she has been brought up in.

Although she is currently in Calabria, she can be adopted by anyone in Italy, once the relevant pre-adoption inspection has been done.

For more information phone: 0039 347 303 3884

Latest Update: Ariel has been adopted! Fantastic news!

Goodbye Dora

I did my second stint this month at the Casentino kennels. It's great to see that five dogs have been adopted in the last few weeks and so new faces from the sanitario block, who have been waiting for a place, have now moved into the main kennels. I'm also tremendously encouraged by the progress of my favourite, Beverley, who is really gaining in confidence.

But amidst the happiness there was the sad news that the 'old lady' of the kennels, a twelve-year-old German Shepherd named Dora who had one ear and was as soft as butter, had died. I was so sad for her. She was such a lovely dog and the thought that she had spent so many years in kennels and had not even had a home for her last few months was heartbreaking.

I hope she is gambolling around in the great doggy garden in the sky, because she really deserves it. Poor Dora.

One Small Step

 We have been in our house almost four years and since day one ZsaZsa, the yellow lab, has catagorically refused to climb up or go down the stairs. We have tried treats, pushing, pulling, coaxing, crying -  all to no avail.

It is particularly mystifying as she has no problems at all with any kind of stairs except these. They are no wider or steeper than the stairs in our old house and are blocked in, no scary open spaces to frighten her. I even wondered if they were haunted!

The other two dogs manage fine, loping up and down easily but whenever ZsaZsa wants to go upstairs we have to let her out of the door so she can go round, or take her on the lead. It has been at least two years since I last tried getting her upstairs and it is now something we take for granted - other dogs go upstairs, we open door for ZsaZsa go upstairs, and let her in the upstairs door. We have almost learned to ignore the hassle (particularly annoying in bad weather).

Well, today, for absolutely no reason except that she was standing near the stairs I suddenly took her collar and said "Come on ZsaZsa," and started to climb the stairs and blow me if she didn't go upstairs!!! Talk about being 'in the moment'. She only realised she was climbing them about two stairs from the top and luckily Setter Gassie was behind to encourage her. She looked totally amazed at what she had done and I could have high fived everyone in sight! I settled for cheering.

Whether this is a one-off only time will tell, but I have a feeling that now she has done it once it will get easier.

Of course she hasn't gone DOWNstairs yet...

More Dogs To Help

I have just had two new appeals by email and both are touching. The first is for a hunting dog who was saved after being attacked by a group of kids. The second is a pair of dogs who would love to be rehomed together. I am sure that you or someone you know can help rehome these lovely dogs. Please spread the word.

My Magical Crow

As I was preparing breakfast for Merlina the crow this morning I stopped to think about how privileged I am to be responsible for such a beautiful wild bird. Merlina the hooded crow can't look after herself as she has only one wing and a dodgy leg. I have no idea how she got those injuries but anyway, she is with us now in a home-made aviary and seems content enough with her lot.

She has a number of different caws. One is a low sound of between three and five caws if I pass her and say 'Ciao Merlina.' Her feathers all stick out and she lowers her head when she does this. There is a caw for when I go out of the gate with the dogs and a different one when we leave in the car. A shrieking cry brings the dogs hurtling over to see what's up. It's usually something unfamiliar that causes her to make this alarm call.

To me she is really a magical creature and of course there are many myths and legends associated with crows and ravens. I have written a longer piece about Merlina if you would like to read it here.