Killing Art

An animal activist / friend from Cyprus send me this information. What you do to yourself is one thing, but to an Innocent animal is without understanding. The so-called artist should have chained himself and starved while smelling food.

"In 2007, Guillermo Vargas Habacuc, a so called artist, took an abandoned dog from the streets, tied him to a very short rope to a wall in an art gallery, and left a kettle of food on the other side of the room, beyond his reach, and left him there to slowly die of hunger and thirst.The so-called artist of such cruelty and the visitors of the gallery of art watched the agony of this animal. The dog finally died of famine, surely after a painful, absurd and incomprehensible torture.The prestigious Central American Biennial of Art decided that this horrible act committed by this guy was "art", and Guillermo Vargas Habacuc has been invited to repeat his cruel actions in said Biennial in 2008."

Please sign the petition now

This is not art Amore!

A Day in the Car

Sometimes, I wish I could drive with blindfolds or at least blinders on, like old carriage horses wear. This morning, with the children in the car, we were heading out. At the red light I saw something laying on the road further ahead. I was supposed to make a left turn at the light, but instead I drove forward. I had to see, was it a dog laying in the street?

A big beautiful stray (like a Border Collie) was run over by a car. She was dead.

I hate seeing these big dogs laying in the middle of the street and all cars are passing by. Olivia always gets upset when she sees one, and I am telling you the truth, we see it every day. It is killing my heart. Whenever we spot one, my biggest fear is that they are still alive and suffering slowly.

So what did I do? I stopped of course. On with the warning lights and out checking on her. In the car again and grabed a big blanket, rolled her in and lifted her up from the middle of the street and placed her as gently as I could in the median. At least her shell would not be further asaulted, I knew her soul was already across Rainbow Bridge. Cars passed slowly by, watching this blonde woman carrying a dead dog!

A man in garden-worker clothing headed my way and I could see on his face that he didn't like what I had just done. And I could see he didn't like a dead dog in the grass were he was on his way to cut! He was from Algeria and absolutely did not want to touch a dead dog--not an alive one either!

I told him that poor Italian children shouldn't have to see dead animals on their way to school, and cars could get blood on their newly washed sides. He liked that explanation, in his eyes, maybe I wasn't a crazy blonde animal activist (heh).

For him, I was Amore!

Animals without Limits

Went out on a mission today--like my daughter loves to say "mission"--and to the same area as usual. We just got into the neighborhood when this three (3) month old puppy was running around in stress in a lot of glass, trying to escape the big four (4) lane road that was next to her.

We approached her slowly, making sure we had the road behind us. I have seen many people approaching dogs from the sidewalk --and the dog doesn't know if you are a friend or an enemy-- In many cases the dog tries to escape by running out in the street. Of course, that can have terrible consequences, and would be exactly what we don't want to have happen.

We saw some blood on the puppy, and she looked very skinny. We could see more than thirty (30) ticks crawling and biting her. In her ears they were crawling on top off each other.

Private escort in my big Chevy Suburban to Dr Friz' veterinarian clinic. Blondie (as we named her) has to stay there for five (5) days. A big health check up, vaccination and sterilization will be done. Then she should be ready for a loving family!

It is very important to get a proper health check. If having children at home, or other animals, it is even more important. You don't know what you are bringing in that can affect your "kids", and even those of us with unlimited amore need to protect our families.

Animals without Limits (established 1999) is not an adoption foundation, but when finding sick dogs we will do our best to help that fellow to find a new home after he/she is healthy and spayed.

Naples Friends of Animals are working with adoptions and helping animals in need in this area.

This is "we all are helping" Amore! There should be no competition Amore here!

Thankfullness for Shelters

Even the mass media will sometimes give a nod to the importance of Animal Shelters, as seen in this cartoon from the Stars & Stripes newspaper several Sunday's ago. I just love it!

This is Amore!

Helping Wild Animals

A friend from Cyprus sent me this and I think it is very important to be aware and educated. Please read and sign the petition below. It's Amore to sign!


Fewer than 5,000 tigers are estimated to remain in the wild.

Every day, their numbers are declining further, largely due to demand in China for their parts for use in traditional medicine. In 1993, China established a domestic tiger parts and products trade ban to help stem the illegal tiger trade; however, now China wants to rescind the ban and allow sale of parts from tigers bred on farms for their skin and parts.



This would not only be inhumane; if trade of farmed tiger parts is allowed, it will encourage illegal (poaching) wild tiger trade too.

Please join me in signing a petition to ask the government of China to make their ban on tiger trade permanent. We need everyone who cares about these beautiful animals to sign by April 30th. It will only take a minute: Help The Tigers

Cemetery for our Four Legged Friends

At the St Francesco shelter they have a cemetery for private people's pets.

It was so peaceful to walk there, all green and beautiful, and the birds were singing.

Big tombstones with inscriptions and pictures of families' beloved pets.

With a profound gratefulness inside me, I walked around reading, and I could sense how much these souls had been loved and were now being missed.

Oddly enough, I felt a kind of joy building inside of me, since working with people --about stray dogs-- can many times be stressful. A lot of times I feel helpless and ashamed for my fellow humans.

Reading the love from owners made me remember the good people.

This is Amore both ways!

Old and Beautiful

At the shelter St Fransesco there is a section for older dogs. It felt wonderful to meet this old "friend" --in the picture--having a bed, food, water and love and be able to roam around free in the shelter area.

Some would say it would be better for the old strays to be put down to sleep. I cannot agree for this one.
To be able to end her days with pride, as a thank you for serving us humans with patience and unconditional love, should be considered an obligation from us humans.

This is old Amore common sense!

Food Donation

Vittoria and Olivia, my project helpers and I went to donate food to shelter dogs at the St Francesco Shelter (I wrote about them earlier)

I want to thank some of the food donaters; Sabine von Vultejus and Gennie the President from Naples Friends of Animals organization. the struggle to help the animals should (and does) transcend individual groups and people. However we can help, we should, even if it means giving to others who are also helping.

This is barking great Amore!

Breaks my Heart to Read

An e mail from National Center on Child Fatality Review (NCFR) that according to the American Association of Suicidology, suicide ranks as the third leading cause of death among young people (ages 15-24).

"Only accidents and homicides occur more frequently.
If people can gain awareness about youth suicide problem and learn to identify the risk factors, the youth suicide rate can be reduced."

This breaks my heart to read. This is heartbreaking, not Amore!

Information www.ican-ncfr.org

Warm People & Hot Pizza

On to something else today!

Yesterday, we --the family-- went to "our" restaurant as usual. Nearly every Thursday evening we are there, having dinner. The staff are warm and kind to us, and especially towards Olivia. But yesterday there was a birthday party, ten (10) boys in the age off six years-old. Pizza and soda, play staff hired to entertain the children, and two "moms" were watching over the whole thing.

Olivia looked with her big blue eyes at them, wishing she would be one of the guests!

Suddenly, one off the moms pulls out a chair and says, "Come!"

Olivia was in heaven. Playing with the older boys, eating and singing. How wonderful of them to invite a "stranger" to their party and give that little "stranger" the best evening in a long time.

(And I got to eat a whole plate of food without running around after Olivia)

I love the people here, they are full off Amore!

Helping Hands?

Running organizations or foundations can many times be very difficult. Even more so if you are depending on volunteers for the "grunt work" of an organization.

One such group pcame up to me very tired and frustrated. She was ready to throw in the towel. She had had enough from people who promised to help but in the end stood her up. They just never seemed to follow through with their assurances of support, activity, work, etc.

When she took over the organization, many new faces were willing to help, they were all agreeing that it was for the animals that they were working. They would make changes for the better, for the animals, and they couldn't understand why many Italians were mistreating their animals.

Adoption programs started! Foster homes arranged for animals waiting for the new family of their dreams to show up.

But then, all the work fizzled out. All the plans hit brick walls. Progress slipped, efforts diffused.

The President asked me how I could deal with animal volunteer people and for so many years?

I don't have a good answer, but in the end you are always alone running the show!

We have different kinds of volunteers and since we know how the "good" ones are we don't have to go into that today--in this blog. Here are the types I've identified over the years:

#1 Animal lovers. "I love animals. I want to hug them and make them feel great!" (Just hugging doesn't help them to survive. You should have an appreciation for the reality behind the fantasy before becoming a volunteer in this field.)

~~

#2 Adoption Fanatics. "We don't think through what the dog needs, we have so many dogs waiting. First adopter interested is good for us. (You want the family to find the dog, but do you want the dog to find the family?)

~~

#3 The Exhausted Volunteer. So much work! I think I don't care to show up today! (many seem to see it that the President should be happy they are working for free once in a while, regardless of what they committed to do in the beginning.)

~~

#4 Ambivelent Volunteer. Yes the dog has scabs, and we don't know what it is. [Closely related to #2]. (The family gets scared, who would want to take a risk bringing in sickness to their family, children and other pets?)

~~

#5 Used Car Salesmen. [May be a manifestation of #2]No, there are no problems with this dog! (he
just ate the whole sofa, he bit a person yesterday, and barks incessantly.) Being honest and telling the "new" family what is going on, reasons for the behavior and what can be done goes a long way to overcoming potential problems or "returns". This is a lifetime (for the dog at least) investment... hopefully.

I can go on and on. What makes my heart sad is that many adopted dogs can get several homes in a short period of time. They become like frustrated children and can turn out to be more wild when they see a new person "Love me! Love me! Take me to your home" And the person believes that the dog is too wild and doesn't want it...so the circle is there. At the end the dog will be the one who looses because of the human's stupidity, and will be put down to sleep. "We just couldn't adopt this one."

Tjojs, my twelve (12) year-old dog had had five (5) homes in her first six (6) months when I found her in a shelter. Many people said to me she wouldn't survive another home, she would be too stressed and confused. They couldn't have been more wrong, but the first year was a little bumpy. We had to get to know each other and our different languages. It took her eight (8) months before she wagged her tail, and it took a long time before she trusted in me that I wouldn't let her down, and break her heart. Imagine a heart that knows no time, that loves unconditionally. Then imagine the people that heart loves, departing. The heartbreak compounding heartbreak would break the strongest human... but yet this is what some of these dear souls are set up for in the adoption game.

Thank God I found Tjojs in time! She is my best friend and I adore her so much because she has never let me down, never!

Some people can say "The dog should be grateful, I have been giving him a home and love!" Not realizing that a home and love for a period only makes the lack of it later that much worse.

The more I get to know people, the more I love my dog(s)--a clever person once said.

We all have to accept the responsibility with our helping hands when we commit to work in this area. It is not about the thankfulness that dogs should give us--they know how to give unconditional love. That's Amore!

Spay and Neuter

I spoke to Dr.Friz about peoples' views on spay and neuter programs (of course, in other countries too)

"Many people don’t want to have the spay and neuter programs, they have even said, 'What are we going to do when shelters are being torned down?'”
Many people humanize the animals and transpose their own emotions onto the dog. They wouldn’t want to be spayed themselves, so they believe the dogs wouldn’t, either. The problems are more so in a man’s head, its their manhood, after all. Sometimes I ask men how they would feel being close to women you cannot be together with?

“Would that make you feel good?”

Uh, NO!, the man answers. “If you escape and make that woman pregnant, do you think your wife would like that”?

They don’t think about the consequences and I think that is the problem."

miamattsson (c)
Its Amore to take responsibility!

Naples Friends of Animals

Let me introduce (three ladies from) a great animal team; from left are Kath holding Chloe, Sherry holding Holly and Genni (President) holding Trixie.

Naples Friends of Animals (NFOA) was founded in 2002 by Christine Smock with the primary intention of promoting animal care and awareness. Since then, the group has hosted over 100 adoption events and spay and neuter programs for stray dogs and cats.

Yesterday a seven week-old puppy with a terrible skin problem found Genni and Kath's helping heart. "La Vita" is now getting medicated and loved in Genni's warm home until she is healthy enough to find a new, loving home.

Help them help the ones without a voice! For more information, e mail nfoa.genni@gmail.com

This is helping Amore!

Mom Test

I got this story sent to me by two individuals, and I couldn't help smiling and thinking, "How true!"

"I was out walking with my 4 year-old daughter. She picked up something off the ground and started to put it in her mouth. I took the item away from her and I asked her not to do that.

"Why?" my daughter asked.

"Because it's been on the ground, you don't know where it's been,it's dirty, and probably has germs," I replied. At this point, my daughter looked at me with total admiration and asked,"Momma, how do you know all this stuff, you are so smart."

I was thinking quickly. "All moms know this stuff. It's on the Mom Test. You have to know it, or 'they' don't let you be a Mom."We walked along in silence for 2 or 3 minutes, but she was evidently pondering this new information.

"OH...I get it!" she beamed, "So if you don't pass the test you have to be the dad."

''Exactly," I replied back with a big smile on my face."

This is sweet Amore!

Client Healing

Last Wednesday I had the honor to meet Holly, a sweet but very nervous dog who has a big loving heart. In her heart is a big thorn that the human beings have planted.

Kath brought her over and we stayed outside my house since I didn't want Holly to think that I would be her new owner. Since I could sense from her "Everyone that I have loved leaves me!"

Animals and children don't have "time thinking" (sense of time) and the heart doesn't have a time-table either. That is why we heal in different tempos.

I knew right away that I had to meet Holly again. She was too nervous and couldn't stand still for a moment. I ignored her, like I do with all my clients. It is the same with us humans, not all off us want to be hugged!

It is a sad thing that we think that just because it is a dog (or another animal) it wants to be petted. If it shows irritation, the person can many times become angry at the animal and hit it, or give the animal away saying "this dog is aggressive"

Let animals and children show you when they are ready for your effection!

Holly could "show" pictures that in one home it was very hectic and not balanced. There, dogs climbing all over each other. I told Kath that she needed someone with a relaxing calm home, no children (the sound of screams) and with a person(s) that have the healing ability.

I got an e mail this morning together with this picture from Kath, "Just wanted to drop you a note and let you know that Genni, the President of "Friends of Naples", is doing wonderfully with Holly. Holly has fallen in love with Genni's husband. Here is a picture of Holly (white dog) and her new friend Roscoe. It is just beautiful."

It is just so amazing that when a dog finally comes to the right family, the healing process starts right away. That is why I am against putting animals to sleep too quickly without first giving adoption a real chance.

Listen, and you will be amazed! That is Amore!

Who's Dog do I Feed?

I was at a coffee house the other day and overheard a conversation between two people. The lady, who seemed to be a veterinarian, was very angry at the people that feed the stray dogs on the streets. “They open cans of dog food and then they leave the trash after themselves. I am tired of all the trash.”
After a good laugh, I could understand how she felt. With a huge garbage problem down here, and with the "international people" complaining—not the only ones—and then at the same time these same "internationals" are helping out as good hearted people, but forget to think about the waste they are leaving after themselves when feeding the stray dogs.

Her girlfriend nodded in agreement and then continued the conversation about the stray dogs, “Many international people don’t understand that many times they are feeding someone's dog.” They were both laughing now. I was smiling, thinking about the “dognapping” that I was the leader in. (Read below the story)

Later on that day I asked my Italian friend about what I had overheard. Its seems that what the second lady said was true. A lot of Italians are letting their dogs out in the morning and their dog is wandering around the whole day "feeding". Later in the afternoon he returns home to his master. It is true that many of the dogs are getting fed while they are out roaming around. Some (many) don’t have a collar but are mostly fat. It is hard to know if the dog you are feeding has an owner or not.

Of course, you could ask around and talk to the people, the people who live in the area, they will probably know. But sometimes you have to become a “dognapper” to know the local peoples' thinking.

This is educating Amore!

Three Legs or Four Legs

What is done to their body has nothing to do with their soul.

I remember working with dogs that had lots of different reasons to amputate one of their legs. I had one former four-legged soldier that is now a retired three-legged soldier, and he is doing fine having great servants, his family.

One three-legged dog in Sweden was just a little upset that all the kids in his family--four young kids-- just threw off their shoes and let them lay everywere in the hallway. When he came in after a pee round he had a hard time balancing on his three legs where the eight shoes were laying in his way!

When I later told the four kids of this fellow's irritation, they looked with big round eyes and at the same time saying, "ooohhh!"

Their mother called me some weeks later and told me that her nagging for months had not been giving any results, but when their best buddy "Sunny" complained, magic! From that point on, all their shoes were always put nicely together, and when people would come to visit, they would tell them the "Sunny" story about "his" former shoe problem.

That's Amore!

Whom to Rescue?

Is a tough question, and it is always individual, from dog to dog, situation to situation.

Animals without Limits are out on the streets conducting research, feedings and helping sick dogs. Last Sunday we drove out around 10.00 in the morning, and that was already too late in the day. Street dogs are up early out on their "hunt" before humans even start to wake up. But it was a lovely view to see big old dogs laying comfortably in the sun, sunbathing their fat bellies.

Many off these dogs would have their hearts broken if we took them and replaced them at this late stage in their lives. They have "survived" many years on the streets; they know the people around them, and the people are comfortable with them as well. They are getting fed and have an old blanket somewhere under some concrete blocks, or in the shade.

It also depends in what area the "oldies" are living, and the people's mentality in that area.

My partner-in-rescue Kath came up with a great mission idea for these content, fury fellows. Why not bring a supply of flea, tick and mosquito drops?

With the summer coming they will get many mosquito bites, fleas and ticks. Like Kath said,

"We can make their days more comfortable by not being itchy and also possibly avoid being infected with leishmaniasis and tick borne diseases. It may be just enough of a fighting chance for some of these guys to get through the summer healthy."

This is Amore thinking!

Dognapping

Let me tell you a true story of four dognappers.

Two would-be dognappers wake up, look out their window, and see two beautiful young German Sheppard's. As they watch through the morning, the two are joined by another, for a total of three young German Shepherd's, "guestimated" to be about 7-8 months old.

Through the course of the morning, the couple watch the dogs in the large field between them and the next house. Sometimes the dogs are at the fence nearest the couple, sometimes they are lounging around near the neighbor's house... and the neighbor is not home.

Eventually, the couple feed the dogs when they are near their fence, and with the couple next door, even give them a bowl of water (which, after the water is gone, the dogs chew to pieces).

Calls and SMS messages to the neighbor who is gone, and who's house the dogs seem to be congregating at, are unanswered. The dogs, on close examination, have no collars, are dirty and seem to be un-owned, or at best, owned by a "farmer" who has a number of dogs, and doesn't really care for any of them well. It should be noted, that the neighbor who's house the dogs are centered on... isn't known for liking dogs.

So, as the day goes by, the two watch the dogs lounge about, and roam about randomly. They hatch an idea.

Surely, they say, these dogs must be strays. All the signs are there. No collar, no tags, dirty, kinda thin. Yes, that's it. No owners.... or owners who don't deserve these beautiful creatures, and won't miss them.

We'll "rescue" these creatures. We'll make sure they are neutered, inoculated, and cleaned up. We'll adopt one, and our neighbors (not the one who doesn't like dogs) will adopt another. They seem to be pure-bred German Shepherd's, so surely the other one will also be adopted quickly... or maybe we'll adopt two.

So, the plan was hatched.

The couple enlist the unwitting help of their underage accomplices, as well as their dog-friendly neighbors.

Unable to go through the gate, the dognappers cut the fence that adjoins their property and the next. They slip through, entice the dogs with food, and off they go with the dogs in cages, to the nearest veterinarian to "do" the dogs.

All is arranged. The accomplices have fallen in love with the dogs already. So, too, the next door neighbors who have decided to adopt one. The dogs are at the veterinarian, ready to be spayed/neutered and vaccinated within days. The two "ring leader" dognappers congratulate themselves over a bottle of formula (for one of the accomplices).

Then, the phone rings.

It is the neighbor whose house the dogs had been hanging around. The one whom the dognappers had SMS'ed and called, to no avail.

It seems the dogs were supposed to be there, a friend or relative had left them there. Where were the dogs now?

Oh no! What to do?

Since the dognappers would still have to live there for another few years, and the neighbor temporarily with the dogs is also their landlord... it seemed the best thing to do was to take the dogs back rather than make a run for the border with them.

So, off the hapless dognappers went. Carting the dogs back along the same roads they'd happily traveled a short hour before. Soon, the dogs were back with the apparent owner, not seeming too happy, and the rest of the neighborhood had turned out to see just what sort of crazy people would dognap three German Shepherds in broad daylight... from someone who may well have mafia ties?

The dognappers were released to the custody of their underage accomplices.

And we'd do it again in a heartbeat. That's amore!

Animals without Limits

Animals without Limits are on the field again.

Now I need all your help and support again, new and old.

Yesterday, me and the animal worker Kath went out looking for a dog I had seen the day before, skin and bones. We drove into a very poor neighborhood stopping and asking people if they had seen this little, beige, bony dog. They pointed at a big garbage pile, his home. But we couldn't find him.

Suddenly, Kath saw a dog laying on the sidewalk. Was it dead or alive? We couldn't tell from the car. We drove up and looked. Yes, it was breathing but in bad condition. Kath held the dog with a towel over its head, since the dog was scared by whomever was grabbing her--some here like to torture dogs, even beating them with baseball bats--

Out with the crate, gloves on, and in with the little "girl." Off to the veterinarian station Dr. Fritz and her crew--they really care.

Our "girl" couldn't be saved, she had distemper. Kath and I payed for the euthanasia (put her to sleep) and the veterinarian put the money in the donation box for helping animals. Euro 50 well spent!

We named her Flower, so at least as she left this world, she had a name. And we know that today she is in a better place, able to run and play without any pain or worries... in fields with a lot of flowers and Amore!

Internet Problem Again!

This time it was not time block...it was no (block) Internet, again!! Not even an April Fools Day joke!

The Internet went down Friday (of course) but I got the call to the "help desk" right on time. I begged on my "knees" if she could make it a priority since we seem to have the same problem all the time, and it takes more than three days for the Telecom guys to come and fix the problem. And when they do, the problem is always a two (2) minute job up on the street!
"Yes ma'am, I do understand your frustration I will send them an e-mail right away"
"Why not call?", I thought.
Nothing happened, and of course the help desk was closed over the weekend. We pay extra to have someone speak English and Italian, a good thing to pay extra for, so I thought.
Monday, my irritation level was high! I called them at 0930 when they open up.
"Sorry ma'am, I understand your frustration I will send them an e-mail right away."
Is this a joke?
Tuesday....I am so angry when my Italian teacher arrives at my house. My frustration blows up like a ballon, and poor her listening to my Telecom misery (again).
She picks up the phone calls Telecom direct and yes we are top priority clients and no, no complaint has come in. What??!!!
The Telecom operator tells that they will call back us back.
I call the help desk and half screaming--no manors, already like an Italian--
"Ma'am, we don't use the same telephone number that is why "they" cannot see your complaint"
What!!
"Ma'am, you have to be patient we need to send an technician since you always have a lot of problems."
Five minutes later my phone rings, my Italian teacher says, "You should have Internet now, they fixed the problem from the Central Computer!"
And here my wonderful Internet is working thanks to an Italian native who can find out the right way to get the best service. (And we don't even pay her for it!)

I called the help desk, that by now was of course on lunch. I left a very bitter message.
So we are paying extra for extra service that are taking three to five days, and you are not even in the system. I call that a bogus system that is then making Telecom get all the dirt.

But at least we have internet, again.

This is not Amore! (But my Italian teacher getting to the bottom of the problem and fixing it... that IS Amore.)