WE ALL ARE HELPINGTO REACH THE SAME GOAL HEALTHY STRAY'S

And Wendy brought her foster dog out to Lega for sterilization and AWL could help.

One volunteer brought the dog Diana in for sterilization and thanks to donations for spay and neuter we can support.

Wonderful Steph from the vet clinic on base called and told me that I could come and get 13 bags of dog food. Wow, I was in heaven so many bags from one person! He had said he had enough feeding the strays he wanted to bring them home all of them. SO he decided that rather that "just" quiet he bought food and let someone else do it. That is wonderful thinking. Instead of letting the pain eat you up and not doing anything, he changed the concept. I love that!

WEEKLY COLUMN WAITINGROOM FOR DEATH

Mia Mattsson (c) 2010 pictures, no right to copy without my approval.

My weekly column, "The waiting room for death" sounds like a thriller and it is, even true.

(translation google)

ANOTHER BUSY DAY IN OUR 'PARADISE'

A small 20lb. (8kg) jack russel/terrier mix that was living inside for 3 years, never outside. She lived with an older lady who can not care for her. Tan and white, short wire hair. apprx. 3 years old. Likes kids ALOT! Likes other dogs, cats I do not know. She is NOT housebroken, she was trained to potty on paper in the house, so the house is where she goes. She would make a good outside dog however. she is very sweet and loving and would make a great family pet. Barks when strangers are at the gate so effective as a small alarm. (Fostermom)
Today AWL had her brought out to be sterilized Her foster mother Wendy linked up with us at the clinic.

Our little flower girl Abby...hit and left to die on a gas station next to the highway, bleeding and with a broken leg (see earlier blog). Her passport will be done in May and her transportation will be in June to Sweden A happy family is waiting for her.

A content stray outside his best friend Mr Butcher.. you could see his tail go in a high speed and a moment later he had a juicy bone in his mouth. I see him there every day!

And Benjamin, our Benjamine the mysterious rescue dog. He now got an infected wound on his back leg and he has a lot of pain in his leg. Benji had to stay at the clinic over night, x ray and other tests will be done. We all are shaking our heads...this Benji!! But we love him so dearly.

Benji was happy to see Dr Damiani, jumping out of joy since Dr Damiani was the only one that would touch him when he had the horrible skin diseases (see earlier blog).

After all this....me and my children had a wonderful day. I stop doing missions after 15.00 then I am with my children and lovely 19 dogs.

FIAT RESCUE TRANSPORT

My SUV is still at the repair man and since we had to order special parts from the States I don't know when I can get it back. I have to tell you, I miss my SUV so much. Rescuing strays in the smallest FIAT is kind of funny though.

Today Olivia and I picked up three dogs in my rent car FIAT and we really looked funny with dogs everywhere, Capri, Phillipo and Scooby.

All three got safe to Dr Damiani's clinic, and Dr Loungo took care of them and all the paper work that needs for their up coming Swedish passports. Blood test and leishaminiosis were made.

Back home, 19 lovely dogs were waiting for their treatments, and Olivia took care of sweet ABBY. What a sweaty day full of dog hair and Amore.

DONATIONS wohoo A BIG THANK YOU FOR HELPING THE ANIMALS IN A STRESSFUL AREA

Athena and I are over joyed....we are both jumping! Thank you so much for your generous donations, your support means the world to me and the strays in Campania. I love you for your kind heart(s) and wallet(s)

Linda Mc Clintock US

Erika Andersson (Giove and Bobby) SE

Sara Hoover SE+US

Tamara Hampikian US

Ulla Linders SE

Tracey Kleber US

Tom Herd US

Tracy Nettles US

Carol King GB

Charlotte GB

Food donation from Trine US

ANOTHER DAY IN 'PARADISE'

Muffin is back from the vet clinic were she stayed for three days!!! Yapp Yapp inside and outside, wild rough games. She's now microchip, sterilized and vaccinated (de-wormed and frontline). She got a person who wants to adopt her in Torino but how can I get her up there?

And this little lion look a like puppy was found in Varcaturo and now got a family.

Phillipo (from Rossella's) is now waiting for his passport--4 months at a new kennel Marco Sanna--I walk him every second day-- adopter mother Ulla from Sweden sent money so I could buy a bed to him. He loves it! After 2 years in a "not so good" shelter laying on plastic and concrete he is now staying at a 3 star kennel. Soon, --4 months-- he will live in a 5 star home.

And we went to our Italian animal rescue friends. They found puppies full of flies and worms, they are now treated. And of course, Olivia was in heaven.

They also rescued this little sweet heart from being dog food to a big dog with sharp teeth. Roy contacted us he had seen the picture of her on FB and AWL introduced her. A good match we think and hope. Roy could pick "Sara" up today AWL had made sure she got her first vaccination/de worming before saying by by to her rescue family. Roy have already made appointment for microchip, and when time sterilization that AWL will sponsor.

But please don't forget those that suddenly non one want, sick and old. AWL biggest dream and goal is to open a hospice for them. Please help by sponsoring and we can ear mark them.

We are all one family!

SWEET HEARTS

Adorable puppies, rescued by Martina and Pio. I visited them and I could put them down in my handbag.

Found down by the railroad near the dog catchers shelters

They were so full of parasites that it took hours to remove them. Now, clean and shiny and up for a nice warm forever home.

TWO DIFFERENT PEOPLE BUT BOTH ANIMAL LOVERS

We were out driving around, showing them "the not so good areas." We passed a house when I heared Milla say, "Look, there are as many dogs as you have Mia in your home."
We stopped and got out to walk around when a polite older man came up to us and greeted us. I love many of the people here, they are so generous in their hospitality. He invited us in and we were so impressed by how he was keeping his dogs. So clean and so nice. (He is also a person who builds and invents.)

For his cats, he had made a beautiful passage for them to run through from the inside and out (or opposite) This was completely a haven for both cats and dogs, and for us too. We didn't want to leave either.

We donated some bags of food and right away the man said he wanted to give a bag to a lady with a lot of animals. Would we go with him?

The lady was very kind and kissed while invited us in. She picked beautiful flowers to us all and gave Olivia a present. We saw a blue cover with big rocks on it. It was silent but we sensed that something were laying under the cover. I told Olivia to open up (lady didn't mind) and several cat faces looked at us with curious eyes. I asked how long they had been there, and she answered me four (4) years. She didn't want them out since she had a big Rottweiler on the backside that had already killed four (4) cats! On the other side of her gate were ten (10) cats peeking in, and we wondered why she didn't let the locked in out on that side. She was afraid they wouldn't return, then she was afraid they would scratch her car. The man tried to give her solutions but she argued against him the whole time. He turned to me and said "She has a good heart but a bad head!" I knew what he meant and giggled a little. I had seen so much bad things happen to the animals on the outside and many people trying to protect them. Yet, sometimes the reaction of people "with good hearts, but bad heads" became animal neglecter in its own way.


She had more than 20 dogs locked into a room and we were not allowed to see them. She took out two (2) sweeties but we suspect they had kennel cough. We really would like to help this woman with a volunteer veterinarian who could help visit and treat all the animals. AWL would pay for all the medicine.

You knew she wanted what was best, but sometimes love can harm more than cure. We really want to help her in a way that is possible. Any volunteers?

A CRY FOR HELP

Pictures (c) Sheila Scoppetta

This dog was dropped off at a shelter in this conditions. The Italian volunteers who saved him, said that they had the impressions, he was there, just waiting to die. He is dehydrated and anemic due to the parasites who have literally consumed him. He had to get a blood transfusion. His fur was so dirty and messy that his skin was damaged, and his eyes were infected. But even so, the people who saved him were so moved, when they saw him getting off his kennel to go pee.

AWL will help sponsoring with a donation for his veterinarian bill.

How can we do this to our friends?


Thank you all wonderful volunteers for being there for the animals, and also to the veterinarian clinic.

DIFFERENT TASKS IN A DAY

I work with the foundation from 09.00 -15.00 and still it is a non-profit organization. My Olivia is a great friend to have with me and I try to make it exiting for her too. Today while I was paying AWL's bills Olivia fed the rescued male Buffalos. She just loves it!

We had Muffin with us (remember the rescue dog from nearly being run over by several cars in front of us) so she could now be steralized and microchiped since she gained weight really well and no more diarrhea.

Our wonderful Athena has now got her rabies vaccinations and microchip. She is such a wonderful, happy girl. I love to sit with her and let the comunication flow...she is such a talker.

"You are here finally! What took you so long?"

After this we went to the comune house (like a town hall)--it took me one hour to get there--and when we finally found the correct floor and Dottoressa, we told her we wanted to adopt Tiger from the Governmental Shelter. We had a discussion and now it will take 8-10 days before I get to know if we can get him out. This is a sensative project so when he is out and everything is arranged I can tell you the whole story.

OLIVIA (MINI-ME) AND ME ON A MINI-MISSION

We moved Scooby and Phillipo from Rossella's shelter last week to Marco Sanna kennel for many reasons. It is easier for me to test them in different situations and bringing them to our veterinarian that is only 5 minutes away. And also to communicate with them to listen to what they want and what has happened before in their lives. Monica and Milla walked them a couple of times while they were visiting, and the dogs seem to be doing very well together. Phillipo had been labeled as "aggressive" towards other males, and I want to start working to see if it is a true label, and if so, to what degree?

Olivia and I left this morning and went to take both out. Since it is a heavy traffic area in an apartment zone, I had to take both in one hand and Olivia in the other one. They were doing great and Scooby the "nice male" and Phillipo did great together. I will of course continue trying with different males later on. It was a nice mini-mission.

BONITA AT DR DAMIANI

So last week we took Bonita to Dr Damiani to have blood and urine tests done. Bonita has started to leak urine a lot and we want to know what is wrong. Monica was holding and comforting Bonita, who is a brilliant client. Calm and friendly.

We got the results and her protein level is low. We are afraid it can be something with the liver. A new test is going to be made hopefully tomorrow. Keep your paws crossed.

A SUNNY DAY FOR THE ANIMALS

Marie (UK) had told me about the puppies in Lago Patria and today I went with her to have a look at them and feed them. To my wonderful surprise their mother is the one I fed in Varcaturo for 2 years and then she disappeared. Happy to see she was doing well--and her newest puppies!

Then we drove to the NEX warehouse on Base to collect some dog food donations and cat food too. The cat food I gave to Lynn (UK) who is the Varcaturo cat lady. And the dog food we will drive to a new shelter we will be working with, this up-coming Saturday.

(AWL Sweden left Italy on a bus back home to Sweden yesterday--what an adventure! Thank you for everything.)

WEDNESDAY LAST WEEK

(All the pictures 2010 (c) Mia Mattsson)
Since we have been so busy I will have to go backwards in our happenings here. Well, Milla and Monica arrived from Sweden and we went out to Rossella Shelter. I wanted to give the girls a guided tour. At the same time it was nice to give Phillipo (who is going to Ulla in Sweden) a hug. He is great walking, and he loves lizards

Monica got to walk him too--and some other beautiful dogs.

I had earlier received 13 bags of dog food from a guy --he left them for us at the Base vet clinic--thank you so much! I also picked up a couple of plastic pallets on Base.

AWL has a new fashion line --- these beautiful scarves-- I love them. Scooby was our first model and I think he looks great. AWL thanks Himmelska Hundar and AWL Sweden for finding the scarves and Ulla for finding the great company Obidos AB, www.obidos.se for the print.

AWL SE also brought snacks, and three great walking belts and money donations. A big Private donation was also made from Milla (pictured with Scooby). Thank you for all the wonderful presents to AWL International.

We drove Scooby and Phillipo to the kennel Marco Sanna in Pozzuoli. It is closer for me to drive and bring them to the veterinarian, and we can walk them regularly, too. It also symbolizes a step closer to a forever home for them both!

BUSY WEEK

Photo Rita Schneider 2010

I am sorry that I have not updated my blog for a long while, but I can tell you....I have not been still for many minutes.

Monica and Milla, AWL Sweden came down to stay for three days and I made a busy schedule for us. As you all know about the volcano ash it made it very difficult for people to get home...and so it was for them. But now they are on a bus on their way home, fingers crossed!

My SUV broke down and on top of that someone broke in to it and made a mess. My heart bleed since it is my rescue SUV which I go and pick up wounded sick animals. So it seems it will take some time before I can get it back.

More updates will come from our busy interesting tear filled week.

I WILL SOON UPDATE THIS BLOG. SORRY FOR MANY DAYS DELAY BUT HERE HAVE BEEN CHAOS WITH 3000 SHELTERS, SICK ANIMALS ETC.

MUFFINS VACCINATIONS DAY

Muffin was rescued on a busy four Lane nearly killed. With a bad stomach and a fur smell to die for we gave her four baths and then went to dr Damiani to have her examined. Healthy and lovely, she behaved so perfect.

We were so lucky that a "stomach specialist" was there and could listen to our poo poo explanation. We got special food and some medicine, and we also got her vaccinated.

Thank you dr Damiani and veterinarian colleague for your help to the beautiful strays!

Muffin lives in our house, sleeps with Todd, and she now got the hang of our routines.

She is a sweet little girl--7 months old. Up for adoption.....

SATURDAY AT THE SHELTER

I am so sorry for not updating the blog very often the last week. I have been super busy. After returning from Parma, we AWL had a dog walk at Rossella's shelter. Vania --- super wonderful Vania --- you did a great job. Even if you could have slept in this Saturday morning after a night out, you didn't. You cleaned the cages and gave the dogs food. ( I am still giggling when I type this) and then you could translate --and I love the short version--

Tammy, me, David and Lynn walked dogs at high speed, and it was hot. My lovely little Scooby has progressed so much in walking on a leash. And oldy Big Scooby --- how I would love to adopt you---everybody laughs at me since I say this about everyone--

Its puppy season...24 puppies up for adoption. Please support our spay and neuter campaigns!

David walked a 7 month old labrador mix, shy and sweet. He is up for adoption too (the dog, not David).

Vania in her beautiful flip flops cleaning out the cages. I am so proud over you...