UPDATE ON JESSIE JAMES

The day recently when we went out to do the dogwalking at Rosellas shelter, one of our volunteers discovered a German Shepard bleeding heavily from his tail in his cage. He had been eating up most of his tail and was growling at himself while running in circles. (Read earlier blog for more details).

I got him out, and after an Italian veterinarian in Accera had refused keeping him and treating him, I got so angry and took him to "our" veterinarian LegaProAnimale, were they amputated what remained of his tail, (and castrated) and he was able to rest there for 10 days.

I went and visited him today, and his tail (whats left) is beautifully healed. Jessie James has been chained up his whole life (2-3 years) so he is stressed and living mentally in the past. He could become your sweetest friend, if you spend time with him. I know he would love someone who is working with cars (body shop) or a gardener....to be together with you the whole day.

But this is what AWL is about, to help wounded, suffering animals to heal in the tempo their body (mind) needs. This is Amore.

ABBY'S JOURNEY IS NOT OVER--SIGH

Remember Abby? Every one's favorite and so many wanted to adopt her. Found on a wet, cold, gas station concrete pad, bleeding from her nose, a broken leg that had healed badly. We took her under our wings and we have been many that have been doing everything in our power to get her healthy. Money, time and love (and sometimes tears).

Dr Damiani and Dr Loungo made the fantastic discovery, a tooth in her nose and the flesh had healed over it. (read more about it here) (Read the whole Abby Story here)

A family in Sweden contacted me and wanted to adopt her. For months they have been planing and talking about when Abby will come home. A wonderful family.

Abby has during a long period of time lived in my house on a big dog bed in the kitchen with a gate so she could be resting by herself. She had rested for months after the nose surgery and leg surgery (the old broken leg that had healed by itself broke again). Specialists were brought into the clinic and Abby was a little concerned jumping around with the other dogs. She had her routines, out in the morning for an hour then she wanted in, she was never content to be outside too long. She was afraid that her past would come back, alone outside.

The tests started, leichaminiosis and other blood work, we wanted to know everything about Abby inside and out. Rabies shot was done and we were told that after 30 days a blood test would be done to see if the antibodies were developed. Dr Damiani read on the Swedish Authority's website, the agriculture site....30 days if positive then we had to wait 120 days for the passport.

I told I had heard about the 120 days but was he sure? We talked to the Campania agriculture veterinarians (2) were we had to go to get the passport. Yes, they read and underlined and showed me the paper.

A blood test was made 30 days after the shot, and we got the result a week or two later that Abby had developed the antibodies. We were so happy. Only one laboratory was used since the vets do not trust many others here--blood work has disappeared among other things. It's more expensive but we want the best and correct results.

ASL told me in May that Abby would be ready for her passport, 120 days later. I took Abby there, where two different veterinarians looked at all the papers, they are very suspicious that dogs are being brought out of the country since a "rumour" is going around that a big vet clinic is sending strays out to a testing laboratory in Germany.

No, I assured them, Abby is going to my friend, and I showed them pictures. I showed them the blog posts about Giove who became famous and went out in a Magazine with his story.

All tests came back, she was healthy and looking good. ASL completed the passport but I had to go to the veterinarian clinic and have a de-worming certificate done 24-48 hours before leaving the country. They got that law written very tightly....and so I did as was required. For one hour we sat while they were doing the paper work; they listened to Abby's breathing; they even cut her claws. Stamp, stamp ready to go....have a great trip!

Monday (yesterday), Ulla took Abby on the plane with her back to Sweden. Todd and I had been up making sure Abby's folder had all the papers that were needed, and any others they might ask for "just in case".

I cried at the airport when saying good-bye to Abby, for God's sake I wanted to keep her but I know Maria and her family could give her that extra that I could not provide her with.

Ulla promised to text and Maria was involved in the texting, and suddenly I receive a phone call from Ulla at the Swedish Airport customs office. Abby's papers were not correct! The floor started to spin...what the "pumpkin"??!

According to the Swedish law, and it says so right on the Internet, that after a rabies shot is given you have to wait 120 days until a blood test can be made to see if the antibodies have developed. Only then can you get the passport. What the Italians (2 offices in different cities) did was after 30 days take the blood work and then wait 120 days for the passport!

You see if we do the math here, Abby got her antibodies developed so she is no threat, but just because we took the blood test earlier but waited the exact amount of time....Abby is now in Swedish quarantine!!

I am so angry! And sad! Why do we have EU if not to standardize such things? And providing information but having Town Hall veterinarians (2) telling me and underlining what the law is...what can I do more than trust them? They are supposed to be the "experts" in this! And they are so stringent in their "law" and rules that it would be impossible for me to get a passport if they were not right.

So one veterinarian will go to the Swedish quarantine and take a new blood test. But when Abby can come home to her family after this long journey, we don't know.

This is not Amore! Learning from the hard way is one thing but learning from the hell way is frustrating, especially when you know you have done everything in your power to abide by the rules and listen to the advice of "experts" yourself. And this knowledge is being learned at the expense of fear and anxiety on Abby's part.

We hope Abby's stay at the quarantine facility is short, and she can be in the embrace of Amore very soon.

OLIVIA IS ON A RIDING CAMP WEEK

What an amazing feeling. Olivia is now doing what I grew up doing--under a period of time--horseback riding camp. For a whole week from 0900-1900 is she in the stable, riding, grooming, playing (jumping in the straw) a veterinarian educates, gymnastic etc etc.

When I came to pick her up last evening, she cried. I hurried towards her with worries in my eyes. "What happened?" I asked her.

"I don't want to go home!"

Well my daughter is having a learning Amore time. Thank you Blue Moon Giovanni and Marina for giving the children a good time.

(photo Ulla Linders)

TIGROS FREEDOM AFTER TWO YEARS IN CONCNTRATIONCAMP

ITALIAN BANK ACCOUNT

Finally we got an Italian bank account for Donations.

We are so happy since we have been working hard since February to open one. Who said anything was easy here?

All the papers were in order, finally they wanted to see me in person, after several months of sending correct documents. They were concerned I would launder money!!!

Well now its working:

ANIMALS WITHOUT LIMITS/MARIA MATTSSON

IT15Y0316501600000110478130
SWIFT/BIC
IWBKITMM
Bank
IW BANK S.p.A.Via Cavriana, 2020134 Milan

Please send us some Amore!

DONATION THANK YOU

Without you we cannot exist. Your help to us, is helping those without a voice and many times not a choice. Still we are against long-term shelters, and the owners that keep many dogs in shelters --- often sick and in a horrible condition --- and won't adopt them away. We do not believe in putting dogs down for keeping statistics down. That is a lazy horrible "solution"

We are together side by side with Italian organizations that are doing great team job with adoptions. We make sure that they will get the medical help they need, and food. From AWL, we thank you for your help:

• Sweden, Himmelska Hundars (Heavenly Dogs resturant )
• My donated books sold at HH!
• Donated money in a jar at HH
• AWL shampoo sold at HH
• Solveig Q to one eyed dog at 400 dog shelter for medical treatment
• Från Dogma Karin och Mia http://www.dogma.nu/
• Milla with Pascha and Jimmi
• Thank you AWL Sweden for supporting us.
• A member of the Canadian military at the Naples NATO base donated dog food.
• Vania Lamanna (USA/Italy)for all the bags of dog food.
• Tamara H (USA/Italy)thank you for supporting us even if you are yourself dealing with all the strays here in Campania.
• Craig K from LA, (USA) you still got that big bear heart.
• Lisa H (USA/Italy) your donation is helping us with dog food and medical treatments, thank you.
• Tracey N, USA still every month your donation keeps coming, with everything that you are having around you, you still remember us.
• Ulla L, Maria.S and Bella A (Sweden) also always supporting us every month.
• Operational support, bags of dog food, shampoo, biscuits from Rita and Jake Schneider (USA/Italy)(and they are taking care of my Lea)
• Generous donation from David and Ylva Mercer (USA/Sweden) (not related but very good friends)
• Sarah (UK) donated to the shelter where Grace (Sky) was staying, five minutes later she brought Grace home. And dog food for the 400 dog shelter.
• Rachel (UK) with family, food to the 400 dog shelter.

Sometimes it gets frustrating, feeling like so few are helping, or concerned. But your donations and support always brightens our hearts, and helps desperately needy animals in Campania. You are Amore!

AWARD WINNING COUPLE

On our recent trip to Sweden, we took with us a plaque for Bobby and Erika, to commemorate their super effort to save and adopt one of Campania's neglected.

Everyone who adopts a stray or shelter dog is a winner, to be sure. But we felt that Bobby and Erika went above and beyond the call in rescuing Giove.

The story could almost be a movie plot, but it is all true. Erika saw Giove's picture from our "terrible shelter" mission, a picture that Ylva took. Erika fell in love with Giove, somehow through the picture, he spoke to her. She convinced her partner, Bobby, to adopt Giove to live with them and their two other dogs. This pair sent donations and gifts for Giove, and when the time finally came for him to join them, they drove down from Sweden 23 hours to get him. After a few days getting to know him, they drove straight back, another 23 solid hours, and went to work the next day.

Giove is doing wonderfully, as you've seen in other blog posts, along with his two big siblings. He is so gentle and loving... and this a dog that many had said should be euthanized. They didn't know Giove, and they don't know the power of Amore.

Bobby and Erika, are Amore personified. And for that, we felt an award was more than justified.

WASH-WALK-RESCUE DAY

Last Saturday we went to Rosella's shelter for walking and washing dogs (and food donation). The sun was warm and we were a group of 10 that did fantastic work. It is great when the team is doing well together, helping and laughing too. Then one of the volunteers Megan came up to me and told me that there was a German Shepherd bleeding badly.

A very stressed German Shepard was chewing up his tail, his scream was heart breaking. I told Rosella she needed to take him to the vet, or he would bleed to death otherwise. I got him out of the cage and as soon as he felt something around his neck he screamed and jumped like a wild one, then attacked his tail (what was left of it) I took his face in my hands and spoke to him, he calmed down and his beautiful eyes searched after help. It was difficult to get him out he was panicking in between, and I guess it looked worse to me with all the blood. Rosella couldn't deal with the blood, the new volunteer couldn't do it either, it became like a circus. I told everyone to calm down, that their energies would affect him more. I got him in the mini-van and our volunteer Mark sat with him since he went into panic attacks.

Not long after they left for the vet, they came back with him! The vet told them we should wash the tail and give him antibiotics.

I got so mad and everybody heard me cursing in Italian. We couldn't touch his tail, he screamed and then putting him into a cage on wet concrete, he would just keep bleeding and get infections if he didn't bleed to death first!
I was so mad, what an incompetent veterinarian who doesn't give his client treatment! I took the German Shepherd into my SUV and with Olivia drove him to the vet team LegaPro. Dr Gigi got informed and he agreed together with Lorenzo that what was left of the tail needed amputation. They said they would keep him for 10 days! You see that is what I call service!

I call him Jessie. Jessie is so sweet and will die a slow painful death if we return him to the cage, that I call the death cage. He is young, sweet and needs so much confirmation that he is a handsome guy who never will be hit or tied up. A forever home? A foster home? Hope?

Thank you AWL team for all the great work you did, Vania and her friend Megan with Husband Jason, and Megan's mother and brother, too (a wonderful warm hearted fun family). Reece (who made me think of chocolate the whole time) Darren our trooper trimmer, and Mark always with us, Lindy our great walker. Without you AWL is nothing. THANK YOU This is Amore

DUMPED FROM A CAR

This little guy was dumped from a car, left in the rain and the car took off. Tammy rescued him and tells me he is the sweetest little thing, gets a long with all dogs and loves to curl up in her lap.

Please give him a loving forever home, he deserves that.

JULIAN RESCUED A SECOND TIME

Last night was a scary evening. Julian's foster mom, Rita, called me and said Julian was not doing so well could I come over? On top of everything my phone dies, and I panic! What was wrong?
I ran to my car drove, like a maniac over to see Jake and Rita, holding a very confused, stressed Julian. He had had a seizure, a big one!

I called our vet, who said that we could/should give him Valium. Rita drove to the pharmacy while Jake and I tried to calm Julian down.

My heart broke to see him blind, confused and stressed walking into things and screaming. We couldn't hold him, he was like a slippery snake. We locked him into a cage/crate but he was stressed.

Rita came back and we gave Julian the Valium, and waited....nothing positive happened.
Julian started to cry and howl....before for the past week we had heard nothing from him. I told Rita if in a couple of hours he didn't calm down, to give him more.

He didn't calm down, and more didn't help. Rita and Jake drove him into the Animal ER, where he was taken good care of with an IV if he would get another seizure.

Last night was a nearly sleepless night. I was so worried. I woke up at 0400 hearing myself saying goodbye to Julian. I was scared! I didn't want him to suffer, and I didn't want to put him to sleep because it had been uncomfortable and scary to watch him last night.

Think "Blind", think "blind" I told myself.

Olivia my daughter who didn't know anything about this since she had been with friends the whole evening asked me why I was sad. I never try to pretend, I want her to see that a mom can be sad too. I told her I was sad because a dog was sad. She sat quietly during some seconds and then said to me "Do you want Sister Erica to make him feel better up here?" and she puts her little hand at her own head.

I smile at her, my angel face and nods yes, yes I would very much like that.

Later in the morning I get a message from Rita, Julian is eating and doing fine, he can come home. The vet told them that Julian is a true survivor!

Foster parents Jake and Rita Schneider. Without you Julian would probably not be alive. You saved him and kept doing everything to make this little guy survive. Thank you, this is so much Amore.

JULIAN UPDATE

I was nervous picking Jullian up today at the vet clinic where he had stayed for 3 days of observation and tests. You could read in earlier blog that Jullian was found laying at a very busy street, covered with ticks and blind.
A blood test was done and it showed perfect result. He has a brain damage but what kind we don't know since we need a referral to Rome for a CAT scan.
He is blind, but we are going to have him examined by a eye specialist to learn more about his eyes, for example is something pressuring the optic nerve? If the eyes are physically ok, that would point to a neurological cause for the problem.

Dr Damiani and Dr Loungo both agreed that this is a charming, lovely dog --- wagging his tail, eating a lot and not once had he made an accident in is cage--or barking!
We need to continue the research before we can adopt him away. Is it a tumor? Liquid? Will he suffer? Or did he have distemper as a very young dog?

He is a young guy, 3-5 years old, so lovely. I brought him to an AWL foster home and we have opened a special fond for Jullian and his upcoming visits at specialists. He cannot see you but he follows your voice and wags his tail. He is a trooper Amore!

FOOD DONATION

After a month of hard research where I have visited many horrible shelters, some with up to 500 dogs in them, we now have our next focus/project. It is a nightmare: many are old, many are sick and many are begging to get out. Several of these shelters, or portions of them at least, are housing animals on behalf of the government, but the agency won’t pay the money for food and medicine for the dogs. According to the operators, they (government agency) claim they don’t have any money. The dogs are suffering yet according to the law they are not allowed to be euthanized.

AWL really needs your help now! We have decided to help one shelter this summer. This one in particular will not have any food for their 400 dogs. They are in debt at the dog-food dealer, who won’t extend any more food on credit to them. Without your help, these dogs will starve!
Click here to watch the video from February

Please arrange a food collection at your work, school or social group here in Campania. One person can send out this email and add his/her room and contact information. Let us know who is collecting and where, and we will arranged pick up from you next Friday, with delivery directly to the shelter You can also make a donation and we will buy the food. (http://www.animalswithoutlimits.com/ )

You can read more about it at http://animalswithoutlimits.blogspot.com/2010/05/cry-for-help-visiting-new-to-us-shelter.html
I thank Admiral David and Ylva Mercer (not related to me) for their generous donation, and Vania Lamanna at Support Site who is undertaking a big food drive through her network of friends and associates.

Thank you for helping us helping those who don’t have a voice.

JULIAN WEAK CONFUSED MALE

Alina is a Russian girl with a big animal heart. She found this little beautiful guy totally exhausted on the road. He can barely see, he can barely hear and you have to feed him. It seems he may have gotten sunstroke. It took Alina 40 minutes to bring him into her Parco area, a “trip” that normally would take just 5 minutes to walk. She asked the vets on base what to do and they gave her our email address. God Bless you for that!

I drove over --and of course fell in love with this guy right away--his tail wagged when he felt us coming towards him, probably the vibration from our footsteps. Alina had already been giving him Advantix and I de-wormed him. Alina and her husband Jay already have a beautiful big poodle male and they don't want to jeopardize his health by introducing this little one into their home until he has a clean bill of health (very well thought). I examined "Julian" and no ticks, no ear mites, nothing but dirt that later his new foster-mom washed.

Tomorrow I am bringing him in for a very thorough examination, so keep your paws crossed for Julian. That's Amore.

Sorry for this gap but my computer broke down. Good news...a new computer.

MORE WONDERFUL GIOVE LIFE

When we visited Giove we were so amazed about how happy and how well he was doing. I still see the video clip in front of me when two men are pulling two ropes around Gioves neck, opposite directions. When he sat in the concentration camp alone, they said he was dangerous. When we brought him to the clinic some vets said he should be killed...bad treatments. I can go on! (you can read in much earlier blogs about Gioves hell to heaven)

He is such a sweetheart, and the family that adopted him Bobby, Erika sibblings Athena and Akilles adores him.

Athena bigsister enjoyes having a new member in the pack. This is troppo Amore

MEETING WITH GIOVE AND HIS FAMILY

While in Sweden we met our good friends Erika and Bobby thanks to the survivor Giove that they adopted from AWL in Italy (concentration camp) He was so thrilled and wonderful we couldn't stop kissing him (and him us) What an Amore enjoyment!

Erika (designer and medium) is a wonderful calm person and my Max just adores her, so much that he climbed up in her arms and later fell asleep. Not many have that effect on him. He is a little guy who can read people very well.

Giove checking things out.

His big brother Akiles just loved to cool his legs off.

Olivia walking with Athena, and both loves the Swedish nature. This was an Amore day! Thank you friends for everything that you do.

That's Amore!

ENJOYING THE HAPPY DOGS

We are in a place where my mind can relax by watching and meeting happy dogs. This is Valentino and me, of course, an Italian adonis.

Angelo kissing his "dad" Benny Rosenquist, That's Amore!

Olivia was also happy to meet her Godfather Benny Rosenqvist again and she got one of his books signed, "Ljusfolket", and two dolls. She was in "heaven."

Max was thrilled to get a VOLVO toy car from Benny, and we all enjoyed Friday evening together with Benny (and I am holding his book :-)

Passing a cafe' I saw this gorgeous dog having a coffee outside in the sunshine with her mom. I could tell Peggy is a very happy, content dog. What a difference from where we live.

This is full Amore Sunshine.

REMEMBER MARIO AND GRACE?

But first, let me ask you, How would a best dog mom be?

Mario the happy stray that is working by escorting at the gas station along the highway and escorting the coffee lady back home after work. He is still happy and still working full time. Olivia and I, we stop for a cup of coffee once a week and we we bring a bag of dog food and some cans of yummy wet dog food. He is our super hero!

Grace! When I visited the shelter with 500 dogs and was on my way to leave, this beauty and an very old Lea who had been sterilized and were being brought out to freedom in a "not so nice area" I burst into tears because Lea is so old and medically not doing so well; and Grace just aborted. My concern was would they survive? So Lea is now in a foster home, Rita has been taking good care of her. And a wonderful lady, Sarah, contacted me telling me all about Grace's breed. She wanted to adopt Grace.

Sarah had rescued another dog Leroy that had been chained and was a walking skeleton, she needed a home for him before Grace could come home to her and her husband, and their first rescue dog "Diesel".

Well, Leroy was brought to a family that wanted a dog, just like Leroy so Sarah joined me to the shelter where Grace was waiting.

Look at this beautiful couple! Sarah so fell in love with Grace that she couldn't leave her. Sarah had at first paid/sponsored Grace for a month in the shelter since she was not sure if Leroy would stay in the new family, but after 20 minutes Sarah said, "What the heck!" And home Grace went with Sarah!

Grace is doing wonderfully in her new home and I am so very happy....That's Amore!