Shelter Mission 1: the Amore

We AWL had a nice day together, and enjoyed spending our time together with the dogs. It was very re-warding

Bruce and Rosa gave the dogs a lot of Amore, and played with them.

It was wonderful with all the dogs. So much love.

I wanted of course to bring them home....so difficult.

At the very end of the shelter, they had a pet cemetery. It was a heartbreaking/warming day.

Mission 2 will be held August 1. More food and a lot of dog-walkers, another Amore day. I know the dogs will be giving us a lot of joy, like always.

Photos copyrights (c) 2009 Todd A Mercer. All rights reserved

AWL Delivered Donations

Together with Animals Without Limits volunteer Chris, we today delivered eight (8) bags of food, collars and leashes and two new blankets to the Cimitero per Animali (Cemetery for animals).

I have earlier on this blog told you about this beautiful and peaceful place, and how the "stray animals" there are comforting and healing you through your grief. The cimitero owners are taking care of an ever-growing group of strays --- dogs and cats --- as well as providing solace to the grieving owners who bring their companions here for a final rest. AWL is helping these strays together with the cimitero per animali owners Lisa and Anna with some donations.

They want these dogs to have a warm loving family and would love for people to be able to adopt them. They will of course be spayed & neutered, vaccinated, de-wormed and with a beautiful collar. The grey Mastiff in the picture is a loving goof and ready to be loved forever by a family. There are three (3) Dalmatians, and some "fur balls" of joy.

Yes we do not do the adoptions, but when being asked we or course want to help, by letting the words travel to your computer, and your heart.

Are you ready for some Amore?

Grieving Animals

To be devastated when you lose a friend doesn't mean that it has to be a dog or horse. Many think that the grief is greater for bigger animals than for smaller.

It all depends on how "that" animal touched your heart!

Walking around at the cemetery relaxes me. With the birds and water fountain in background I walk around reading from the tombstones. The owners have written such beautiful messages and stories. Looking at the pictures, it is heart warming, to see all these animals that have made "their" people happy.

How many times do we look at human tombstones and feel the same? Human tombstones tend to be cold monuments to human achievement, while these pet tombstones are warm testaments to the love and companionship afforded by one soul to others. The sweet messages and stories speak of a love that didn't end at the grave.

Grieving is one kind off Amore!

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!