FINALLY PEACE

This is a story I cannot make up my mind about. Was it a positive experience or not?

Let me introduce Filippa, 18 years old and lived in this cage for 17 years and 10 months. She had never been out, always on a concrete floor. Her cage friends started to stalk her since they started to understand that her spirit was becoming weak. AWL got their hospice, and Simona and Martina asked me if we could take Fillippa. Of course! It hurt my heart to understand that she was 2 months old when she entered that shelter.

She went to Dr Damiani for a health check up, then to a groomer and later that day to AWL hospice. So much in one day....she was exhausted. Sleep and excellent food, medicine, she slept outside, she slept inside. She didn't understand were she was, or who I was.

After one week, she wagged her tail. She let the puppies eat from her plate, and did nothing. When we tried to lift her up she thought we were the dogs that had tormented her, and she looked like a barracuda when she bit in the air after us. Never to harm, only to defend.

She became weaker. My intention is not to keep them alive, my goal is to give them a painless and positive ending.

After one and half weeks at AWL's Hospice, I realized she was getting much weaker. I called the lady who had had her for 17 years and 10 months in her shelter, telling her that now was the time. I carried Fillippa inside Dr Damiani's clinic in her first and only bed she had had in our hospice.

Filippa, finally after so many years --- your whole life --- in captivity you are a free spirit. Enjoy running with the air touching your face. I love you.

THE DANGER OF TRUST

I had been asked to go out to a small shelter out on a field to have a look at a sick dog. While there we found out that there were two dogs that been abandoned by an American lady. We were told she had tried to put them to sleep. Horrified, I got the tags and went on a two week hunting expedition, its not been easy since many are careful of reveling names or get into trouble if this was true. No one wants drama, or to be involved. I found out the name and one of our fantastic volunteers Tammy got hold of her.

She became devastated when she heard that her former dogs were in a shelter. She wanted them back! A "friend" (she is getting interviewed tomorrow) had said she would help her adopt away the dogs. The owner could not keep them since she was probably going to be deployed, and her landlord had complained that they were barking a lot.

This "helpful" person took the dogs and gave them to an Italian animal worker, telling them that these dogs were put on "killing schedule" by an American. The Italian's became mortified, with all understandable feelings, and put them in one, then another shelter.

Today , I was able to go out there and introduce the "owner" back to her two dogs, Frankie and Lilly. These animal volunteers who have cared for the two dogs, I can understand that they are still afraid that these two dogs will be deserted again....who is telling the truth?

Rebbecca was very angry to find out what she had thought was a loving new home for her former kids, were instead on cold concrete floor in a barren field, away from a warm home.

Keep your paws crossed that this will work out, since Lilly and Frankie can not be apart from each other. And Rebbecca can only keep one.....

ROSELLA SHELTER MISSION VIDEO

Here's a new movie about Animals Without Limit's recent mission to Rosella's Shelter, and the great work our volunteers did there. Hope you enjoy.

PLEASE HELP US

Please have your dog(s) spayed and neutered. Ask AWL for help!

"Nothing in all the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity."
-- Martin Luther King Jr.,

THANK YOU

Ulla Linders, and Bella Appleblom our faithful animal sponsors, thank you so much for your donations. Also AWL want to thank old "animal friends" Jeanette, and her husband Waldemar --with their company Dreamlight AB --for their donation so we can keep up our work with the medical treatment to our fantastic strays.

Our next mission; going to get a dog with broken back legs out from a shelter.

Thank you Kim from Denmark, you and your wife donated a super fantastic dog bed, bowls, brushes. Millions Amore Thank you to all

AWL Volunteers Did It Again

My favorite picture! Thank you Todd for documenting our day.

Jackie, our trooper girl, putting out so much love and carrying to each of them. Your heart is so big we could all feel it too, not only the dogs. Thank you for all the bags of blankets that you brought--and treats for the dogs.

Linda, you are an brilliant volunteer lady with so much power/energy/love to the dogs

Jenny from Sweden and Krisitine USA did a fantastic job, cleaning and grooming these loving dogs. All were amazed how well behaved they (dogs) were. Well, not many humans have messed with their minds. (Picture to the left Elizabeth filming for AFN)

In 32c strong sun today you volunteers did it again. You put yourselves to the side on a Saturday to wash a lot of dogs. This was so much Amore. Thank you everyone.

Sarah donated a bag of dog food and a big bag of blankets. Linda brought a bag of dog food.

Eric with all shampoo and you were awesome with the big dogs, the strong ones. Vince, you got it...the dogs cannot get enough of you. AFN, Vince, Anthony, Elisabeth, thank you for bringing the shelter dogs voice outside the fence and into peoples living rooms.

This time, I cannot thank myself! I did nothing more than sitting in the shade admiring the hard work everyone else did. The night before I got the stomach bug, but that couldn't;keep me in bed, I wanted to be part of all your wonderful Amore to the shelter dogs. Thank you.

For more pictures pls visit http://www.animalswithoutlimits.blogspot.com/

Photos Copyright (c) 2009, Todd A. Mercer. All Rights Reserved

BitterSweet Day Tomorrow

Tomorrow is Friday the 13th!
Animals Without Limits is going out to the "terrible shelter" the ASL (dogcatchers with their own veterinarian, guess I can explain it like that?) police and LEDA (an Italian organization) are going to close down the shelter.

AWL is bringing out four final dogs (I have already three in my house) I have been told that LEDA is taking twenty dogs (not sure --- I get different information all the time, about everything Italian!) The rest will go with the dogcatchers, and that breaks my heart!

Why? I have never heard anything positive about their shelters.

Tomorrow we will have a wonderful journalist with us that will cover the situation.
Tomorrow, it will be a new chapter.

Sunday Mission Possible

Today, threatening clouds were hanging above us as we drove out to the shelter for another day of Mission Possible. Five volunteers and two children were able to help us today. Since day one of Mission Possible was so productive, we were able to accomplish a lot of work today, despite our smaller number of volunteers.

On today’s agenda, we had some dirty cages to clean, yard work and feeding and watering the dogs. A few more volunteers had offered to help out, but we were disappointed to find that they were not able to join us.
With Max on my back in his carrier, I helped out by holding and walking dogs while their cages were power-washed. Todd and I took turns every hour to carry him in our great “baby back pack”. Max enjoyed the ride as he and his dad bumped along on the lawn mower caring for the grounds around the shelter.

Many of the dogs have been in their cages for many years and loved the newly cut grass! They loved it so much, in fact, that they didn’t want to leave the area. They laid down flat, and even when we pulled and enticed them with goodies, the dogs didn’t want to walk away. It broke my heart to see their begging eyes while we carried them into their boring, locked cages.

The worming medicine we administered yesterday worked very well, we can tell you! We found three different types of worms from one animal that we analyzed with amazement. Now, without so many worms draining their systems, we just hope the skinny dogs can put on some weight.

We also found out more about the dog with the badly broken leg. I asked when it happened and was informed that the limping was noticed “four days ago”. I don’t understand how people can sleep after they seen an animal sick or hurt like that.
It kills my heart to see him suffering with that leg, so we decided that tomorrow we are going to pick him up and drive him to a clinic for treatment.

Ylva and Kath worked hard with cleaning the dirty, smelly cages. The urine filled the holes in the concrete floors. The smell was horrible as we pressure-washed each cage clean. As the pressure-washer worked its magic, there was no lack of dirty, splashing water and foul-smelling mist. The volunteers scrubbed and sprayed and were soaked in the grime. Kath made sure the cages we cleaned yesterday were still spotless when we left today. Everyone was ready to go take very long, very hot baths after this job!

As the day wore on, Max and Olivia showed just how used to these missions they are becoming. Max took a good nap in my SUV and his big sister Olivia listened to music and colored while I walked some dogs around my car.

This weekend’s Amore Mission Possible was a very good experience and a way to improve the living conditions of these dogs. We still have a long, bumpy ahead…more about that tomorrow. I have a new plan for everyone to help us with: Distance Adoptions! More about that later.

Mission Shelter

Pictures and text Copyright (c) 2009, Mia Mattsson-Mercer. All Rights Reserved

Went out to the shelter today. I nearly cried when I saw where we had found our new dog, Dexter. He was born in this shelter, in that cage on the picture, and for probably 4 years he sat in this dark, damp stinky cage.

I asked the lady why she brought in and kept the dogs in this horrible situation, "I didn't want them to be hit by a car!" she said.

Amore can kill!