Me and My MOther Rescuing Animals Together

Veckans krönika är skriven av Olivia, min dotter. Hur det är att rädda djur tillsammans med mig. Det var verkligen intressant (och nervöst) att fa ta del i hennes tankar och känslor. Hoppas ni gillar Olivias (10 ar gammal) första krönika. heart emoticon

Olivia 10 years old wrote her first column for Magazine Tidningen Nära how it is to help her mom rescuing animals. An honest and warm story about her firecracker mom. Hope you enjoy it 

Read the Story HERE

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TO DARE TO LET GO

To dare let go

The first time I saw Ariel was back in 2008, at one of the worst shelters in southern Italy.  The dogs were standing in their own feces.  Food, they received every fifth day and the lack of water often made them drink their own urine.

Amidst all the filth and suffering, Ariel captured my eyes and my heart.  A black and white, shaggy dog, she happily limped up to the fence with her misshapen front leg.  The leg had been broken in four different places and had self healed long ago.  It hurt my soul to think of what she had gone through, but to see her positivity gave me an incredible strength.  She had been in four different shelters during her life, likely the vast majority of her life spent behind bars.  I whispered into her ear that she could come home with me. That day I adopted Ariel and four other dogs.

The smell was cruel in that place, only the flies felt lucky!  Ariel had an incredible ability to open up other people's hearts.  When the volunteers saw her misshapen leg, they expressed their horror. The next moment they looked into her eyes and Ariel's tail started to go like a propeller.  She healed people, implanted a calmness inside of them.  Suddenly, they saw the beauty, her soul, pure and forgiving.

One morning, after five wonderful years and a move to Germany together, I saw that her energies were not as vibrant as usual. We had a blood test done.  The result was devastating to me!  Her internal organs were beginning to shut down.  After a few days Ariel, stopped to eat and drank only water.  When I looked at her, she wagged her tail, “thump, thump"  like a Morse Code of love.  The most difficult decision came; to let go of the one you love.

Although I know there is a heaven for animals, I was heartbroken.  A friend showed me compassion even though I knew she was not fond of dogs.  She smiled and told me how difficult it had been for her when her mother slipped into Alzheimer's grip.  It's painful to see someone you love slip away from you.

I told Max and Olivia that Ariel was very sick.  Their behavior around Ariel changed to be more calmly inside.  A peace of mind shrouded the house!  The group of twelve dogs, each walked up to Ariel, sniffed her and walked away.  It was their way of saying goodbye.  I tried to be as strong as they.  Daring to love in the fullest, and when it was time, let the heart be full of love and satisfaction for the time we had together.  Ariel taught me that whatever happens in life, you do not forget, but it is important to be able to let go and continue to live with love and trust.

The vet came and helped Ariel over to the other side.  One of my dogs, Shiloh, laid down beside her. When someone in the pack tried to come up, Shiloh growled and chased them away.  With her nose, she tried to cover Ariel with the blanket that she was lying on, like burying her.  It was most interesting, as Shiloh had acted much the same way when we lost our Black Labrador Retriever Ranger in Italy.

I cried! Olivia put her arms around my neck, "Mom, breathe in and out!"  Outside, it was raining heavily. Max wanted to build a doghouse above the grave "so that Ariel does not get wet.”

Max went on with his own hypothesis, "Mom, what if Ariel is just sleeping!  Do you think God gets angry that we send a sleeping dog up to Him?"

Olivia glared at him, "Ariel is healthy now. She has already had a meeting with God.  God does not accept anyone who is not ready! "

I responded tenderly upon Olivia's words, "no one”.  She knew that we all would go up there, animals and people traveling to another place when we are finished here on earth.

That's Amore!

MOZART PART 2

Remember Mozart? If not read last blog entry.

Last Saturday I went and visited Mozart at the shelter he was brought into by his rescuer Maria and Dora. AWL Monica has sponsored him by providing the required medicine and so I delivered it to Motzart . He is very shy but no wonder, people have been so cruel to him.

I got an e mail from Maria, let me share you her words so you can get a stronger feeling about a great rescuers heart.

"Maria Guglielmini May 22 at 9:58pm
Hi Mia!!! :)I'm Maria. We have met ourselves today at kennel of Mozart. I've just found your fb account :)I'm not so good at speaking English. For me it's easier to write than talk but I hope you'll understand me anyway. I want to really thank you for what you have done today with Mozart. He's a really sweet dog, though so afraid because when he was on the street, in Casoria, no one wanted a sick dog, and so they have booted him off. Poor dog! Since we brought Mozart into the kennel vet is doing a lot of analysis, and we found that renal failure has a strong, Erlich and lehismania. In fact Mozart must eat only dog food cans and "renal" Royal Canin, that cost really a lot of money unfortunately. Thank you again so much for your help. You are an exceptional person. Thanks"

Maria and Dora, you did it, you are the ones with a wonderful strong heart. Martina thank you for introducing us so we can do work as a team. Monika in Sweden, thank you for sponsoring his medicine....and me and Olivia we went there! This is Amore.

A Picture ~ A Hope

This is Giove (Jupiter) from "the terrible shelter" I think many of you remember this picture from past blog entries.

A wonderful Swedish journalist Erika, followed our story --- me and AWL --- and is making a reportage for an upcoming new magazine. I sent pictures, she visited the blog and fell in love with this little guy. Thanks to Ylva who took this picture, now Giove is going to have a family for the first time.

After "the terrible shelter" was closed the dogs from there were taken over by LEDA, an Italian organization. I went there today and picked up Giove. It is one month between the pictures.

This is Amore, Amore. Erika thanks for making this guy happy!

Small Mission & Ear Infection

Yesterday was a small mission. We went around the lake fed 2 strays and good was that, since one of the friendly ones had glass in her front right paw. Was able to get it out, thank God!

A cat been badly hit by a car was driven in to clinic for treatment that we couldn't do anything about.
Then the normally thing, feeding and checking six different strays. They seemed to do ok.
It was a good sunny day!

Lupa our German Shepard from the "terrible shelter" is having a terrible ear infection. I have never ever seen or smelled something like it. So she is on treatment again.
Tjojs, my former stray from Sweden 13 years ago (German Shepard/Border Collie/Rottweiler mix also have an ear infection.

And, today I had to bring in my son for ear infection and eye virus. (NO IT IS NOT FROM THE DOGS) It didn't surprise me since we the whole family have had the same. But was is amazing is that both the dogs and Max my son, is in an incredible good mood.
When dad came home with an eye virus he couldn't even feed the dogs or go out with the trash :-)
Still a lot of Amore even with virus.....

Monday Mission Possible

Monday morning, with a body that rather wanted to stay in bed, we went back to the shelter me and my husband to pick up Lupa, the old German Shepard and Roberto with a broken leg.
Both dogs went wonderful in the car, and off we went to Dr Damiani.
These two dogs smelled so bad that we were driving with the windows down! But so sweet and quiet, and trusted us so much, leaving the environment they only know.

They are now staying for more health check up and to see how that leg is doing.

Keep your fingers crossed!

Complaint Among Problems

Baloo, the dog on the picture yesterday--he is one of my favorites, but doesn't have a home yet. But six other dogs have already been adopted from the "horror shelter!" That is wonderful news.

Still many left to find homes for, but if we can get all the help as possible, we will succeed.


I remember when I lived and worked in Bosnia, a lady from a company that sponsored us flew down to visit. I wanted her to live like I did among the people, and to follow my days. She went with me on the tram once, afterwards she complained that everyone smelled. "Don't they have toothpaste here?"

I took her walking around the neighborhood were I lived, "If they just would buy some paint and flowers, it would look much better."

I looked at her, silent waiting for her to say something like "kidding."

"Lady, they just survived a war I think they give a shit about colours right now."


Many people, when seeing "life problems or life difficulties" they attend to complain, "why don't they do this or that?" and then they go home, doing nothing themselves.


It is maybe very "natural" to complain, but to attack the culture or society group for the problem is just wrong. Maybe to look at somebody else's problem takes their mind of their own problems.


Make a complaint but afterwards come up with a solution--or at least an idea towards a solution, that is Amore brain working.

Shelter Project

This is the place AWL together with other IT organizations working on to rescue the 51 dogs life.

Rescued-Adopted from a Horrible Shelter

Animals Without Limits volunteer Erika, with boyfriend Enzio, rescued this beautiful, wonderful little guy. He was in a terrible condition with his fur, feces and mud matted all over his body. But already after only 3 days out with love, walking on a leash with dog friend Tiffany he is not so scared any more.
This is a fury, warm Amore story! Thank you Erika and Enzio and Tiffany!

Changing Names

I received a question the other day-- in my mail box-- about changing animals names. One woman was adopting a dog, she wondered if it would be wrong to change the dog's name to something else?

Some people had told her that it could give the dog some kind of psychological difficulty in the future. On that issue, my answer was; “Dogs don’t become permanently marked by you changing their name, it is the human that can make them permanently marked.”

When I adopted Tjojs 12 years ago her name was Blackie. I didn’t like it, it was too masculine on a very feminine dog. But I could see why the former owner had named her Blackie, she is Black! I re-named her and it didn’t matter what I called her she didn’t listen! So many different people had called and yelled at her, so to be able to survive, she shut down—just like children and humans (even husbands ha ha) But after a time she learned and understood that she would stay with me—I promised her that out loud—It took 8 months before she wagged her tail out off happiness (I thought it was broken at first)

We adopted a new dog that was named Speedy by the shelter where she had stayed over a year. We disliked the name, too masculine for a very petite lady, among other reasons. Today her name is Capri!

Same here, she doesn’t listen to her name, but after one year in a shelter who would know what his or her name was?

Look at every dog individually. Old dogs were you can see the dog loves his name since he loved his owner so much, you probably don't want to change the name. Maybe the owner died and the dog is re-homed, maybe confused and grieving, there I would not change a name. That’s also out of respect to the owner and the pack.

If you got your dog from a breeder, you are probably "safe" adding a new name to your dog's existing name, or renaming him completely. They likely have many dogs and different names so the dogs (assuming) haven’t learned their names yet.

With our yellow Labrador puppy we recently adopted, we took his "existing" name, and added to it. His name on his papers is Romeo, so we added Trooper. Of course, all he hears is "Trooper" around the house, and he seems to be responding to it. But then again, he is young and was in a kennel for over 3 months, and likely wasn't called much of anything. So, he is nearly a clean slate.

As in most things with your four-legged companion, use and trust your intuition. Take it as it is, enjoy together and feel if the name is right for you and your dog. You'll know in your heart if it is.

That is Amore and I wouldn’t want to change that name!

Animal Shelters Lack

Lack off money, publicity, volunteers, and food are what many animal shelters suffers from. Lately, I have read in numerous newspapers from the United States about many shelters that are having a difficult time adopting out their dogs. Only 100 dogs or even less a year. Why?

Some said it is because the price of gas and food have gone up, and people are now thinking twice about bringing in one more mouth to feed. --Ok, those who don't think twice, adopt a dog and only then realize how expensive it has became for them. Either they throw the poor dogs out on the street again or back to the shelter--.



Publicity is sometimes hard to get if you are dealing with animals. When journalists wanted to make an interview with me and my work --as an animal psychologist-- they had to write about my foundation, Animals without Limits (back then I was helping organizations in Bosnia.)

I remember one airline that wanted to write about me for their magazine (you know, those magazines you leaf through several times during your flight, because it is about all you have while trapped in your seat on the plane.) But they didn't want to write about the foundation; "We want happy travelers!" they said.

Or oblivious ones, I guess.

Since dogs have the same capacity to feel, think, remember, hunt, hurt, nurse, heal, and work, how can we then feel justified in euthanizing so many of them when they become "inconvenient"?

If the animals are healthy how can we allow this to happen?

Let us give the airline magazine and other magazines a happy ending for the readers.


Animals without Limits thanks Ylva Mercer (yes we have the same last name but no relation) and her husband for their generous donation. And Ingrid Kindahl who did a fantastic job translating the English press release into Swedish. They answered the call to help, will you? Please help, with donations so we can give the dogs (and cats) what we really owe them ... a helping hand!

You are great Amore help!

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!