Poisoned Again

Last week you could read about Tjojs being sick. We had to go to the veterinarian clinic for treatment and later give her an IV at home. What I didn't write was that one week later Clyde got the same symptoms as Tjojs and another round to the veterinarian clinic for Clyde's treatment. In my mind I couldn't understand how my dogs that are otherwise so healthy started to get sicker and sicker. They where kept more isolated from other dogs than before, no play friends. And de-wormed and front line regularly. Same food as always, I couldn't understand what was happening!

Outside our house is a small area of dirt and high grass that ever since we came here, we let out the "kids" once a day so they can run off some energy. Sometimes, our neighbors had their dogs out also, so little new "business cards" to read by our dogs. This area is slightly downhill from the street where trash piles up.

Recently, suddenly, two of our dogs became ill, with internal bleeding. My intuition told me it could be rat poison. With all the garbage here it didn't feel like a wrong thought at all. I talked to a veterinarian who said it was very rare that they would put out poison, but my husband commented that there was a noticeable lack of rats considering the abundance of trash at the moment.

One evening my landlord came by and in poor Italian I asked if he had put out any poison. Oh yes he had, but the doctor told him it was not harmful for children or dogs. --Eh, mammals-- we all have stomachs and of course it is about the volume of poison. Even if our dogs don't go snooping around the trash, rain run-off from the trash could come down into the grassy area, and end up in the grass. The same grass that Tjojs and Clyde will eat when their stomach isn't quite right.

I asked for the name and froze when I got the label in my hand...Facorat/Brodifacoum a very strong rat poison that can kill not only rats, but possums, fish and even humans. When rats eat it, it causes a long and painful death. When the rats who have eaten it are urinating they are even letting out poison in grass--where some dogs chew.

Internal bleeding, painful and long death. I do wonder how many stray dogs have gotten this poison into their system, and are right now laying somewhere waiting and waiting to be relieved from their suffering. And how many stray cats have caught and eaten a dying rat... and are now poisoned themselves?

Wouldn't it be better if they just collected the trash like every other civilized country?

This is painful Amore

Who's Dog do I Feed?

I was at a coffee house the other day and overheard a conversation between two people. The lady, who seemed to be a veterinarian, was very angry at the people that feed the stray dogs on the streets. “They open cans of dog food and then they leave the trash after themselves. I am tired of all the trash.”
After a good laugh, I could understand how she felt. With a huge garbage problem down here, and with the "international people" complaining—not the only ones—and then at the same time these same "internationals" are helping out as good hearted people, but forget to think about the waste they are leaving after themselves when feeding the stray dogs.

Her girlfriend nodded in agreement and then continued the conversation about the stray dogs, “Many international people don’t understand that many times they are feeding someone's dog.” They were both laughing now. I was smiling, thinking about the “dognapping” that I was the leader in. (Read below the story)

Later on that day I asked my Italian friend about what I had overheard. Its seems that what the second lady said was true. A lot of Italians are letting their dogs out in the morning and their dog is wandering around the whole day "feeding". Later in the afternoon he returns home to his master. It is true that many of the dogs are getting fed while they are out roaming around. Some (many) don’t have a collar but are mostly fat. It is hard to know if the dog you are feeding has an owner or not.

Of course, you could ask around and talk to the people, the people who live in the area, they will probably know. But sometimes you have to become a “dognapper” to know the local peoples' thinking.

This is educating Amore!

We are on the News

My mother called and said she would send some newspaper pictures from the Swedish paper about "our" garbage problem. I told her she didn't have to, I can just open our window and have a "pleasant" view.

It is so sad in a beautiful country that something like this can happen and that the government is doing nothing. According to my friends here, it is the Camora (Mafia) that ownes the now closed garbage landfills --they are overfilled from northern Italy's garbage--good money. People here are getting mad over the plan for old dumps are going to be re-opened. The people strike in protest, and it is not quiet or violence free. The protesters shut the exits of the motorway off and block traffic. The people on the motorway can't get off and inch forward. I got an angry phone call from my husband, he was stuck for four hours on a trip that normally takes no more than 20 minutes!

Wannabe mafiaosos with masks on their faces--throw rocks from the bridges down on the cars, some of them had baseball bats smashing the car's windows while people where sitting inside.

Southern Italy is suffering a lot of cancellations of fruit and vegetable delivery to other countries. Customers are frightened over possible contamination from the garbage that is being spread every where.

Tourists are re-booking the trips to other regions and countries....the garbage is a huge problem.

When I pick up Olivia from her school her comment is; "Look mommy...garbage!" We nearly have to climb a mountain of trash to get back home!

This is not Amore!