IN THE WAITING ROOM AT THE DOC'S CLINIC

At the clinic I always enjoy watching the patients that are walking in with their owners. Most of the time it is a dog (or cat) that has an caring owner. That makes me feel hope while I am sitting waiting together with a found, wounded stray that no one owns (or wants, seemingly).



This is Abby and she is 14 years-old. Her family loves her and cares about her a lot. Dr. Longo thinks poor Abs has had a small stroke, because she suddenly had a hard time getting up, and started peeing on herself. We all wish Abby the best and strong health!

YOU ARE THE ONE MAKING EVERYTHING GOING

Thank you so much

• Family Schmidt, USA
• Herbert Boutwell, USA
• Christina Platou Sweden
• Sara Hoover, Sweden/USA
• Tracey Nettles, USA
• Karin Ericsson Organization Lexia Rio de Janeiro (Sweden)
• Elizabeth Frey donated 2 bags off dog food
• Cat Franscesco's fosterhome Rita donated 2 bags off dog food

Thank you so much for your donations, you are making the changes. That's Amore!

CRUELTY TO OUR ANIMALS

People had seen him wondering around on the streets, until one family had it.

Please watch this video, ask yourself "Can't I afford to help Ranger with a donation today?"

Will I close the computer without looking? Will I let the people deal with all this alone or will I show them that I am on their side, AWL and Rangers side?

Its your heart!

MARIO OUR AMORE HERO WELCOME HOME

Mario, our gas station dog, is a happy stray. You read on earlier blog entries that we picked him up for castration and would later on release him. His guardian angel, the coffee lady at the station's cafe, doesn't want him to be adopted away. He is her friend and he also guards her. The gas station people love him, he greets everyone and he escorts the car to the exit.

At LegaProAnimale it turned out that he had a microchip, and according to Italian law you are not allowed to do anything to a dog with a microchip until you find the owner. Of course it was the holiday season, Internet was down and finally the name was found, but no phone number.

We just hated to put him in a kennel box, Mario who was so used to his freedom and work at the gas station. He was a happy stray.

The address was a closed industrial area! For ten days LegaProAnimale and us tried to find someone to get permission from, yet nothing. We couldn't reach the owner. Dr Friz was frustrated and so were we, and Mario.

To make matters worse, LegaProAnimale was closing for the month of January, it's their vacation month, so keeping him there would be made more difficult. I just felt like we had to release him, his soul would die in that kennel. I asked Tracey for her opinion and she felt the same. I asked Jackie to visit him during the days.

Jackie wrote,

"What a warm and wonderful greeting I received from Mario today! It was worth the drive out in the yucky rain.
The first thing I did was give him some wet food. You can't tell by the photo, but he was wagging his tail as he ate! "

Tracey and I went out to pick him up, and we met Dr Friz who was very kind and carried Mario out since he refused to walk with a leash on. We took off to the gas station and when we got closer to "his" fields, Mario started to whine in the back seat.

We have never seen such a happy stray! He jumped out from the SUV and ran around the place like crazy, the gas station people came, the coffee bar owner came out together with the coffee lady and greeted us with big hugs and thank yous.

Mario was home, and you could tell it. I loved Tracey's warm comment, that she was happy to have seen/explored that there indeed are happy strays.

This was a warm Amore day!

MISSION WORK LAST WEDNESDAY

The rescue dog Phillipo finally got a home after two years in the shetler, alone in a cage on conreate floor. He is now getting ready to change nationality, a true Swedish dog. Ulla in Sweden will be his new "mom" and we are so happy about that. The veterinarian Mariagrazia came out and gave him everything that's needed to get a passport, and also on my request bloodtest to see that he doesn't have any infections.

AWL supporter Tracey from LA, USA visited us for a couple of days. She joined us at the mission and walked dogs, gave them a lot of treats and love and attention. Thank you Tracey for your interest in us and all the strays, rescue dogs. Olivia is still asking after you!

AWL volunteer had this fantastic tatto made. Wowiii did I feel flattered! Thank you Keegan I know you are leaving Italy today but you have been an amazing volunteer, truly. We all love you and we will so dearly miss you. I wished I could have cloned you.

Once a year at Christmas are my husband and I holding our yearly Christmas party. This year it was for the AWL volunteers. Instead of bringing me flowers or wine we have a tradition that every guest brings us a bag of dog food or wet caned food. To our delight our whole SUV was full. Thank you all guests (se earlier blog December 13)

Thank you all for joining up last wednesday, walking dogs, putting dog houses together, cleaning the puppy section and giving treats and love.

Keegan, Todd, Eric, Jackie, Tracey, Brandy, Me--we are making a difference.

More picture on www.animalswithoutlimits.blogspot.com

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2010

(c) Todd Mercer 2010

THE MIRACLE CAT FRANCESCO

I got an e mail from NFOA, asking if we could help find a foster home for a badly wounded kitten? They had gotten a request from the persons that found the cat. The family that found him took him to the vet and then kept him in their bathroom since they had two big dogs that doesn't like cats. This couldn't continue, so they needed help!

Francesco's injures sounded horrible and some thought it would be more humane to put him to sleep, but how could we judge that over some written words (email)? I called our "cat woman" Jackie and told her what I knew. Of course AWL wanted to do some research and meet the kitten.

Jackie took care of this case with AWL's support.

This is Francesco. He is a lovely 3-4 month old kitten, he loves being petted, loves his toy and he is very affectionate despite being a stray kitty. He had a very rough start to his young life. He fell from a balcony, was immediately run over by a car, and being so traumatized tried to hide in the engine of a fire truck where he sustained additional injuries!

His hind legs were severely damaged and he suffered a dislocated hip. Dr Damiani called him a " Miracle Cat" because not only did he survive this ordeal but is recovering at an amazing rate. He must have his bandages changed every few days, requiring anaesthesia each time. He is able to use the litter box and moves around surprisingly well even using his one bandaged leg to help him get around at his current foster home

His dislocated hip is not a problem and his prognosis is good for the other injury to his legs. He likely will have very limited use of one of his hind legs. But it's not stopping him from curiously checking out his home with the company of the other resident kitty! He had to be confined initially to a bathroom for his own well being. His new foster family will understand that he must be kept strictly indoors for his own safety.

Francesco is a fighter and deserves every chance at happiness in a forever home!

Please help us with his medical bills by donating money on our PayPal account. You can make a difference, he doesn't know you but his recovery will tell that there are good-hearted people out there. Some would say its wasted money, or too much money to put on "a stray cat" but for AWL he is a client. We would do it for you, too.

PUPPIES BEING ADOPTED

Erica and her husband Adam, bundled up their two children, and braved the awful hail-storm, to visit Rossella's shelter to adopt a puppy. The wind and rain were miserable, sheets of it hitting the kennels, saturating all the dogs and puppies

The family picked two puppies, one girl and one boy. What a happy ending for these two. I wish the same for the mom and the rest of the siblings, and the puppies in the other kennel that they didn't have time to visit. What a beautiful start to the new year. Thank you Erica and Adam

AWL will make sure that these puppies will be healthy and stay so, and of course get them spayed, that is our New Year Resolution to this wonderful family.

And thank you AWL Jackie who took care of these puppies out at the shelter and then helped the family select their new pack-members! Even in the midst of the horrible storm!

You guys are Amore!

WHAT A WONDERFUL CHRISTMAS PHOTO

From Sweden, Eva Lejon is wishing us a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Thank you and the same to you, and your fourlegged kids.

A BIG THANK YOU TO VOLUNTEER ULLA

picture vet. Mariagracia taking a blood test on Phillipo

Ulla Linder. a volunteer from Stockholm, came down back in November with a lot of care packages. She had also designed my buisness cards and AWL buisness cards---wohoo I feel so important ---And she had also made AWL stickers, really nice ones.

She went with us to the shelter and fell in love with Phillipo. And in my house she fell in love with our Capri. Both dogs will have a great owner, fantastic athmosphere and life being spoiled.

We put Ulla to work while she was here, hard work like taking care of Benjamin, cleaning his pen, his surroundings and bath him every day in special treatment shampoo.

Ulla was tested very hard by me, since I cannot have "coffee ladies" around me who want to socialize but not work. Ulla passed the test with great verve. Also Ulla, thank you for your Christmas donation, what an amore gift.

Thank you for everything, all the presents, leashes, collars, brushes, you name it ... and MONEY!