Caring For The Dogs Of Italy

The municipal dog shelters of Italy are given government funding per dog, encouraging them to take in as many as possible for maximum gain, resulting in overcrowding and poor care. However, there is an alternative to these shelters.

Rifugio Fata is an independent dog shelter in Calabria, Southern Italy, run by Francesca and her caring team. The shelter doesn’t receive any government money, but is funded entirely by donations. The dogs are well looked after by the dedicated volunteers, with great emphasis put on promoting education initiatives and changing attitudes in the local community.

For more information about Rifugio Fata, please visit http://www.dogwelfarenetwork.co.uk/italy-rifugio_fata.html

Rifugio Fata,

88046 Lamézia, Calabria, Italy

Telephone: +39 340 591 0203

Email: rifugiofata@libero.it or francescascerbo2011@libero.it

Blog: http://rescuevito.blogspot.co.uk

Also in Southern Italy, you’ll find Lega Pro Animale, which is foremost a clinic, not a rehoming centre. Its main aim is to spay and neuter dogs and cats to reduce the stray population. However, some animals do end up in their care for various reasons, and are looking for permanent, loving homes. All animals at Lega Pro Animale are spayed and neutered, without exception.

For more information about Lega Pro Animale, please visit http://www.dogwelfarenetwork.co.uk/italy-lega_pro_animale.html

Lega Pro Animale

Via Mario Tommaso, 81030 Castel Volturno CE, Italy

Telephone: 0823 859552

Email: form via website

Website: http://legaproanimale.org

Stray Gang

The Dog Welfare Network arose largely as a result of our own experiences, both as dog-loving individuals and as founder members of Lucky Tales: Rescue Without Borders, a Kent-based not-for-profit organisation rescuing dogs from Greece and Italy.

One of the first dog rescue centres that we had experience of outside of the UK was Stray Gang on the island of Rhodes. It seems only fitting therefore, to feature them in our latest blog post.

 

Stray Gang is a registered Greek charity run by Maria, Anastasia and Natassa in their free time, balancing the care of the dogs with their regular jobs. With around 50 dogs in their care and emergency veterinary assistance also provided, they are in need of a constant supply of funds and other support.

Donations of dog food, volunteers to walk and play with the dogs, escorts to accompany dogs to their new homes and building materials to keep the shelter in a good state of repair are all much appreciated by the caring trio.

To discover where you find Stray Gang and read more about what they do, visit dogwelfarenetwork.co.uk/rhodes-stray_gang

You can learn more about dog rescue organisations across Europe at www.dogwelfarenetwork.co.uk

We would value your feedback via replies@dogwelfarenetwork.co.uk regarding any shelters that you visit.

Thank you for your support!

Ruzodem Street Dog Rescue

Sadly Bulgaria has a large number of street dogs, many of which are victims of terrible cruelty, but Ruzodem Street Rescue aims to help as many of these dogs as possible.

RSDR, Is a non-profit organisation, created and run by the Rowles family who moved to Bulgaria from the UK in 2007. They soon became aware of the plight of the many street dogs and started to do what they could to help, such as giving them food. They soon took in their first rescue dog, and in 2009 Ruzodem Street Dog Rescue became a registered foundation.

In 2010, after much fund-raising a plot of land was purchased and the dog shelter was created. Since then various additions and renovations have been made to the shelter, thanks to generous donations from supporters.

There are many ways in which you can help the dogs cared for by RSDR, including volunteering to walk and play with the dogs, donating dog food, escorting dogs to their new homes and. if you are able, adopting one of the dogs yourself. Monetary donations are always needed, not only for the general upkeep of the shelter, but to pay for vaccinations, neutering and veterinary bills.

What can you do to help today?

To read more about Ruzodem Dog Rescue visit:

 www.dogwelfarenetwork.co.uk/bulgaria-rudozem_street_rescue 

or www.streetdogrescue.com

You can read more about how to help the many dog rescue shelters across Europe by visiting www.dogwelfarenetwork.co.uk

You can also contact us via  replies@dogwelfarenetwork.co.uk

Introducing Marmaris Dog Shelter

The Marmaris Dog Shelter in Turkey was built in 2005 and was originally designed to house 150 dogs. Today it has over 250 dogs in its care, with new arrivals constantly being admitted.

The shelter is run by a group of volunteers across several nationalities, all working to improve the lives of the animals in Marmaris. Their aims and ongoing objectives include:

  Caring for sick animals, administering medication and taking them to private vets when necessary, which is paid for by fundraising schemes.

  Supplementing the inadequate food allowance with supplies provided by fundraising. Volunteers visit the Shelter for three hours each day to ensure equal distribution of food, and provision of supplementary feeding for weak or nursing dogs.

  Creating separate areas for weak dogs, mothers with puppies, orphaned puppies and sick animals. Volunteers are building more covered areas and kennels to provide extra shelter as well as maintaining and repairing broken doors, fences, bolts etc

  Finding suitable, temporary foster homes for recovering animals and orphaned puppies.

  Finding permanent adoptive homes both in Turkey and other countries, with a follow-up system for dogs leaving the shelter.

To achieve all of this it is necessary for the volunteers of Marmaris to constantly hold fundraising events, ranging from raffles, sponsored events and table-top sales to encouraging ongoing donations to the scheme.

Volunteers often provide essentials out of their own pockets and desperately need your help to improve the lives of the stray and abandoned dogs of Turkey, where the government policy is to trap, neuter and then release dogs (TNR).

Perhaps you will be traveling to Turkey this year for your annual holiday or for business purposes. Marmaris is a popular tourist destination, with many clubs and bars, aquaparks and local entertainment and is renowned for its sailing centre. Add to this the friendliness of the locals and you have the makings of a great holiday. But please, whilst enjoying all that Marmaris has to offer, spare a thought for the dogs and volunteers of the Marmaris Dog Shelter and help them in any way that you can.

You can find the shelter at:

Marmaris Hayvan Rehabilitasyon Merkezi

Otogar Yani

Marmaris – 48700

Or find out more at:

info@marmarisanimalwelfare.com

www.marmarisanimalwelfare.com

www.facebook.com/marmarisanimalwelfare

Follow on Twitter @MarmarisAnimals

You can read more about how to help the many dog rescue shelters across Europe by visiting www.dogwelfarenetwork.co.uk

You can also contact us via  replies@dogwelfarenetwork.co.uk