stray dogs in Italy

[marzia]

Hi every one out there, both full or part timers !!

I take that most of you are animal lovers , and I am wondering how many of you know the situation for stray dogs ,especially in the South of Italy. Are you aware of the many kennels housing in appaling conditions hundreds of dogs with little food ,non-existing hygenic situation and lack of health assistance ?
If you care about animals ,please replay

[Ann&Geoff]

I have an old school friend who is living in Lecce, she does a lot for the local stray dogs & cats.
The website is Puglia Pooches : Val's Diary

She will most likely be able to give you more information, she is passionate about her voluntary work.

[marzia]

Dear Ann & Geoff
thank you very much for answering my posting . I will try to contact Val so we can exchange opinions and informations about the dreaful stae in which so many dogs are ill treated in the South of Italy. I wish very much that other peopole in the forum would have taken an interest, perhaps a lot of the expat are still wearing pink colour glasses in viewing life in Italy.
Thanks again
Marzia

[Nardini]

Originally Posted by marzia

I wish very much that other peopole in the forum would have taken an interest, perhaps a lot of the expat are still wearing pink colour glasses in viewing life in Italy.

I think you are being rather more than unfair here, Marzia. Firstly, may I ask if you are complaining about the way in which Italians actually treat their dogs? Or are you complaining about the stray dogs that you will find in some areas of Italy?

Speaking from my own experience, both as a dog lover and keeper of several dogs, a long time breeder and also as someone that has lived in Italy for 15 years - married to an Italian wife that has lived here for 55 years, I can present a view that is not at all "rose coloured", as you considered above.

In Piemonte, Lombardia, Veneto and Friuli - all areas that I have much experience of - there is no more of a problem with stray dogs than there is in, for example, Surrey in England. Certainly the problem of stray dogs increases as one travels further south, with quite a distinct problem in and around Puglia (where I have a family house also), Campania and Calabria. The Pugliese problem also includes the severe problem of leismaniasis, which will give the impression to some people that the animals are being mistreated - whilst in reality they are just very ill.

Perhaps the most sensible thing for you to do would be to engage in your local community to try to help the animals you see as suffering. This would actually achieve something for both the animals themselves and for the community in which you live. As far as simply complaining and, seemingly, wanting to encourage others to join in your complaint is concerned, may I ask what it is that you wish to achieve. Or, perhaps, your view is that Italians are cruel and need educating as to the proper care of dogs? In that case, perhaps you would be best served - as would the local community - if you were to live somewhere that coincides with your particular viewpoint.

[marzia]

I think it's quite far fetched to say that the Northern Italy has a problems that is similar to Surrey but as you noticed I was referring especially to the South of Italy. I am glad to hear that you have several dogs and I hope that many other expatriats are following your example in rehoming dogs from the many kennels that are looking for adoption.
You are pobably not aware of the extent of the problem in Italy. I give you some official data from Ministero della Salute that states that there are 600.000 stray dogs in the Country and of this 140.000 are housed in various facilities but sadly the rest are fending by themselves.
You probably are not aware that every year and especially in the summer months 100.000 dogs are abandoned, on motorways! tied to a tree in the woods or to the gate of animal shelter. Lesmania is present in all the National territory and the suffering of the animals in the lager kennels are due, yes to the lack of health povision but also to the fact that at times the animals are fed once every three days for lack of funds to purchase the food.
I let you come to the conclusion and decide if Italians are cruel to pets. The fact is that with the number of animals involved is making the problem similar to the Eastern countries of Europe where International Animal Organizations are active to alleviate the problem.
In posting to the forum I tried to achieve what has been asked by many Italians Animal Protection Organizations, which is to take informations about the matter outside the Italian borders and so helping to pressurize the local Authorities/Regional and National in trying to find a solution to this huge problem. I have seen from your posting that you suggeste people to do a google search on the problem of purchasing houses etc., well I suggest you do the same and search for cani randagi - abbandono cani - cani randagi in Molise - canile di Mirabello Sannitico - canile di Cicerale - situazione cani nella penisola Sorrentina.
I think that the result might make change slightly your opinion.

[Nardini]

Originally Posted by marzia

You are pobably not aware of the extent of the problem in Italy.

Marzia, I already have told you that I live in Italy - and have done so for many years. As my wife is Italian herself, we know several areas of Italy intimately, as we have either family living there, or in the case of Piemonte, Lombardia, Friuli and Puglia, we have houses there ourselves (mostly family homes). To say that I am "probably not aware" of a problem such as the one you are trying to describe in Italy is showing that you did not absorb my previous post adequately.

There is a problem in parts of Italy, yes. The problem is one that is caused by the private canili (kennels) that take in "stray" dogs being paid for housing each animal that it has "in care" by head count only. This has led to a great many difficult issues that are slowly being recognised across Italy as the owners of these kennels have been making huge amounts of money without having any duty of care - nor any interest - in the dogs they "house". The problem can be compounded when they search out dogs to "make up the numbers" without worrying if the dog has a home already, or not. They are not always very bothered for any of the animals in their "care" being adopted or not either, as they would just have to grab another one, etc. This is a real problem, Marcia, not a problem to attempt to conflate with the xenophobic cry of "all Italians are cruel and heartless", because they most certainly are not.

If you wish to actually do something to help the situation, you could engage in activities that actually help to by-pass the dreaded canili - as many people here do already. Piemonte has recently elected to stop the funding of these canili, thereby removing the cause of some of these issues in Piemonte - other regions are looking to follow that lead, I understand. That is actually doing something rather than spending time on the internet trying to prove an emotional misconception - such as yours.

Please, Marzia, if your interest is real - do something. Don't just troll internet fora to try to make people hate Italy and Italians. If you live here, it is easy - if you live elsewhere, why not help the plight of animals in your own "back yard".

[Lal]

My husband and myself live in Puglia,where the problem with abandoned dogs is immense.We now have in our home 22 dogs and 4 cats. We get no funding from the local council,what we do for them and most of the strays in our area is off our own backs.Just so not to get confused with the private kennels that are paid to take dogs in.

I cannot generalise that all Italians are cruel and heartless,but believe a good many are. Most of our animals were abandoned due to illness.We have had four with broken legs ,four with leishmaniasis,heartworm,rogna rossa,and so on. We know the history of a few of them,so know for a fact the reason behind their abandonment.

I also am aware there is a vast difference between North and South. The mentality here in the deep south is very very different.Where a lot still think its the norm to chain a dog up for its life,or the "hunters", I use the term loosely,that discard their working dog,when they are no longer useful,be it old age or illness. Spaying and nuetering frowned on. I could go on,the list is endless,and yes an awful lot of people do need educating in the care of animals.

We do what we can to help all the sick, stray and abandoned dogs and cats around us.

[marzia]

Nardini you keep talking all of the years experience and knowledge you have.! Rest assured that you are not the only one.Myself and my husband '' beat'' you quiete easily.
I can see you spent some time on the internet the gets all the facts you quote in your posting,certanly more time that I do. If one criticise the behevior of a part of the native population does one become automaticly a xenophe? Does it mean that is OK with you that this is going in Italy? You say that I should do as I preach... well , on the 10 th of March I will start another 6 months assigniement in an animal shelter exatly as I did last year. In suggesting that I should live in another community, well what do you know.. Maybe I should go to live were the 2800 italians that signed a petition about cani randagi live! or maybe the 650 belgian that did the same in their own petition.. all xenophobic?
I did not ask anyone to hate Italy and Italians, I hasked people to espress their view on the srtay dogs.
In all you posting I still have to read ANY word of compassion for the dogs. I wander way..?

[mosa10]

I just want to say to all people, that the way you treat your animals, that is the way you treat people, and I have lost my desire to move to most of countries just becouse of this...

[mosa10]

After I saw document about the Italian way to get out of fix, mainly of dogs, I lost whatever interest in Italy.. Sorry... you have to chance your ways... young people are more aware than you now...