Get your puppy fix! (...and your puppies fixed!)

They are adorable! They make us smile! We love them!

But, unfortunately, the puppy problem in Southern Italy is no laughing matter. Owing to a culture of 'unfixed' dogs, the number of unwanted puppies, at any one time, is through the roof. Whole litters are abandoned by the roadside, dumped in rubbish bins, or born to starving, stray mothers who struggle to feed them.

Any abandoned dog is a terrible sight to behold, but puppies are among the most helpless of them all. 

Some of these abandoned puppies - like those above - are lucky enough to be found and brought into Rifugio Fata. Others are left at the gates of the shelter in cardboard boxes. It is a huge problem, and one that the volunteers struggle with on a daily basis.

Rifugio Fata take in as many puppies as they can. They vaccinate, sterilize and microchip them. And, where possible, they find homes for them locally, or they raise the funds to send them to the North where they have a much better chance of getting adopted.

The ultimate goal of the team at Rifugio Fata is to reduce the amount of unwanted puppies by changing attitudes in their local community. The volunteers run educational campaigns promoting spaying and neutering, in the hope that less of these cute fluffballs will end up suffering on the streets.

Here are some of the lucky ones, rescued by the wonderful volunteers at Rifugio Fata:

Happiness is... being rescued by Rifugio Fata!

If you are in the mood for a pick-me-up, check out the fabulous photo gallery on Rifugio Fata's facebook page, and also on Francesca's facebook page (Francesca Scerbo Rifugio Fata la pagina). It will make you smile, I promise! And, just in case you need a reason to smile right now, here is a sneak preview:

The heart-breaking story of TIME (with a happy ending)

Many of the dogs brought into Rifugio Fata are suffering from health issues, some of them very serious. Poor little Time was spotted at Lamezia Terme airport by an Australian tourist returning home from her summer holiday. She spotted him wondering the streets near the airport in a horrendous state, but could not stop to help as she had to catch her plane. Luckily for Time, this caring tourist researched dog rescue help in the area and found Rifugio Fata. She reported her sighting to Francesca who sent out a team of volunteers to find him. Unfortunately, poor little Time was very ill and terrified. He bit two of the volunteers who were trying to catch him, but they persisted, knowing that if they walked away, he was doomed. After working patiently for three hours in 40 degree heat, the volunteers managed to secure this poor soul and get him to safety. He was taken back to Rifugio Fata, where his healing began.

Time has been under the care of the amazing team at Rifugio Fata for two months now. They managed to raise the funds to cover his extensive medical bills, and - in an incredible turnaround - he is now well on his way to recovery. Go Time!!

Finding Nemo

Nemo was found in a field next to a shopping center, with his mother and four siblings. They were foraging through piles of rubbish for food. Luckily for them, Rifugio Fata took them all in as a family. They were chipped, vaccinated and sterilized, and Francesca sent them to the North for rehoming. Nemo has now been adopted by a loving family in Turin who came back early from their vacation in order to pick him up. They couldn't wait! The little boy of the family insisted on sleeping in Nemo's bed for the first couple of days to make sure that the nervous little Nemo felt at home. Nemo soon settled in to his new life of love and happiness. Congratulations Nemo! 

Bath time at Rifugio Fata!

It is always so heart-warming to see the before and after pictures of the lucky dogs that get scooped up by the wonderful team at Rifugio Fata. One of the most noticeable things about neglected dogs is the state of their coats. So many of the poor souls who are brought into Rifugio Fata have terrible skin issues and their coats are thin and dull, like Dodo here, who just arrived at Rifugio Fata last week.

The lucky doggies who are brought into Rifugio Fata are given medical attention and they are treated for any health conditions. They are also bathed and groomed - often for the first time in their lives!

As they regain their health, their coats undergo a dramatic transformation. 

Katia is one of the many amazing volunteers at Rifugio Fata. She gives her time to help bath and groom the 160+ residents and transform them into the little beauties that they really are!