International Rescue Mission

A few weeks ago, Rifugio Fata received a message from a German lady, Franzi, who had found a sweet little dog while she was visiting Lamezia Terme, the city in Calabria where Rifugio Fata is located. She had been feeding him while she was on holiday, and after she returned home to Germany, she found that she couldn't stop thinking about him! Franzi realized that she had fallen in love with the little fellow, and decided that she wanted to adopt him. 

Enter the Rifugio Fata Rescue Team! Franzi liaised with Rifugio Fata friend, Katharina, who helped with translations. Franzi decided to call the little black dog Rondo, and provided a photo of him and a map of the hotel, with a description of the area where he was. 

Rifugio Fata volunteers, Irene and Tina, donned their superhero capes, and set off in search of this little stray who had no idea that his life was about to take a dramatic turn. It took them less than an hour for them to find him. He jumped in the carrier box willingly. Franzi was thrilled.

The next step was to figure out how to transport Rondo to Germany. If you have ever tried to transport a dog, you will know that it is much cheaper and safer for them to make the journey with a passenger, rather than to travel alone. So Franzi made the decision to fly back to Calabria for one night to collect him.

Francesca, Irene and Tina met Franzi at the airport to wave Rondo off to his new life. What a lucky boy.

Rondo went from being dumped and begging for scraps at a hotel in Calabria to living a life of love and happiness in Germany. Congratulations to Rondo and his lovely new mum, Franzi. And a big thank you to Rifugio Fata and Katharina for making this mission possible. Excellent work team!