'Bed and Breakfast' Lottery Event!

This little puppy at Rifugio Fata brings a whole new meaning to the term 'Bed and Breakfast'!

But in order to have this much fun in a food bowl, it needs to be full of food! Rifugio Fata's monthly bills are high. Food is one of their biggest and most important costs. They are entirely self-funded and rely on the support and kindness of people like you to keep their doggy bowls full. 

As well as feeding the residents at the shelter, the team also have to buy food for their dogs who are lucky enough to be living in foster homes. 

Meet Ciro.

Ciro is a lovely little bird who lives with of one of the Rifugio Fata volunteers. Ciro would like to invite you to join a lottery to raise money to buy food for his friends at Rifugio Fata. Ciro does not know the meaning of hunger, and he is determined to make sure that all of his four-legged friends at the shelter feel the same way.

Ciro wants you to know that, this time, there isn't just ONE winning number..but SEVEN! Yes, SEVEN lovely prizes... all checked out by Ciro himself. 

According to Ciro, they all are fabulous!

If Ciro's royal seal of approval isn't enough to convince you, then check out this short video to see inside Rifugio Fata and all the happy faces at feeding time! It is guaranteed to make you smile.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w01JQk90Ej8 

One ticket costs just 5 Euros. Every penny we raise will help to put more food in their bowls... and more wags in their tails! So, please, dig deep into your pockets and help us feed these beautiful dogs, and maybe even win yourself a lovely prize! Ciro will sing from the rooftops!

You can check out the prizes at the following Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/events/1651970241691433/

Once you have chosen a number from the list below, you can send a message with your chosen numbers on Rifugio Fata's Facebook page:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Francesca-Scerbo-Rifugio-Fata-la-pagina/223244014434430

And your donation can be sent via the following options:

Rifugio Fata: PAY PAL rifugiofata@libero.it
or:
postepay 4023 6006 1576 8779 in the name of:ARDITO ANTONIO RDTNTN63CO4C352M
and our BANKING DETAILS: 
RIFUGIO FATA: Ass FATA, BNL Lamezia Terme. Italia IBAN:IT03P0100542840000000000271-SWIFT/ BIC: BNL II TRR 

Ciro says THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!

Here are the available numbers:

-1 Beatrice Dell'aversano
-2 Paola Badalucco
-3 Giusy Andreaggi
-4 Antonella Scappatura
-5 Stefania ki
-6 Serena Guidetti
-7 Annarita Martilotti
-8 Daria De Salvatore
-9 Serena Guidetti
-10 Stefania ki
-11 Beatrice Dell'aversano
-12 Serena Guidetti
-13 Stefania ki
-14 Paola Badalucco
-15 Daria De Salvatore
-16 Lorenza Cevoli
-17 Giusy Andreaggi
-18
-19
-20 Stefania ki
-21 Beatrice Dell'aversano
-22 Ylenia Perri
-23 Daria De Salvatore
-24
-25 Beatrice Dell'aversano
-26 Sara Mancini
-27 Serena Guidetti
-28 Lorenza Cevoli
-29
-30
-31 Ylenia Perri
-32 Daria De Salvatore
-33 Annarita Martilotti
-34 Lorenza Cevoli
-35
-36
-37 Giusy Andreaggi
-38
-39
-40
-41
-42
-43
-44
-45
-46
-47
-48
-49
-50 Lorenza Cevoli
-51 Sara Mancini
-52
-53
-54
-55
-56
-57
-58
-59
-60
-61
-62
-63 Serena Guidetti
-64
-65 Serena Guidetti
-66
-67 Antonella Scappatura
-68 Serena GuidettI
-69 Giovanni De Sando
-70 Giovanni De Sando
-71 Tania Varriale
-72 Maria Pia Nicoletta
-73 Giovanni De Sando
-74 Giovanni De Sando
-75 Giovanni De Sando
-76 Giovanni De Sando
-77 Giovanni De Sando
-78 Giovanni De Sando
-79 Giovanni De Sando
-80 Giovanni De Sando
-81 Giovanni De Sando
-82 Giovanni De Sando
-83 Giovanni De Sando
-84 Giovanni De Sando
-85 Giovanni De Sando
-86 Giovanni De Sando
-87 Giovanni De Sando
-88 Giovanni De Sando
-89 Giovanni De Sando
-90 Giovanni De Sando

Peace and love at Rifugio Fata

This month, the team at Rifugio Fata invited local families to visit the shelter and learn more about how dogs and children can live in peace and harmony together. One of the many reasons dogs get dumped in Italy, unfortunately, is the arrival of a child. It is a common misconception that the family dog will be a danger to the new born baby - in terms of germs and behaviour - and so it is abandoned. This is a constant source of frustration for the Rifugio Fata team who end up rescuing these poor strays from the streets in terrible conditions.

But instead of getting mad, they educate! The team at Rifugio Fata know that raising awareness and getting information out into the local community is a vital part of their attempt to reduce the number of dogs suffering on the streets. By organizing school field trips and welcoming families into the shelter, they hope to promote change in cultural attitudes and, in turn, create a more secure future for dogs in their local community.

"Children and animals - growing together with peace and love":

A loving home

It was a rough winter for our friends at Rifugio Fata. The weather was colder and wetter than usual, and the dogs suffered a debilitating outbreak of illness. But the team of volunteers soldiered on, as they have many times before, and I am happy to report that warmer weather has now arrived and everybody is on the mend. Thank you for your kind donations towards their medical bills.

It is a sad fact that in many shelters - in Southern Italy and all around the world - dogs are left in overcrowded cages without adequate food and veterinary care, often for years on end. They are never allowed to stretch their legs, and they do not know the meaning of a good cuddle. Government programs pay municipal pounds to house the dogs and they provide no incentives for the dogs to be cared for properly, or rehomed. All too often, particularly in poorer parts of the world, pound owners collect government money while the dogs perish.

Independent shelters, like Rifugio Fata, play a vital part in breaking that mold. Rifugio Fata is entirely self-funded. They rely on our donations to continue their amazing work for homeless dogs in an area where the stray problem is huge and resources are thin. The team work endlessly to raise the funds to make sure that all of their dogs receive the veterinary care they need, and they run outreach and adoption programs in order to educate the local community and give their dogs a chance of finding a new home. 

The team at Rifugio Fata know that any time spent in a shelter - no matter how good it is -  is a poor substitute for family life, so they do their very best, with the resources they have, to make life as enjoyable as possible for their residents. And that includes regular exercise, playtime and cuddles.

All of Rifugio Fata's dogs need a loving home. But, luckily for them, in the meantime, they have the next best thing a stray dog could possibly hope for - a loving shelter. 

If you would like to make a donation to Rifugio Fata, you can do so by clicking the 'donate' button on this blog, or via PayPal: rifugiofata@libero.it 

Or through Rifugio Fata's facebook page:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Francesca-Scerbo-Rifugio-Fata-la-pagina/223244014434430

Thank you for your support. 

Help needed!

Our dear four-legged friends at Rifugio Fata are in desperate need of help.

Last month, they had an outbreak of kennel cough and distemper. Sadly, twelve dogs have died - 7 puppies and 5 elderly dogs. They have isolated the sick dogs and are getting on top of the problem, but, as you can imagine, their vet bills are very high and they still need to buy more medicine. 

And to make matters worse, they are going through an unusually cold winter in Southern Italy, so they have had to build a special room to keep their patients warm.

If you can spare any change at all to help towards their costs and help them through this difficult period, it would make a huge difference.

The team at Rifugio Fata have been rescuing and rehoming dogs for over a decade. They are dedicated to making a difference for homeless dogs in a very challenging part of the world. Please give what you can to help them continue their amazing work.

You can give through this You Caring campaign, which was set up by Katharina Pils-Leimer who helps Francesca with fundraising and translations:

http://www.youcaring.com/nonprofits/help-rifugio-fata-s-dogs-to-survive/312235

Or via PayPal:

 rifugiofata@libero.it 

Or through Rifugio Fata's facebook page:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Francesca-Scerbo-Rifugio-Fata-la-pagina/223244014434430

Thank you so much for your support.

Relocation! Relocation! Relocation!

In Southern Italy, the stray dog problem is overwhelming and the adoption rate is, unfortunately, very low. The team at Rifugio Fata are working tirelessly to change this. As well as rescuing as many dogs as they can, they invite the general public and local schools into their facility to learn more about their work, and they organize outreach programs in the community in an effort to promote responsible dog ownership and reduce the number of dogs suffering on the streets. 

Another big part of Rifugio Fata's work involves collaborating with shelters in Northern Italy where adoption rates are much higher. Whenever they can find spaces for their beloved residents in shelters in the North and raise the funds to get them there, they send them on their way to a better life. 

Rifugio Fata's relocation program is a very important part of their operation. Each time a dog leaves Rifugio Fata, a new space opens up for another stray dog in need. 

Angel was in the last shipment of dogs sent from Rifugio Fata with a trusted driver to a pre-approved shelter in the North. And the fantastic news is that Angel just found her forever home! Here she is, before and after...

Angel, when she was rescued by Rifugio Fata on the streets of Calabria:

Angel after Rifugio Fata nursed her back to health, with her new adopted family in the North:

To make this magic happen, Rifugio Fata needs your help! Francesca has just secured places for another twenty Rifugio Fata dogs to be transferred to a shelter in the North. This means the possibility of TWENTY NEW FOREVER HOMES in the North for Rifugio Fata dogs... and TWENTY NEW PLACES at Rifugio Fata for stray dogs who are currently suffering on the streets.

The dogs are due to be sent this Saturday 24th January, and they still need to raise €500 to cover the transport costs. Please consider donating what you can to help Rifugio Fata's relocation program. Every little bit helps. 

Your donation will go a long way towards helping 20 dogs in their care find loving homes in the North, and open up spaces for 20 stray dogs currently on the streets to find shelter in Rifugio Fata. So, whatever you give will make the world of difference to FORTY doggies in need!

Banking details and Paypal:

Ass FATA: BNL Lamezia Terme. IBAN: IT03P0100542840000000000271-
SWIFT /BIC: BNL II TRR
postepay postepay 4023 6006 1576 8779
in the name of: ARDITO ANTONIO RDTNTN63CO4C352M
PAY PAL: rifugiofata@libero.it
CONTO CORRENTE POSTALE INTESTATO A
LEGA NAZIONALE DIFESA DEL CANE sez. di Lamezia Terme C.C.3256513 GRAZIE

Please join us and help buy their tickets. The Rifugio Fata doggies are packing their little suitcases, and they say GRAZIE MILLE from the bottom of their eternally grateful hearts!