No Doggie Left Behind!

Remember, Brad? From the 'Brad says, SPONSOR ME... ?' post back in September?

I am sad to report that this little boy's health has taken a turn for the worst, and Francesca is trying to raise the funds to get Brad the care he needs. 

One of the many things I admire about the team at Rifugio Fata is their willingness to take on doggies who have highly complicated needs, especially given their tight budget. These wonderful people take on cases that many would not... They give hope to the seemingly most hopeless of dogs. 

There is a motto here: No doggie left behind! 

We have looked at the incredible story of Pupo on this blog, whose transformation from a poor little scabby heap of a dog on the streets of Calabria to a gorgeous healthy boy with flowing locks in a loving home was astounding. More recently, we have followed the story of Time, who an Australian tourist spotted at Lamezia airport last summer in an appalling state, and reported her sighting to Francesca. Time was scooped up by the Rifugio Fata team and he is now safely in their care, and well on his way to recovery.

Three years ago, Brad was also one of Rifugio Fata's devastatingly serious cases. I hesitate to put these pictures up, but this is what he looked like when the team first rescued him, poor boy.

It is heartbreaking to see. But, luckily, the team at Rifugio Fata are made of strong stuff! They took him under their wing and here he is, after his Rifugio Fata transformation!

Sadly, Brad has not yet found a loving home. He has some lingering health issues and he is older, which makes it harder for him to be adopted. But, luckily for him, he has been enjoying a good quality of life in the loving environment of Rifugio Fata for the past three years, and he is a firm favourite with the volunteers and visitors. And Francesca is still trying to find somebody to adopt him! She does not give up easily!

Owing to a complication from one of his illnesses, Brad's eyesight has degenerated and he has now lost his sight. He also has a kidney issue. Francesca is trying to raise the funds to take him to the eye specialist, and to get his kidneys tested. Can you help?

Please consider donating a little something to Brad's care by pressing the donate button on this page or donating directly to Rifugio Fata through their Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Francesca-Scerbo-Rifugio-Fata-la-pagina/223244014434430

Brad says Thank you! ...from the bottom of his sweet, eternally grateful, little heart.

Happy New Year!

Buon 2014! ...from Vito and all of his beautiful friends at Rifugio Fata. 

I wanted to kick off 2014 with a big nod to the incredible women who run Rifugio Fata - Francesca and Rossana. Their energy for the challenging and often heart-breaking work of rescuing dogs knows no bounds. We introduced them at the beginning of this blog, back in August, and they are the rock-star women behind everything that happens at Rifugio Fata. Operating in a very challenging region of Southern Italy, these women are bold, progressive and utterly committed to saving as many of our four-legged friends as they can. 

Francesca is the 'organizational queen' of the operation! She is in charge of all of the fundraising, communications and adoptions. Being pregnant has not slowed her down!

Francesca with Anna, one of her fabulous volunteers:

Francesca with Goldy, one of the lucky residents at Rifugio Fata:

The lovely Rossana is the dynamo 'boots on the ground' of the operation!

Rossana oversees the day-to-day running of the shelter, making sure that all of the residents are fed and receive any medical care they might need.

By donating to Rifugio Fata, you are supporting these amazing ladies and their team of dedicated volunteers who show up every single day to rescue, feed, care for and hug these beautiful doggies in need. They rely entirely on donations to keep Rifugio Fata going. Please consider pressing the donate button on this page, and supporting their efforts. Or donate to them directly through their facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Francesca-Scerbo-Rifugio-Fata-la-pagina/223244014434430

Every little bit helps! Thank you!

FEEL GOOD... with the 2014 Rifugio Fata Calendar!

As James Brown so famously put it, I FEEEEEL good! 

Abraham Lincoln said, "When I do good, I feel good." That's a great motto to live by.

Bartolo (below) says, "If you want to FEEEEL good, it's simple. Order the 2014 Rifugio Fata calendar TODAY!" 

The 2014 Rifugio Fata calendar is ready! Order yours today and support our beautiful four-legged friends in Southern Italy. It's a feel-good choice that will last all year. The adorable photos will make you smile, and seeing the calendar every day will give you the warm fuzzy feeling that comes from knowing you made a difference to this amazing organization, and to these lovely doggies in need.

Bartolo is one of the many happy stories to come out of Rifugio Fata this year. He was rescued by the team and, thanks to their hard work, he was recently adopted into a loving home. As you can see, Bartolo now knows what 'feeling good' really feels like! What a lucky boy. Congratulations Bartolo!

Ordering is easy. The cost of the calendar is 10 Euros, plus 2.50 Euros postage, within mainland Europe. (15 Euros, including postage, for the UK and the US.) Thanks to the support of a generous sponsor who is funding the printing costs, ALL proceeds from the calendars will go towards the care of Rifugio Fata's 160+ rescue dogs, the running costs of the shelter and their community programs. 

For just 12.50 Euros, you can FEEEEEL good, every day in 2014. And the Rifugio Fata doggies will love you forever! Or you can give the gift of feelin' good to a friend or family member by sending them a calendar. It takes just two simple steps:

1) Make your payment of 12.50 Euros (or 15 Euros for UK/US) via any of the following options:

Banc iban: Ass FATA BNL Lamezia Terme IT03P0100542840000000000271-

SWIFT BIC BNL II TRR

paypal rifugiofata@libero.it
postepay postepay 4023 6006 1576 8779

intestata ad ARDITO ANTONIO RDTNTN63CO4C352M

2) Send a quick email to Francesca at rifugiofata@libero.it  or a text to +39 3405910203 (she's also on WhatsApp) with a photo of your payment, and your name and address for shipping.

And ENJOY! 

Artu (below) just found a loving family, too. Rescued by the Rifugio Fata team this summer, little Artu now knows the profound joy of having a place he can call home.

Belin (below) was also rescued by the team, and recently adopted into a loving home. She is now enjoying her own lovely soft bed!

Thank you for your support. Wishing you a feel-good festive season and all the best for 2014!

Oscar winner!

You might remember this adorable little boy from our puppy pics, a couple of posts ago...

His name is Oscar, and he is a winner! Francesca and the team managed to raise the funds to send a group of puppies to the North last week, and Oscar was one of them. Francesca works with an amazing woman living near Turin. She organizes shelter placements for Rifugio Fata doggies in Northern Italy, where they have a much better chance of getting adopted. 

Little Oscar arrived late in the evening, after the shelter was closed. A very kind family agreed to take him in for the night and drop him off at the shelter the next morning. 

And guess what happened...? 

They fell in love with him and kept him! 

Congratulations Oscar! From the streets of Calabria, into the arms of a loving family... It doesn't get much better than that. Rifugio Fata makes another little doggy's dream come true!

Do fence me in!

There was a popular American song in the thirties called, "Don't Fence Me In." This is a call for the exact opposite! 

I am very sad to report that our friends at Rifugio Fata have suffered some terrible break-ins. They are operating in a poor part of Southern Italy where corruption is rife, and the stray dog problem is huge. They do amazing work for our four-legged friends in need every day, and they desperately need our help. 

Unfortunately, vandalism is a problem in Southern Italy and the break-ins are on the rise. Dog food, medical supplies and equipment have been stolen from the shelter and, in the worst cases, dogs have been hurt or taken. Recently, vandals entered the facility and put down poison, resulting in the deaths of four of the dogs. Two of the victims were much loved shelter residents, Lilli and Finley.

The other two were a mother and puppy who were dumped at the gates of Rifugio Fata, waiting for a second chance at life. The volunteers had been feeding them and building up their trust as they were too scared to be handled.

It is heart-breaking for the volunteers who work so hard to care for these dogs and make a positive change.

It is a depressing situation, but there is a solution! A new fence! With resources stretched thin, it is impossible for the team at Rifugio Fata to fund a new fence on top of caring for their 160+ residents each month. But, help is at hand... A team of volunteers from the local community, outraged by these break-ins, have taken it upon themselves to start building a new wall around the shelter, to protect our dear friends and put a stop to these terrible acts. They also hope to raise the funds for a security camera.

But it is slow-going. They need to build a fence on top of the wall to make the shelter secure and to keep our four-legged friends and their supplies safe in the future. 

Please consider pressing the donate button on this page and making a quick donation, however small. Every little bit helps... and your donation will go a long way! Francesca and her team are building their operation in a very difficult area where there is very little help for these dogs. This fence will allow the team at Rifugio Fata to continue their valuable work for many years to come.

Please help us fence them in!

Rifugio Fata is part of ONLUS Italy, a non-profit organisation for the protection and defence of animals. The team do not receive any public funding. They rely entirely on private donations. You can also donate to them directly:

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

Banc iban: Ass FATA BNL Lamezia Terme IT03P0100542840000000000271-
SWIFT BIC BNL II TRR postepay postepay 4023 6006 1576 8779
intestata ad 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

Thank you!

RIP beautiful souls... You will be sorely missed.

PUPDATE! Help needed!

Nine puppies in two days... That's the 'pupdate' I just received from Francesca. These vulnerable little souls were taken away from their mother, only a week or two after birth, and dumped at the gates of the shelter in wooden boxes.

Luckily for them, the superhero team of volunteers at Rifugio Fata will work around the clock to nurse them and do everything they can to give them the start in life they deserve. But they need our help! These new little arrivals need milk and lots of it!

Please consider making a donation, however small, to help the team continue their amazing work with some of our most vulnerable and needy four-legged friends. You can donate via this blog by pressing the donate button at the top or bottom of this page, or you can donate directly to Rifugio Fata:

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

Banc iban: Ass FATA BNL Lamezia Terme IT03P0100542840000000000271-
SWIFT BIC BNL II TRR postepay postepay 4023 6006 1576 8779
intestata ad 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

Thank you!

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: