Meet NIKITA

Nikita is one happy dog. You can see the joy and relief written all over her face.

Nikita was found in a terrible state a few weeks ago, full of fleas and ticks. She was starving, sick and dehydrated, and she was having difficulty walking. An abandoned old dog in Calabria, Nikita was doomed.

Enter the Rifugio Fata team, wielding love, compassion and their undying spirit of "No doggie left behind." They took Nikita in, and they raised the funds for her to see a vet.

The great news is that Nikita is now recovering in the safe haven of Rifugio Fata.

During the summer months, there is always a surge in the number of abandoned dogs, and Rifugio Fata's walls are full to bursting. They take in the most desperate cases, and they do everything they can to provide expensive medical treatment and care for every dog who needs it. Please consider giving a donation, of any amount, to help them with their vet's bills.

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

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Nikita says GRAZIE MILLE - a thousand thank yous -  to everybody who supported her rescue!

Education Education Education!

The mission of the Rifugio Fata team is to not only rescue and home as many dogs as they can, but also to tackle the overwhelming stray dog problem at a grassroots level - both in their community and beyond. The idea behind these efforts is to try to change the cultural attitudes and behaviors that lead to so many dogs suffering on the streets in the first place. As well as actively promoting spaying and neutering in their local community, the Rifugio Fata team hold open classes at the shelter, inviting members of the public to come in and learn about responsible dog ownership and find out more about what they do.

An important part of this grassroots effort is aimed at the people who hold the biggest key to affecting real and lasting change in the future - the children. A team of Rifugio Fata volunteers work with a local educator, inviting children from local schools to visit the shelter for educational field trips.

School trips to Rifugio Fata are fun and informative for the children, and the four-legged residents are always ready for visitors. And like a pebble dropped into a lake, the hope is that these children will go back to their families and communities, and their newfound knowledge will spread like a ripple, eventually gaining momentum until it becomes a tidal wave of change for our four-legged friends in Southern Italy.

Congratulations BUK!

Remember Buk? He was found by the roadside in February, hopping along with a terrible leg injury. 

Rifugio Fata picked him up and raised the funds for him to see a very kind vet, who offered her services at a discounted rate.

Well... thanks to Rifugio Fata, Buk is now a whole new dog with a whole new life! He has recovered from his surgery and he can run and jump like a normal dog. Not only that, he has been adopted by a loving family! 

Here he is, with his new brothers and sisters. As you can see, all of his worries are now firmly behind him. 

Congratulations sweet boy! You made it. And a huge thank you to Rifugio Fata and everyone who supported Buk's rescue. 

LOTTERY FOR HOMER Update

Congratulations Andrea S. who won a Pet Pawtrait of her cat, generously donated by English artist Sylvia Cleverley in the lottery to pay for Homer's surgery.

The great news is that all of the numbers were bought by kind supporters and Homer's vet bill has now been paid. Even better news is that Homer has recovered well after the surgery on his back leg, and he says an enormous GRAZIE to everybody who participated.

Congratulations TEDDY!

Meet Teddy. He is a beacon of hope for all rescue dogs, and his story is a reminder for us all to never give up on our dreams!

Teddy has been living at Rifugio Fata for SEVEN YEARS. He was abandoned by his owners when he was six years old. After seven years at the shelter, at the grand old age of thirteen, his hopes of finding a forever home were seriously dwindling.

And then along came a lovely Italian lady who saw another dog, Toffee, on the Rifugio Fata facebook page, and she contacted Francesca to ask if she could make a donation towards Toffee's medical bills. In their communication, the lady revealed that she had a West Highland Terrier. "Oh, we have one of those!" Francesca said. "His name is Teddy." 

When the lady heard about Teddy, and how long he had been looking for a home, she immediately offered to adopt him. As you can imagine, when Teddy heard the news, he was over the moon!

"Hey Teddy! A lovely lady heard about you."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah. She said she wants to take you home with her."

"What? Are you serious? Little old me?"

"Yes, Teddy. You've been adopted!"

"OMG. That is AWESOME!"

"It's time to say goodbye to your friends, Teddy."

"Well... Ok guys. I guess I'm finally outta here. I'll miss you, friends. Take care of yourselves and promise me one thing... Never, and I mean NEVER, give up on your dreams, ok?

And with that, Teddy scampered off to his new life.

The lovely lady gave him a bath...

And a summer cut...

And introduced Teddy to his new friend.

"West Highland Terriers are the best, don't you think...?"  "Totally!"

Congratulations Teddy! 

Enjoy your new life and your soft bed, little one. You deserve it!

Bake Sale!

Community outreach is a huge part of Rifugio Fata's mission. Francesca and Rossana and their team know that they can only rescue so many dogs, and that, ultimately, change has to come from a fundamental shift in local (and global) attitudes towards dogs and dog ownership. So, when they are not tending to their 160 plus rescue dogs at the shelter and working on their adoption programs and social media outlets, the Rifugio Fata team are out in their local community - raising awareness and raising money. And what better way to do that than a bake sale!

Last month, a group of volunteers rolled up their sleeves and got their bake on. They produced trays and trays of beautiful homemade Calabrese pastries. Then they hit the streets in order to raise some much-needed funds and talk to the local people about their work at the shelter. 

And, of course, they brought along a couple of Rifugio Fata residents with them to boost PR, making their stall the sweetest stall around!

A Dog is for Life

Words of wisdom from Rifugio Fata's facebook page:

"If you want this... But you don't want to take care of this... And you could end up doing this... Then the dog for you is this!"

Hear, hear!

Check out Rifugio Fata on facebook:

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