Last Sunday someone abandoned a young crossbreed (femina) here at Cellino. On contacting the carabiniere was told to contact the Commune, who informed me that someone would be along wed am .I waited but no one came. after trying to get info from the commune who more or less just shrugged their shoulders. I contacted  a carabiniere friend at Castel Nouvo who managed to track down the dept responsible known as the Vigilo Urbano. i was told they would phone me on the Friday which they did an said they would come out to me that morning or if not then it would be on monday. of course someone did turn up eventually today (monday), but not to take the dog away but to check if she had been microchipped(she hadn't) the upshot is that i have to wait while The officer files a report to the Local Sindaco who then contacts ASL for permission to take  the dog to the Commune compound. I explained that I already have two dogs of my own and could not take on the responsibility of another indefinitley.  Was told it would be another week,I was then told I could let her run free. I could not believe my ears.
On asking how long they kept the dogs in the compound and she said if no one gave them a home they were just turned loose again to roam. This dog is lovely, soft mouthed a bit of spaniel in her ,mainly black and tan, playful and gentle. I reckon she's about seven months old probably not spayed. If anyone looking for a good natured dog PM me.

Can't help you there - sorry. Good luck with finding a home.

And I think you can say "b****" in this context without giving offence.

Oh I see that the software does that automatically - must never have used a rude word before!

Quoted from Postmac

Oh I see that the software does that automatically - must never have used a rude word before!

No Postmac I modified the text.

Unlucky you! Last year I tried reporting an abandoned cat at the comune but was just given the number of the vets! They had no interest in helping.

I love the 'let her run free' advice ! Presumably that means you stop feeding her wait until she has a whole litter of puppies then sit around and watch them all starve to death.

Abandoned dogs are a perennial problem here. I read somewhere that approx 30,000 dogs are chucked out every August when families go on holiday. Also because it costs money to spay and neuter the dogs many people are not prepared to pay and the dog population increases out of control.

I have noticed that it is mostly bitches, which are turned out because people don’t want the extra burden of more puppies.  

Does anyone know if there is a scheme for free neutering here in Italy?

it seems as if it must be a matter for each commune to decide as when i rescued an injured hunting dog they came to collect microchipped it spayed and treated its' injuries free of charge.

That is really impressive!

I do get driven mad by the way that each little comune has its own way of doing things don't you?

Ok if you've lived there for 50 years ( it would take that long to even begin to understand the rules and regs) but totally c..p for anyone just moving there!

It seems to me that all the English here are the ones adopting the abandoned dogs. We did, and she's a beauty, and we've had her registered, microchipped and spayed... which is, as I think you'll all agree, the responsible thing to do, but then you constantly get asked if you want another as they think, well, you've taken one in, can't you take this one off my hands too?! Or worse, they just dump them by your door like you've obviously experienced Therapist! One of our neighbours will NOT get her female dogs spayed, and then they have puppies, and then she's in a mess as the puppies are female. I've worked out that if she just had had the mother spayed for 150 euro or so from the start then she wouldn't now be paying our in multiples for 20 euro shots twice a year for all her female dogs to stop them getting pregnant, AND she never does it on time so they end up pregnant anyway. She's spending more in the long run to the misery of the dogs, and the rest of us who have to put up with all the howling of the male dogs twice a year! God.... it makes me sooooo mad sometimes.  

Anyway, our little doggy is lovely, and she's now bilingual!  

ASL are responsible for vaccinating, microchipping and neutering (females only) stray or abandoned dogs. The dogs are taken to the local Canile Saniatario where they stay for 40 days and then, depending on the policy of the commune where they were found, they are either taken to a dogs home in that area or returned to the area they were found and released to fend for themselves.

Marlene I feel your pain why are some people sooo stupid!

Here she is .  The abandoned Dog with no name! Please Is there anyone out there who can name her as their own, or perhaps knows of someone looking for a lovable companion.  Even though I am unable to give her a permanent home, I am teaching her some commands and she now walks well on a lead and when given her head to run free returns on my whistle. Just watching her run so happily and dancing with butterflies is a joy and brings a smile but also sadness to think she may never bring that joy to someone in return for a home.

She looks really sweet, I do hope she finds a loving home.

If I was in Abruzzo I would have her.

I can see me adopting lots of waifs and strays.

Is it hard to set up an animal rescue in Abruzzo?

I believe that to set up a rescue centre there are loads of laws to comply with but I would imagine the most difficult thing would be to fund it.

There are rescue kennels here but I suspect they are completely swamped.