Animals Without Limits

American Swedish non profit organisation

Category Archives: Contessa

7:21 pm - January 8, 2011 -

ANOTHER FAREWELL, WITH RAINBOW WINGS

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I wrote last Thursday a memorial peace for Leo, that some dogs touches your inner soul even if you only have known them a short period time.
I cannot say I got that honor to do that with Contessa, a beautiful long-hair German Shepard between 10-13 years old. But her story touched me, deeply.
Two weeks ago a recieved a message about a German Shepard with an eye problem in a 400 dog shelter, could I help? Well, you who have followed the last bloggings about Contessa knows what I am talking about.

Let me give you a little bit more information about this shelter and the woman behind it, Adrianne. Adrianne has a shelter and the Goverment said to her if she could take some dogs from them when they had caught them on the street she would get finacial help. She did and they gave her 200 dogs and helped her and then the money stopped coming in. She wrote, she called, she visited it was always the same…tomorrow!

She wrote to the Italian newspaper and TV, they came out filmed and interviewed and said…”of course we will help…tomorrow!” Well tomorrow has now been over 2 years old and she has 400 dogs in cages that never come out.

There is nothing wrong with her love for them, but she is walking on her knees, her face is so tired and filled with wrinkles, and still she thanks me a lot.
I introduced Simona and Martina to her shelter and they together with other girls are doing difficult work but doing it great, trying to adopt out dogs.

So, Contessa was in this shelter, a dog that the Government deposited with Adrianna. Her right eye becomes diseased, and starts to swell within the socket, turning this ugly redish-blackish color. Tumor!
Martina asks if we can help, and provide a place for Contessa to recover at the Hospice. That’s how I came to know and care for Contessa.

Contessa got her surgery and I picked her up in the evening. I was so proud how after only a few days, she recognized my voice. She followed me as a little puppy and when she wagged her tail, I was so proud over her.

I had warm feelings for her, I could see her beauty and I couldn’t wait to get her better, or comfortable and she could walk with me on the grass and lay in the sun a little.

She had been in this shelter on the conrete floor since 2003, I wanted so much more for her.

We did everything according to the book. Made sure she wasn’t suffering, blood test, ultra sound, x-ray and an eye specialist. But the Universe wanted somthing else.

The night when I went to the hospice to say good night to all the residents and Contessa, she was curled up by the radiater on a matteress and pillow. She lifted her face when she heard me coming in the stairs, it made me smile. She ate wet food and I petted her gentlely and told her I was proud over her.

The next day she had a bad sezuire that scared me when I saw it. I knew this was a severe one; I could tell from my experience with Cody. She got an veterinarian order for vallium and she slept. Nine hours later, she had another seizure that made her heart stop. Her life stopped suddenly without any warnings or explanations, only sadness.

I know this is my work and having a hospice and sick old clients this will happen. But it doesn’t mean I won’t feel anything, I do, because I care for them, I love them.
It is not an institution, it is Casa della Amore. The day that I stop crying for these souls, you will have to give me another job, because that is not Amore.

“Contessa, there was something special about you and in my dreams I wanted you to become better and either stay in the hospice forever, or Martina and I we would have found you a wonderful home.
Now you are together with Leo and the others with your rainbow wings. Rest in Peace, dear Contessa. I love you. “
Categories: AWL Hospice, Contessa, eye surgery, Seizure
11:43 am - January 3, 2011 -

CONTESSA GETS ULTRA SOUND AND X RAY

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We had to examine Contessa more thoroughly before making any further decisions for her eye surgery. Dr Lungo (at Dr. Damiani clinic) greeted me and they had hired in Dott. Fortunata Farina to make an ultrasound. Dott. Fortuna Farina was a lovely lady, with a good attitude having great charisma.

Ultra sound showed big mammary glands tumors , and abnormal glands. Also something small on her lung. So we are scheduling a surgery Wednesday, and hiring in eye specialist Alexandria and one anesthesiologist to remove the eye. The rest we will have to deal with later.

Thank you beautiful team, Dott. Farina, Dr. Lungo and Rebecca (veterinary technician) for helping and working hard for those who doesn’t have an owner. That’s Amore. You are true caring veterinarians.

Categories: Contessa, ultrasound, veterinarain
7:26 pm - January 1, 2011 -

CONTESSA OUR NEW CLIENT

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You could read about Contessa on one earlier blog. Contessa is now at our hospice recovering. She gets to sleep inside, on a bed and with her own pillow; fantastic nutritious food with extra vitamins for old, abused dogs. She can be alone and rest. No longer in a 400 dog shelter, in a cage on a concrete floor were no one sleeps. Shelters here are like prisons! As an inmate, you have to stand guard: over your bed, your food — others can come and attack you–they want your space.

She was breathing heavy at the veterinarian clinic, but that is understandable too. The shelter, as horrible as it is, is her only safety zone she knows of, she doesn’t understand the future, only the past.

Now since Thursday she is up on her legs walking and have met the other hospice kids, and it went very well. Calm and easy!

However, her blood test didn’t come out great. She is anemic, and her liver test is lousy.

Monday, we have scheduled an x-ray and ultra sound appointment at 16.30 to see how her inner body looks like. If she is full of cancer, we will have to take another direction.

She is not in pain, probably some discomfort, but we are giving her eye drops at least 5 times a day to keep the “eye” moistened, and thus not too annoying for her. It is how it looks like that gives other people “pain” its ugly and its nasty. When we see something that looks horrible we want to take it away, it hurts our stomach, our inner feelings.

We are not keeping clients that are in pain alive just for the sake of being alive, that is against our beliefs. But we believe in giving one a chance if the there is hope and no undue suffering. Together with experienced veterinarians, we decide what is best for our clients, even if it looks ugly. That’s Amore!

Thank you Dr Longo and Dr Alexandria, also want to thank Martina and Pio.

Categories: Contessa, Dr Longo
7:11 pm - December 17, 2010 -

A FIRST DAY OFF SLOWING DOWN

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I had promised myself to cut down on working, of course Hospice full speed but not rescuing, I need a break. First in the morning I took Boss our Great Dane rescue to go to the ASL dog catching veterinarian clinic to have the microchip ownership changed. It is something that has been on my “to do list” for a long time, but there is always something else coming in between.

My husband was kind to help me lift this 75 kg boy into my SUV. Since Boss has bad hips he doesn’t jump, he digs his paws down into the ground and freezes into a heavy statue.

He is a sweet heart in the car, he sits and small talks the whole way. He did great.

Tammy our animal friend has been busy feeding this beautiful lady Husky “Contessa.” She is young, wonderful, sweet, good in the car. Tammy took her to LegaPro Animale, and they are keeping her there to be spayed and de wormed. AWL is taking care of the bills, thanks to your donations. We can manage to have her there for 3 days, then she has to be released back on the street if no one can foster or adopt her.

Contessa is a very smart, calm, gentle female. She fell asleep in the car, exhausted after probably being dumped and trying to survive on the streets.

Our favorite veterinarian Dr Gigi. He always has a smile and a calm voice while treating the animals.

Getting ready. Saturday she is being released back on the street if no one can step up and give her a warm bed and a home. She is a fantastic dog, it breaks our hearts.

So I am driving home to take care of our 19 dogs and some yard work. I am ashamed how neglected my own dogs are. They always hear “wait. wait.”

Close to our gate I spot a small little dog, running scared, trying to avoid being hit by several cars that are honking angry at this poor thing. I could see the dog was not street smart at all, panicking.

A couple of cars are parked and some guys are standing talking. Now the dog is up by them trying to get some eye contact, but they are ignoring her.

Instead of closing my eyes and ignore it, I jump out. She puts her little head in my hand. No microchip, no collar, no spay tattoo on stomach.

In my SUV and out to LegaPro Animale.

I know how busy they are but they were nice to take her in and have her spayed. Ms Maple will be picked up Monday and if no one can give her a home (foster or forever) we will have to release her back to the streets.

She is young, 1 to 1-1/2 years old, great in the car, I could carry her she said nothing. Great at the vet. Ms Maple is a sweetheart.

Categories: Boss, Contessa, Dr Gigi Lega Pro Animale, Ms Maple