Winter is hitting much of Italy and kennels and shelters are doing what they can try to provide as much shelter as possible to your guests. However, it is not easy, especially due to the still excessive number of animals living in constructions. It also happens in Riccione, where like every year with the arrival of bad weather and cold, the kennel is in dire need of blankets to keep all dogs and cats present as warm as possible.
Association Volunteers”Konrad Lorenz and the man met the dog“, who manage the suburban shelter, cordially appeal to citizens to donate warm and heavy blankets, especially fleece, wool and cotton and warm cotton and flannel sheets. Quilted blankets with synthetic or natural ones as well as mattresses and blankets because they are dangerous if swallowed.
Kennel Riccione It has a capacity of 105 places and currently has 50 dogs. It deals with the health care of about 1,700 cat colonies, of which 490 are in Riccione alone, and as part of the assistance service at the kennel, it takes care of about 400 cats and 380 dogs every year. Adoptions range from 60 to 100 per yearstill a good result.
“During the Covid pandemic, adoptions experienced a sharp increase – explains Massimiliano Lemmo, president of the non-profit organization Kodami – but now there is a sharp decrease in applications with increase about relinquishing property, a way to leave your dog, but in a legal way. This is a real emergency that we have to face, especially by spreading the culture of adoption and respect for our friends. 70 percent of the dogs present at the Riccione kennel were surrendered to property, while 30 percent were taken in because they were victims of mistreatment or dog bites.”
According to the association, the phenomenon of relinquishing ownership, spread uniformly throughout the entire territory of the province, is due to the families’ economic difficulties and the late realization that the dog is no longer suitable for their lifestyle. . However, there is another phenomenon that leads toabandonment: «They are the famous “online adoptions” – continues Lemmo – where families are convinced through tearful stories on a wave of emotions to adopt an animal that usually comes from a great distance, which prevents the creation of that foundation the process of knowledge and awareness necessary for a smooth adoption process. And so when a dog arrives, sometimes if it doesn’t meet the family’s expectations, the solution is to leave it at the shelter.”
To combat this terrible practice, volunteers offer help and assistance to families who have difficulty managing their pet, help their pets gain more skills in raising animals, but also provide medical care and food from donations: «We must come to conscious adoption – concludes the president – who sees the dog as a life partner who can be guaranteed maximum well-being and quality of life. Only if you know the dog you want to adopt and its characteristics well can you hope to be permanently included in the adoptive family.”