European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - October 16, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Cove Story in Italy it s a Tail of trying to enforce Laws i he main problem with stray animals in Italy is not that americans dump them but that italians have a different attitude toward animals in general than do Ameri cans. Most italians View animals As livestock guardians or vermin. Very few keep animals As just pets. Even those who keep pets allow them to run Loose Breeding freely and transmitting diseases to other animals. In 1992, the italian government passed Laws for bidding abandonment of and cruelty to animals. The codes outlawed euthanasia of healthy animals and set up shelters for strays. Still there is no Way to enforce these Laws and no Money to pay for shelters. One italian news account estimated that More than 60,000 animals were abandoned in just the Campania area roughly from Rome to Salerno or a 150-200 mile radius around Naples in 1993. At Many amerian military bases in Italy Resi Dences have banded together and formed animal Protection groups of their own. They raise Money sponsor strays until new Homes can be found for them and feed abandoned and stray animals in their areas. Naples this military Community has a vet clinic and a pet Protection group called citizens for animals in Naples can. Vet clinic personnel take care of animals in Naples Gaeta and la Maddaluna Sardinia. Until recently pets were forbidden in most government housing in Naples. Starting earlier this year an experimental policy allows some military families to keep pets in their government leased apartments. Most Are allowed to have Only one pet which must weigh less than 25 pounds. Army capt. James sheets Naples veterinarian says the Community s military rules specify that in pct designated quarters All pets must be registered prior to assignment to government quarters however he says that the regulation is not enforced. The staff judge advocate is revising the instruction to make it More in forcible. Sheets is trying to get the vet clinic placed on the Community s in and out processing checklist. People who adopt animals after they get Here Are the worst about not getting shots and not taking pets Back with them lie said. Another problem sheets said is that the Community has no stray animal holding facility. He closed Down a previously open facility last Spring because of inhumane conditions. Now there is just a bulletin Board in the vet clinic waiting Mica share people can advertise their animals. In response to questions we Are trying to get a spot in the Community area orientation which is held every week he said. We arc also trying to re Vise the pamphlet which is now in the area Orienta Tion packet. Right now we provide information on what people must have for their animals before out  in addition the vet clinic helps with the Community s annual cat arid do shows. Sheets said he wants  a registration process at the vet clinic to provide an incentive for people to Register. He and his staff pm to Tianta and la Maddaluna at. Least once monthly lie says a me stray prob Lam exists in both places. Iia iian Laws say thai every Region in Italy will have i Uay animal Laos tics. , no Money has been allocate of no facilities have been built. La Macklalena Lias a Par lieu la i in bad problem because it is an  Uii n Vul in for  for  in Naples. We re try"1, to promote spaying and neutering for Bosh  Pels strays and for Peris Marian Hamilton this dog in Naples shelter says get me outta Here. Sonal pets she said. We have worked very hard this past year to raise Money for this we put donation cans out in Wendy s the local fast food outlet on base have a pet food donation Box in the lobby of the Exchange and get As much advertising As possible. We pay half of the Cost of spaying for regular pets and full Price for parc pets. Some strays we spayed and returned to the streets. We also help pay for emergency care for animals. If anyone has adopted animals in Naples and can t afford to Send them Home we try to give them Money. Some can members have temporarily taken. In animals until they can find Homes for  can wants the Naples Community to take responsibility for stray and abandoned animals. We hear people say of Call those can people they la take care of it that s not right said Dutton. A local italian vet or. Carlo Damiani helps. He assists at base cat shows gives 10 percent discounts for people who bring in two pets or More and docs spaying for can. There arc four or five italian cat and dog shekels in the area Dutton said but can does not support any of them. We researched several she leis around Licie about two years ago she said and some of our vet continued on Page 5 Doggie land from the cover that Are owned by . Military  in the italian state of Campania which covers a 150-200 mile radius around the Navy base at Naples More than 60,000 animals were abandoned by ital ians in 1993, according to an italian news account. Only 3,000 strays Are taken care of by shelters in the Naples area. At Aviano a Italy 40 to 50 animals a month show up at the vet clinic most of them abandoned by americans on their Way out of the country. In Ciurlik a Turkey gets about 40 strays a month year round abandoned by turkish and american owners. Many communities Don t even bother to count their strays they just help the ones they can and try not to get too upset about the multitudes they can t. Most military veterinary treatment facilities in Europe Are Small. Military vets have the primary task of inspecting food facilities and just Plain food for the military. Taking care of military working dogs comes second. Pets Are definitely at the Bottom of the list. In addition Only the army provides vets who can take care of military working dogs and military owned pets so any vet you see on a Navy or air Force base is either army or civilian. Navy and air Force bases have separate organizations that handle food inspections. Many clinics Don t even have holding facilities for the animals that Are brought in. Each military Community in Europe has a differ ent problem with strays and each handles the prob. Lem a Little bit differently but there Are Basic guide lines that most bases follow. According to Gates two vet rules apply to most bases in Europe 1. Commanders of major commands and installations in Europe must require personnel who own animals to Register their animals with the nearest vet facility when they arrive 2. Communities provide details on pet owner responsibilities. . Army Europe has no specific policy on taking animals to the next duty station. However Gates says statistics show that most animals Are leaving Europe with their owners. From october 1993 to july 1994, he notes 7,300 health certificates were issued by veterinary treatment facilities while health records kept at the clinics went Down by 6,300. At the Navy Exchange in Naples e i Abath Williams tries to find a Home for a str is Marian Hamilton Page 4 sunday october 16. 193-