European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - October 16, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse Heeling problems in la Maddalena and Simonella r for a amps Cathy minor stray cats fill up on Point Caprara an Island near Sardinia in the Mediterranean area. S icily Sardinia Crete Bahrain and the azores All Small islands with an even smaller american military presence. But their size can be deceptive even in these areas there Are military veterinarians and concerned civilians taking care of working dogs and personal pets. A a a a a a la Maddalena americans on the Island of la Maddalena in Sardinia Are supposed to Register their animals with the american Shore patrol and Are not supposed to be Able to leave until they have found the animal a new Home or unless the animal is going with them. It is not enforced. To help with the stray problem is a group called friends of animals. It holds fund raises and Sells pizza at Vista Mare elementary school once a week. It also hold bake sales and car washes. The roup helps pay part of the Cost for people to spay and neuter their pets. Cathy Miner who has lived in Italy for 17 years is Active in the organization. A we Are still trying to get a cat shelter built a she said. A right now we have them in an italian neighbors Back Yard. A local vet and City authorities said it was of to have cats at this lady a House until a shelter is built. / a there Are 55 cats there and we Are starting to get them spayed at a rate of four a the shelter took in eight new cats in a recent week and found Homes for two she said. There a a big waiting list of americans waiting to give cats to the shelter. A we have problems with dogs too a Miner said. A there Are four wild dogs in the housing area and a nearby dog shelter takes care of about 40 the Island of Caprara where the 1800s italian Patriot Giuseppe Garibaldi lived is popular for dumping animals. Eighty cats were picked up from there last year but 20 Are still there because people still drop them off. A someone from the group goes every Day to feed the animals at Caprara and at the lady a House a Miner said. A we Are spaying them but the wildest cats go Back to the in this Sicily Community american pets owners must toe the line. A people must Register their pets and have them vaccinated a said army capt. Nanjad Chaudhry the veterinarian at Simonella. A people must also out process through the vet clinic but usually people who get pets off the icon omy done to Register with the clinic. If we can figure out who the owner of an abandoned animal is the gaining base gets a a we have a limited facility with five dog cages and four cages for cats which is Marian Hamilton continued from Page 4 techs went out and saw How hazardous the shelters were. They kept males and females healthy and sick together and did no to want to have inoculations or spaying. A a we be talked about opening our own shelter but of 30-35 person group we done to have the manpower to staff a in addition to the Large number of italian strays there is also a problem with american abandonment she said. A it is a big problem in june and december a Dutton said. A a that a pcs time. A there was a big sweep in Carney Park the base Leisure area not too Long ago and the vets picked up dogs that had been abandoned. You have a harder time abandoning a car Here than a Susanna Lewalski a veterinary technician at Camp Darby says americans there must Register their pets and have yearly rabies shot. A people can to Clear to go to their next duty assignment unless they can prove they Are taking their animals with them a she said. A if they give a pet away the new owners have to come in and however there is still a stray problem particularly with we try to catch stray cats a she said. A if they Are Friendly then we adopt them out. If the cats Are too wild they Are spayed and inoculated then we release them Back into the wild. A we done to put them Down kill them unless they have feline stray dogs Are taken to an italian shelter or kept in a basketball court in the old confinement facility where the vet clinic is located. A a they re not As hard to find Homes for a Lewalski said. A we just had a Beagle with six puppies and we gave them All there is no Community animal Protection group on Camp the air base Here is by far the strictest base in a Italy about registering pets. According to staff sgt David Landals the no in charge of the Aviano vet clinic americans must Register within 14 working Days of arrival. A we get a computer printout of incoming personnel a he said a and they have to out process through us and get a health certificate in order to leave with their pet. If they give away a pet the new owners have to Security does no to pick up too Many strays Landals said but there Are wild cats that jump fences and get in dumpsters. For a amps Sandra Rivera an american feeds stray cats in Naples. A we adopt them out a he said. A we done to put am Mals Down except for illness or aggression. In be been Here two years and we Haven to run into a there is no civilian animal group on Post. The italians have a dog holding facility near the base but done to take cats. so far a Landals said. Vicenza veterinary assistant Elizabeth Wilson said personnel Are supposed to Register their pets within two. Weeks of arrival but that the regulation is not on forced. V a people also have to Clear with the vet clinic when out processing a said Wilson. A we require a health certificate and Export document for pets when pc pie out process but some people say they will get it and the result is a lot of abandoned pets especially during pcs time. A Between May and september we get the most a six to seven per week Quot she said. Military policemen pick up stray animals. The vet. Clinic holds the animals for 72 hours then puts them up for adoption. A we keep them until they Are adopted a Wilson said. A we have a facility to put them to sleep but we done to unless an animal is the vet clinic has five kennels for cats and five for dogs. It charges $45 for people to turn animals in. To adopt a pet from the vet clinic people must pay for spaying and a rabies shot. A $10 fee is charged even if shots and spaying have already been done. Wilson said it normally takes a week to a couple of months before animals Are adopted out. There is no civilian group on base. An italian Pound shelter in Marola near Vicenza asks for donations but does no to officially charge anything for people to turn a pet in or adopt one. Marian Hamilton october 16. 1994 sunday Page 5
