Welcome to our website

We are a private sanctuary for some of the abandoned or unwanted cats and dogs that we have accumulated here in Puglia, Italy. The two of us moved from the UK a few years back, bringing our three cats with us. We adopted two of these cats - Smudge and Edward - from the RSPCA while the third - Bernard - was taken in after circumstances forced his relocation from where he was. Unfortunately, five months later, Smudge went missing, after she had truly managed to settle in and get the lie of the land of her new home. We never found any trace of her. Knowing what we know now, there are literally dozens of very hungry dogs roaming the countryside, either abandoned or just not fed properly. We'd like to believe that somebody saw Smudge, who was a very pretty cat, and decided that the likelihood was that she had been abandoned (the first thought that goes through your mind now when you see cats in the countryside) and therefore took her home. In the absence of any proof otherwise, those are the thoughts we like to keep.



It didn't take too long to realise that animal welfare here in Puglia is abysmal. While there are many people that look after their cats and dogs with the utmost care, there are just as many that don't, and the country is overwhelmed with abandoned animals, or animals that exist on diets of bread and milk at farms and remain unneutered and unvaccinated. Disease is rampant. So is the regularity by which dogs kill each other, or cats, either fighting over females in heat or the remains of dead farm animals left where they fall. It can be very grim.

Before long we had attracted our first stray cat, Ferris, followed shortly by more. We never actually had any intention of having dogs, but two puppies - Peanut and Pepper - were dumped in a haystack in a field across the road. They were covered in hundreds of ticks, very hungry and, Peanut in particular, pretty frightened. When we first saw Pepper she was attempting to rip some meat off the dried remains of a dead calf that must have been there for months. And so, we then had dogs...



Every few months a new member joins us, and we also have to deal with life-threatening illnesses and deaths. Since we moved here in 2017 we have seen six of our cats, one puppy and a dog die in a very short time. Sadly, we know they won’t be the last.

We realise that it is our choice to take these animals in, but it has become increasingly difficult to make ends meet. We both work at various jobs and spend the rest of our time looking after the menagerie here. Most of the household costs revolve around them and it's difficult not to slide backwards. That's why we have opened this webpage and its associated shop and so on.

We are NOT a registered charity. To be registered as a UK charity we need to be ultimately based there, even if we work over here. To be registered as an Italian one...well...they don't actually have specific legislation related to what a charity actually IS! Plus, anybody familiar with the disaster of getting involved with the local government will know what a bizarre minefield that can become and entirely dependent, in the end, on dealing with the right individual who has it in mind to assist. The likelihood of that is not great...

So...here we are - a non-profit set-up where every cent that is donated, or made from any shop sales, goes to the animals. There is no profit. It took a long time for us to be persuaded that asking for assistance was the way to go, as we know that times are hard for everybody. But, every single thing, no matter how small, goes a long way. Please have a look around. It's always nice to hear from people who also look after animals, as it can be a useful way to pick up tips on this and that. We have a shop, an ' Amazon Wish List', and a donations button. We really appreciate any help that we can get.

To give you an idea of what it takes for each of our new friends:

Cats

Every new cat that we find needs:

Neutering (I don’t think we’ve found a cat yet that didn’t need neutering!)
FIV and FeLV test.
Blood tests where applicable (usually when they arrive in a bad state like Biscuit and Benson).
First vaccinations and boosters.
Microchip.

Then, every cat that we look after needs on a daily basis:

Food – both wet and dry.
Litter.

On a monthly basis:

Flea treatment.

On a regular basis:

Wormers.
Annual vaccination boosters, including FeLV vaccine.
Supplements (currently Ferris, Benson, Edward, Noodle and Charlie need different supplements for different conditions).

Other:

Some of our cats need regular blood tests, ultrasounds to monitor their ongoing conditions, such as Ferris, Benson, Edward and Charlie.

Dogs

Every new dog that we find needs:

Neutering (as with the cats, I don’t think we’ve found a neutered dog yet).
First vaccinations and boosters.
A new kennel built.
Microchip.

Then, every dog that we look after needs on a daily basis:

Food – both wet and dry.

On a monthly basis:

Flea treatment.

On a regular basis

Wormers.
Annual vaccination boosters.

Other:

One dog in particular, Leia, has to be on special food and cannot eat anything other than this. It is hypoallergenic food and as such is very expensive.