I know that this subject has been brought up many, many, many times but I feel the need to do it again.  Why do people insist on "helping" out and adopting a dog and then turn right around and say that they "can't" take it with them.  I am pretty sure that there is no law against importing a dog the States, unless the dog is below a certain age and even that I am not to sure about.  Please if you adopt a dog then take care of it and take it with you.  Don't put up some BS add on here saying "I can't take this dog back to the States".  If you don't want the dog then don't take it in.  Be a responsible pet owner and take your beloved animal back to the States with you.  Sorry I will get off my soap box now.

Hello Jeremy

I completely agree with you.

It breaks my heart to see all these dogs and cats on here that somehow can not be taken back to the States or wherever. Sometimes these dogs have been taken from a shelter by someone and then dumped when they PCS. Where as if the dog had been left in the shelter perhaps they would have had a better shot at another family taking them on. Sponsoring dogs and then passing them on to someone else can lead to serious behavioural problems, believe me I have seen it. Dogs wont trust anyone and can develop a nasty streak.

We have a pet sitting business and we are always getting calls from people who want to know if we can take a dog on as they cant take it back home with them. So please please before you take on that little or big bundle of fur THINK about the cost of vet bills, food, boarding fees when you wish to travel, shots, and shipping costs.

Animals are for life and not just the extent of your tour of Naples !!

Carol

Carol,

I have a question since you did mention people calling to see if you can take in the animals. I would like to know if you know of anyone willing to watch my Collie mix dog for about a year? My husband is getting ready to deployed for a year to Kuwait. Me and my kids are moving back home to be close to family and the place I'm renting back home does not allow dogs. I have tried looking for a place that allows dogs but haven't had any luck. And we would love for someone to watch her til my husband comes back from deployment. We really want to keep her!!! My husband plans on bringing her back with him to the states. But we need someone to watch her for a year. If you can help me out I would really appreciate it a lot.

Thanks, Kathy

Kathy, you would be better taking her with you and finding someone at home to watch her rather than here.  That way she does not get used to a new family (a year is a long time) and God forbid who ever has her has an emergency and has to leave Naples.  Also if you take her now and find a place for her (family, friends maybe back home) you and your children will be able to visit her.  This could also give you time to find a place which allows pets and you can all be together, you did say your husband would be brining her home so you would have to find somewhere any way..  It's just a thought.

I have lived in lots of places over my life span so far. This is the first place I have lived where the animal situation is an outrage. We have had dogs all our lives and we would love to have a dog now, but we understand the situation we are in and have made the wise decision to wait until we get back to the states to find a new member for our family. It is called being responsible. I understand some of the situations where a person can not keep an animal in their house. I am not judging everyone. It is the people who think a dog is cute and fun for a while and then don't want to pay the vet fees and cost of flying them home and just figure it is easier and cheaper to find it a new home. That is what bothers me most. Just voicing an opinion.

Ok, I am going to ask the obvious here....why would anyone rent a place that does not allow their pet to be with them, especially for one whole year? I am sorry to be so blunt but PLEASE.

Kathy

I realise your predicament but I do not know of anyone who would take your dog for 1 year. We do pet sitting ourselves but I would not want to take on a dog for 1 year.

If you can I would suggest taking your dog with you. At least if your pet is back in the States you would be able to visit them, whereas if it stays here the dog will get used to another family and then to take him/her back with you could cause stress for the pet.

I hope that you get sorted out !!

Regards

Carol

Ok, first of all we are not trying to give our dog away! I was trying to find some one to watch my dog. Since it as being hard finding a place that allows dogs on such a short notice were I'm moving to. My husband is going IA and we just found out.  And just to answer someone stupid question I have been trying to find a place that allows dogs. And my family back home does not want a dog in their house. But I was ask for help. But you know what I don't need any one's help from people that can't understand my situation. And I just found a place that allows dog about three days ago. So I will be taking my dog with me! And this will be my last time I ask for any help or posting anything on here because I see that there are no helpful people on here. Because the only people that come on here are ones that like to talk crap instead of helping.

Thanks Carol for you help I appreciate it. What I wrote on here is not meant for you.

With all due respect, but did I not say the exact same thing?   

I think more than anything folks or just getting tired of hearing about ppl moving and wanting rid of their pets when they become an inconvenience of a PSC move or when folks decide to go home as their spouses are being deployed.   Kathy, I know you have read and seen for yourself all the excuses that are placed here on NAH of owners of pets wanting to find new homes for their animals.  I know you said your husband would come back and pick up the dog "however" that is a lot to ask of anyone to watch him/her for a year.  Whether it was a surprise your husband going IA for a year or not we all know being in the military it can happen to any of our active duty spouses and when taking on an animal we have to think ahead and take our pets into consideration as in "if our spouse gets deployed or we staying overseas or going to go home" What ever is decided having an animal is part of the equation.  We had talked about going to Japan but won't as we have 2 cats and will not put them into quarantine for 6 months.  So we will look into where we can go with them and that includes pet friendly homes.  They are our family as I know your dog is and that is part and parcel of taking the responsibility of a dog or cat.

.

Jeremy,

I fully agree with your post and without standing on my soap box there is nothing more that aggravates me are ppl who adopt an animal and then give away when they become a bother (PCSing, a baby is born, we want to travel, my kid/husband, wife is allergic, my child won't walk it, it scratches, it barks etc! etc! etc!) Kathy, just for what it's worth, this is not directed at you, this is just in general.   There are way too many ppl here who adopt and then when they find they can't fly MAC or the pet friendly hotels are going to cost too much then it's time to find a new home for the animal.  Some of these cats and dogs are being passed around like a bag of candy.  I love the post from one lady who writes "Mommy can't take me with her" for not 1 but 2 dogs!!  Mommies do NOT leave their children behind 2 legged or 4!!

THINK NOT ONCE, NOT TWICE BUT MANY TIMES, WEIGH UP EVERYTHING BEFORE YOU ADAOPT!!!

Kathy

Thanks for your comment. I am truly pleased for you and your family, that you can take your pet with you. Best wishes for you all in the States .

Have a great week !

Carol

I have sat here contemplating how I can respond to this forum. For those that have responded to this forum, and are quick to judge, I will have a huge smile on my face on the day that you recieve the unexpected news that you must deploy and can not take your pets with you- for whatever the reasons are.  And hopefully, when you ask for help from your Military Community- you will also be bashed with negative comments.  You never know what life will have in store for you.  Give, Kathy a break!  She is trying to find a temporary solution to her problem.  She has to deal with the fact that her husband will be gone for a year- to probably a hazardous place.  The point here is someone used the forum to ask for help and was shot down.  Kathy, enjoy going back to the states, wish your husband all the best in IA,and never look back!

There will NEVER be a day I give up my pets.  For all my husbands "unexpected" deployments we have stayed overseas and not opted to go back home. We have been 8 months and longer without him going through typhoons, super typhoon (back to back I might add) and several earth quakes while in Guam.   If there comes a time we do head back to the U.S. our animals are up to date on all shots, and there is enough money set a side if we have to fly commercial.  I have a list of hotels, motels and kennels if we have to kennel them through out the states and I will never rent a place which does not allow animals.  Our cats are part of the family where we go they go.  When we decided as a family to adopt the cats we knew that it was for life and not a short term fix.  We would love to go to Japan but won't because of the quarantine, so we look for some where else.

Look, this is going to be a no win situation and we can go back and forth on the subject, like I said earlier for all of us who are married to a military member then we know there is a chance of a long term deployment, and if thats the case maybe people need to think twice about adopting and wait until they settle back home whereever that might be.  Ok, so Kathy was trying to do right by the dog and ask here if anyone would watch it for a year, but would you watch someones dog for a year especially while living in Italy?  I truly don't think anyone was being mean towards her,  it just brought up the same topic of others who do abandon their animals thats all.

I agree with Joanne. I dont know who or why anyone would take a dog in for a year. For one, would you have paid these people in advance? The typical going rate is $10 a day. That would be $3650 for a year of care. Plus about $100 dollars worth of food a month (assuming $1 per pound with 100 lbs eaten in a month). Who would pay for vet care if the dog got sick or injured?

I have seen it happen toooo many times, people say take the dog and i will come back, then they never come get the animal and  leave the other person with a dog they never wanted. Its too risky so i dont know anyone who would be willing to keep a dog that long.

This is for others in the future to think about not directed at any one specific. If you are not making plans to take care of your animals for "unexpected" things to happen, then perhaps you should rethink having a pet all together.

Start a savings plan now to be able to fly the animal home with you if you can not get on an AMC flight. Spots on AMC flights are not guarunteed!

Have lists available of friends or family that will care for your animals in case of emergencies.Other lists can include boarding kennels, hotels, vets, shipping companies, etc.

Keep your pets up to date on shots and health checks that may be needed to fly out of country. (Leishmanisis is good for 12 months so when you get your rabies shot done, get the leish test done as well and thats one less thing to worry about!)

I dont care how "unexpected" something is. You still should be making these plans as soon as you either bring the pet here or adopt. You need to be thinking of the "what ifs".

What if you get deployed, have to move, orders delayed, etc??? Do you have enough money to pay for the animal to go with you? Do you have the abililty to keep up with the health care needed to get the animal out of the country? Are you willing  and able to make sure you can find a new home that allows for your animal to come with you? Are you willing to do the work to move with the animal (pay thousands of dollars, go get the health checks, find a shipper, etc )?? Are you willing to pay pet deposits for your animals? Are you willing to do what it takes if you have a baby, get a job, move, or have some life altering event? If not, then please do not get an animal.

I think far too many people are getting animals, simply because they are now allowed on base. This should not be a "tour fix" nor adopting on a whim. You have to take the time to think if you are really wanting to take the time and effort it takes to keep an animal. If your answer is that its ok for now but.... then do not adopt.

It is the animals that pay for these decisons.

Have you guys not seen the commercial on AFN.  The guy asks the another family to take his dog.  It talks about leaving your pet with someone when you're unable to take care of it.  I have seen two of you posters talk about not leaving your pets behind, now that someone is asking for help you are bashing them.

I can tell exactly how the two of you (who I know have been friends for years and often back each other up no matter what contradictions you have made in the past) will reply on any given post..in opposition....even though you both have complained about people simply abonding their animals...UGGG

As far as the money goes for taking care of the dog, give me a break...do you have no heart.  If it's so important to you for animals to be taken care of then why do you argue.   Someone would take in this animal.  I took in a cat for a friend who went back to the states for 6 months while her husband was deployed for no cost. 

So..Joanne, you put your husband and your life in danger for two cats?????  Pathetic.  I like animals, but never would i chose an animal over my family. 

Well, lucky you Joanne, that you have control of where your husband can and cannot PSC to... However, you can never predict what the military will have in store for you and your family on a "unexpected" deployment.  The military, may simply say that your husband, must deploy- and his family must return to their home of records.  With the military cutting backcosts- it can happen to you.  Life throws many curve balls, and I agree you should be prepared, but things happen!?!? Yet, we do not even know the ENTIRE situation.  Let me ask you this- how do you even know she adopted the dog, here?  One of you mentioned the cost it would be to take care of dog, and would Kathy even pay- did any of you send her a message about that? No, again you ASSUMED according to your responses that she was looking for a temporarily "dumping ground" for her dog, which she is not,obviously.  Now, as someone stated before we can go back and forth on this.  My issue about this forum, and all past topic forums, that I have read is, someone simply asked for assistance, and a few people were very quick to judge.  Before you make any assumptions take a step and get all the information, first.  And please quit using NAH as way to take out your irriation.  Seriously, it is already tough enough to deal with Naples Way of Life and Culture, it is uneccesary to recieve that negative from a few of your Military Community.  That is all I have to say...

LF, not too sure where you get that I would put my family in danger keeping my cats? And we are not pathetic just responsible. BIG difference!  And Lissa, yes guess lucky us we have always had a choice of where we go over the last 24 years.  If we thought for a minute that we could not take our animals with us then we would not have adopted them.  That's the difference between us and many others we plan for the future, for all the "curve balls and unexpected deployments, what ever the military has brought us" I do believe no one was truly judging Kathy just that what she was asking for someone to watch her dog for a year was a lot to ask of anyone, nor did she say she would be willing to pay someone to do it, maybe she would maybe not.  Angela broke down what it would cost to have someone watch the dog only paying $10 per day basically saying it would be cheaper to fly it home.  Since you and LF are so concerned why don't you offer to take the dog for a year, or would that be too much for you?

And for what it's worth, I am not the only one here with the same mind set, all I was saing if you read my original post to Kathy was " a year was a lot to ask and maybe you would be better off taking him back with you and finding someone there, that way you and your children could visit the dog while you find a pet friendly home" 

Having said that it comes right back around to (if you read the pet forum) everyone needs help, PCSing can't take with, had a baby dogs too much trouble, moved pets not allowed, allergies, it goes on and on and on.  At the end of the day it boils down to the same old thing, YES the military does throw curve balls, YES there are unexpected deployments and lots of other things but at the end of the day people need to ask themselves, do we really need a pet now or maybe we should wait until we are truly settled "ESPECIALLY" for the families where there is a big chance of the spouse going down range.  It's the animals which also suffer and then they are put on here hoping someone will adopt what has not become an inconvienience.  I know there are some genuine folks who do not want to give up their pet but circumstances are just too great for them to keep it, but there are WAY too many who just can't be bothered trying to take their animal and thats the sad part. 

Joanne, my husband and I would take her dog, however we PSC out in 8 months- so how much help can we give her there?  In general,and I am not referring to you, but overall general-I read all the topics of the forum- not only pets; and a majority of it are complaints or whinings. My ending response, was more guided to overall public, and that if someone asks for help, just provide info or ask for more information from them. Yes, it is a shame when people adopt pets from here and do not take them back, especially if they did not do  further research on the costs of transporting them back or proper planning-then why adopt a pet??  Taking in a dog for a year, may not seem to bad in my opinion- would that not be considering  "fostering".  And I am sure if someone was interested, and if Kathy is a considerate, responsponcible pet owner- then an agreement can be made where the cost of housing the dog would be at the owner's expense.  Again, if we were not PCSing in 8 months- I would definetly help a Navy wife out.

I never attacked or bashed anyone. I simply asked if she would have been prepared to pay for someone to take the dog because I dont know of anyone who would take in a dog for a year, have to feed and care for it, deal with the issues of it getting sick or hurt, possibly dying, and trying to figure out the vet bills situations PLUS having to try and figure out the paperwork (remember our pets are supposed to be registered with the base vet and italian government). As Joanne said, that is a lot to ask, and perhaps she hadnt thought about what to do with the dog if no one was willing to watch it. A boarding kennel would have cost much more than my estimates, so yes it would be cheaper to fly the dog home and board it until either she had found a rental that allowed dogs or she found a new home for the dog. Luckily for her and the dog, the situation worked itself out.

I myself have done dog sitting and have a contract that specifically lists what happens in certain instances (dog gets sick, who pays for food and vet bills, etc) and working with past clients, most people do not think about what would happen in certain events. For instance, if the animal is microchipped and you are not the owner, then an italian vet will not even touch the animal, which is why I get consent from the owner to have the animal treated by a specific vet whom I work with, with the bill being paid for by the owner and not me.

The rest of my post was directed towards those who are not thinking ahead. Yes the military throws us "curve balls" but thats why we make plans B, C, D.......

That is why you save up money so in case you have to fly commercial, you are not scrambling at the last minute to come up with several hundred or thousands of dollars to fly an animal. It is why you make lists, have other plans, etc. It is why you have a list of places where your pet can stay so the poor pet is not abandoned because people "didnt know what to do". The ads on here speak for them selves: Having a baby cant keep pet, got jobs and cant take care of pet, moving cant afford the flights, moving and cant keep the pet.....

I can understand that there are situations out of our control, but these should not be the norm, they should be few and far between. We should not see the sheer number of animals that we do come through here.

Go to the animals section, read the posts, I count at least 5 animals within the first few posts as Cant keep pet PCS'ing, several others saying we are having a baby, others claiming either no time or needs more room, and very few of them are actual "rescues".

Joanne wrote: There will NEVER be a day I give up my pets.  For all my husbands "unexpected" deployments we have stayed overseas and not opted to go back home. We have been 8 months and longer without him going through typhoons, super typhoon (back to back I might add) and several earth quakes while in Guam.   If there comes a time we do head back to the U.S. our animals are up to date on all shots, and there is enough money set a side if we have to fly commercial.  I have a list of hotels, motels and kennels if we have to kennel them through out the states and I will never rent a place which does not allow animals.  Our cats are part of the family where we go they go.  When we decided as a family to adopt the cats we knew that it was for life and not a short term fix.  We would love to go to Japan but won't because of the quarantine, so we look for some where else. Look, this is going to be a no win situation and we can go back and forth on the subject, like I said earlier for all of us who are married to a military member then we know there is a chance of a long term deployment, and if thats the case maybe people need to think twice about adopting and wait until they settle back home whereever that might be.  Ok, so Kathy was trying to do right by the dog and ask here if anyone would watch it for a year, but would you watch someones dog for a year especially while living in Italy?  I truly don't think anyone was being mean towards her,  it just brought up the same topic of others who do abandon their animals thats all. Ummm...HELLOOOO...you said in your post you wouldn't leave your pets even going through all of this...that seems like putting your family in danger *seriously*  You continually contradict yourself...look through your own posts and see how you talk about not leaving animals abandoned, but finding a responsible owner..You have no idea what her situation is. And there was definately people being rude and "mean" towards her INCLUDING YOURSELF.  Take a look at yourself. Angela, you don't know me, don't know my situation how do you know that I wouldn't take the dog.  It seems that you wouldn't do it because of the money..fine.  That doesn't mean that no one else has the money to be able to contribute if they TRULY care about pets as they say they do.  She stated in the post that she had found someplace..is it that you're only reading what you want to read?

Hi Kathy,

 I'm not really sure how I can get in contact with you as I can not post my cell # or e-mail on here but I would love to speak with you about taking care of your dog.

Sorry but I stand by my opinion that overseas military personnel and their families should not be permitted to have pets. Period.

I have been following this via my wife, Kathy, and am really saddened by what I have read. My wife was looking for help and some of you just basically told her that she should have thought about that before we adopted. She directed the question to 1 person and 1 person only and didn't deserve some of the comments that she received. I look at this forum and feel disgusted how people can treat one another. Who are any of you to judge our situation? There is no one in this world that is fit to judge us. Thank you Lissa and LF for "defending" my wife. I know how hard it is to actually care about our fellow people. Finally, Jeannie your comment about "this is why I think military families overseas should not be allowed to have pets" is the single most narrow-minded comment I have read. Pets are like family to most of us and it is hard to say goodbye but in the end you have to ask yourself what is best for YOUR situation.

LF, no need to shout, don't think any of us are deaf.  I was NOT being rude just honest, BIG difference. 

Jeannie I fully agree with you, while overseas military should not be allowed to adopt and if that had have been the rule then we would not have had our cats, but rules are rules.  The Germans have it right and will not adopt out to American.....Now that speaks volumes!!

John - I just wanted to comment on something you said.  You said that pets are like family - a statement which I completely share and believe in.  Now, who would consider leaving a child (or another family member) behind because of a move?  I know that there are parents who are forced to leave their children in the care of a trusted relative or friend because of deployments, but I have yet to hear of someone who has left a child behind because of a move, whether temporary or not.  And I truly hope to never hear of such a thing.  So, yes, pets are definitely family members.  And once adopted, they should always be treated as such.  I wish you and your family the best in the upcoming move and hope everything goes as smoothly as possible.

Joanne,

Those were your words, I was making them bold and bigger so that you realized what i was referring to..obviously.  Don't be childish.

Joanne,

I am deaf.   The term is Severly deaf at 82db.  I became deaf at 12 years due to a car accident and sever trauma to my skull. Big bold WORDS don't help you to hear (you read words). Who do you think you are to know all of us???  You don't know everyone here. I find you offensive and ignorant.

Angel,

Thank you for your offer but I have found a place that allows my dog to be with me and my kids. Thank you again I really appreciate the offer.

Angela,

I was prepared to pay the person who was willing to take care of my dog. I would've set it up to were I would pay for everything the dog needed. Now you would've know that if you would've messaged me instead of seating their on your computer posting comments bashing me. Which I may add you have No I mean No right to pass judgment on me has you do not know me. I will direct this to everyone else that posted comments bashing me you do not know me or my situation to be bashing me. And if I remember correctly I was asking Carol not you Angela or anyone else. Don't bother replying to this post as I will not waste my time responding to you or anyone else post.

And to Lissa, LF, and D thank you for understanding were I was coming from.

Kathy,

Just so you can understand, I was in no way judging you. I simply asked questions and posted them so that others who are in your situation can think about things as well. I never said ONE not even ONE word about you at all. I simply asked some questions.

Sounds like your guilt is eating at you if you think we all are in judgement. I actually think its better you were trying to find something to do with the dog rather than dump him, but I was simply asking if you and others realized the costs associated and how it would be better to and more efficient to take the dog with you. I guess the point was lost on all but Joanne.

I think its good that we talk about things so others may think about them and maybe not have to go down the same roads as us. Its called learning from others. I am sure your situation is not completely unique and there may be others who need to think about these things and see what options are available to them. But thanks for thinking of others.

As i stated in BOTH posts, my words were directed at those people and NOT AT YOU!!!!!!

Yes i read were you said the situation worked out, which I said that was a good thing if people would read.

As i have stated several times, I personally am not worried about money as my dogs have their own savings account. They get 100 bucks a month put in there, for the duration of our tour, 4 years, i am sure their will be money to ship them when we leave. My plan is to ship my dogs ahead of me, commercially, sending them to either my dad or my friend depending on which is closer to the new orders we pick, They will be kenneled at either property and cared for properly until we are moved and able to come get them. As i haved coordinated this in 2008, when we moved here, all parties are aware of what will happen and the plan is in place. It doesnt matter if my hubby is deployed, or we have to move or we cant find a home, or we dont get orders where we want, my dogs are taken care of either way. There are even plans in case either party dies, moves, or otherwise cant take the dogs.

And I do believe that is what Joanne was referring to when she says she would not leave her cats. It does not have to put your family in danger in order to plan out what happens to your pets. It is simply an act of keeping the animals interest in mind, an animal who is supposed to be "a part of the family".

Since the number one reason people dump their animals is because they could not afford the plane ticket, then yes, that is why I post it, because it is no excuse if properly planned for.

The fact is that most people do not plan ahead which is what leads to these excuses. If you fail to plan then you plan to fail, and the animals suffer because of this.

I too am at the point now that dogs should never have been allowed on base as that caused a whole lot more issues than the base is willing to take on, abandoning animals being one of them.

But go ahead and hate on those of us who do not accept the excuses and lies that people tell to make themselves feel better about dumping their pets. Go ahead and feed into the cycle instead of speaking out and letting people know that there are other ways than just getting rid of the animal or pushing the problem on the rest of the community.

D. When someone writes in bold on a computer it is considered shouting, now I am not calling you ignorant for maybe not knowing that (eye roll) but by asking someone not to shout is nothing more than a comman courtesy. 

These posts have got WAY out of hand and totally of the subject on the post which Jeremy left at the beginning.  I am glad Kathy found a place where she and her kids can have the dog, kudos to her and the best of luck to John while deployed. 

As for the rest of the negative posts on a very touchy and sore subject why would you slam myself, Angela, Cheryl and Jeannie for just wanting pepole to do the right thing by the animals, thats it, end of story.  I think it was John who said it was wrong for Jeannie to say Americans should not be allowed to adopt?  So I ask anyone of you to call anyone from Naples Friends of Animals, Mia from Animals without Limits or Dr Friz in Lego Pro or her sister who comes down every year from Germany to pick up all the stray cats and dogs she can to take back to be adopted in Germany and all done on her own pention. Call them and ask them about the animals in their care who have American chips still in them, no owners but the chips don't lie when they are scanned and it says the owner is no longer in Naples, you ask them about the money it has cost all of them to fix infections, broken bones from being hit by a car, to get them healthy again from being half starved and left on the street and the ask them about the cats which have been found declawed and mauled because they have not been able to defend themselfs and lets not forget about the dogs and cats which get a free ride up to Carney Park. 

At the end of the day this is what it's about, not Kathy but what happens when people are not responsible. I praise NFA, Mia and all the others who take on the irresponsible military and civilian members discarded animals.  I agree with Jeannie maybe none of us should be allowed to have pets while overseas, I am sure it would cut down on the stray animals population enormously.

Angela..talk about feeding into lies..read your own post.  You specifically said in the first sentence that you agreed with Joanne and that no one would take in a dog for a year.  Was there someone else that was asking for help for their dog for a year???  Doesn't that indicate that you were specifically talking about her? If you're going to post something, read your own posts over first.  

Joanne wrote: D. When someone writes in bold on a computer it is considered shouting, now I am not calling you ignorant for maybe not knowing that (eye roll) but by asking someone not to shout is nothing more than a comman courtesy.  These posts have got WAY out of hand and totally of the subject on the post which Jeremy left at the beginning.  I am glad Kathy found a place where she and her kids can have the dog, kudos to her and the best of luck to John while deployed.  As for the rest of the negative posts on a very touchy and sore subject why would you slam myself, Angela, Cheryl and Jeannie for just wanting pepole to do the right thing by the animals, thats it, end of story.  I think it was John who said it was wrong for Jeannie to say Americans should not be allowed to adopt?  So I ask anyone of you to call anyone from Naples Friends of Animals, Mia from Animals without Limits or Dr Friz in Lego Pro or her sister who comes down every year from Germany to pick up all the stray cats and dogs she can to take back to be adopted in Germany and all done on her own pention. Call them and ask them about the animals in their care who have American chips still in them, no owners but the chips don't lie when they are scanned and it says the owner is no longer in Naples, you ask them about the money it has cost all of them to fix infections, broken bones from being hit by a car, to get them healthy again from being half starved and left on the street and the ask them about the cats which have been found declawed and mauled because they have not been able to defend themselfs and lets not forget about the dogs and cats which get a free ride up to Carney Park.  At the end of the day this is what it's about, not Kathy but what happens when people are not responsible. I praise NFA, Mia and all the others who take on the irresponsible military and civilian members discarded animals.  I agree with Jeannie maybe none of us should be allowed to have pets while overseas, I am sure it would cut down on the stray animals population enormously.

Common courtesy?, what you said refered to Deaf people not being able to hear what is written.. I believe what D was doing was simply showing you what he/she was referring to.  It wouldn't have done any good to simply hit the quote button would it?  Now, dogs are not the only problem on base..IN FACT I see a whole lot more cats running around, peeing and spraying on everything.  I don't think either one should be allowed on base...but the simple fact is that the decision has been made to allow both here and I'm proud of  Kathy for asking for help.  This is what we should be thinking about and acting on.  Helping others...a human being.

Angela, no way in heck would I put $100 dollars into a savings account for a dog!!  I have two kids and that money would be much better spent on college tuitions for them (I'm referring to me, so don't get your knickers in an uproar).  We left a dog behind in the states because they did not allow dogs here at the time, so for you guys to sit here and say that you can't believe people would go somewhere that wouldn't allow pets is silly.  My family will ALWAYS take priority over any animal.  

Thanks for setting me straight IZ and for reiterating my point.

I pretty much said the same thing?? Better to be responsible than to boot the animal out onto the street??..I don't get it, but thank you for your input which is highly valued.  Kathy, you and your husband in my opinion are great people.  Thank your husband for his service.  Many people don't realize that military members don't always get the pick of the litter (pun intended) when it comes to chosing where you get to go..this is quite frequently reserved for cilvilians (who are just as important to our military so don't start quarreling on that subject). 

I'm done, this is a waste of time..and I'm disapointed in myself for getting caught up in this foolishness.

IZ..i don't "need" to do...think...say..anything you feel I should. You have your opinion and I have mine, and yes, just like you I can voice it.  I like the way you say that I act as if I'm the only one to post when you're doing the same thing.

The truth is incontrovertible, malice may attack it, ignorance may deride it, but in the end; there it is.
Winston Churchill

Done.  Call me out all you want, but just as you, I will stick to my opinion and be done responding

Jeannie wrote: Sorry but I stand by my opinion that overseas military personnel and their families should not be permitted to have pets. Period.

You do realize that stateside military people dump their pets as well right? And it's less trackable, as we live out in town in greater numbers and micro-chipping isn't a requirement so they can't find us even if they do locate the animals. So I guess we shouldn't be allowed to have animals at all right? We can't be trusted with that kind of responsiblity, it's too much for us all to handle.

Seriously, try to take that right away from us, I'd like to see the results, how many people would get in trouble for "harboring an animal". Saying that we shouldnt have pets overseas is like saying that people overseas shouldnt have their families with them because families create a burden on the military member (imagine coming home to a husband/wife who has been home all day with the kids and is grumpy because you just want to chill for a minute, have some dinner and relax the day away...but the spouse just sees it as you've been away all day and now need to entertain them. Sounds like stress, stress, stress to me) Did you know that having pets has been proven to reduce stress? sounds like families need that family pet and should keep Fido around with them no matter where in the world the military takes them.

We have every right to have a family, just as we have the right to have pets no matter where we are stationed; there are irresponsible people on both points but we cant punish everybody just because some people suck.

But hey, thats just my opinion :-D

IS this all you have time do to is cause Drama on here? Joanne I have your back 100% I agree with the fact THINK BEFORE ADOPTING!!!!!!!!! Plane and simple. People need to grow up.

   Yes, it is sad to see all these abandoned cats. Part of the problem is that microchips and the "rules" are like locks on doors--for honest people. Does anyone know if and when the powers-that-be are going to start prosecuting? 

  The only good side to this situation is that we don't have a mouse or rat infestation problem...for those of you who may not like them around, or even for the people who have poisioned them in the past, please keep this in mind, I'd much much rather deal with a cat on my car every once in a while than disease-ridden vermon down in the basement or skittering across my floor! (Of course, my wonderful indoor kitty that we found declawed and abandoned here on base would take care of that!) 

  It would be absolutely wonderful if we could get a group of us who either love cats-- or even people want to see 'em gone--to come up with some great ideas to get the tame cats adopted and the ferrel mousers fixed and re-released. For example, while skimming this post I read that someone takes them to Germany to get adopted at their cost. I would be willing to work at a fundraiser or sponsor a kitty in getting altered, getting shots, and getting a ride there to get a good home. How about you guys???    

 ( PS: I was writing my contact in light of hearing that Naples Friends of Animals disbanded. Can anyone point me in the direction (contact information) of any organizations that help stray dogs and cats?)  

I didn't know they had disbanded.  They had some very good people at Friends of animals.  Though, i once "heard" that someone from the organization adopted out a cat and the woman that adopted it called to tell her that she had changed her mind and wanted to bring the cat back..when the woman who adopted the cat the next morning decided she wanted to keep it after all, the woman from FOA went personally to the house and tried to take the cat away (for changing her mind).  I and a few onlookers watched as they argued outside until securtiy had to be called, imploring the MP's to decide who's cat is should belong too ;)

It's a cute..it surely does show how much animals are loved!

ABE, what a breath of fresh air, lovely post.  I have actually had several cats "fixed" while living here.  One who basically lives outside our building who was kicked out when he got his owners "new" cat pregnant and has been living outside ever since.  I did get him fixed when one of the ferral cats he hangs with also got pregnant.  I was able to catch her and....well it broke my heart but we don't need any more stray cats on the base.  She is now fixed along with 2 more cats which used to hang around our building.  The cats owner has long since gone but his cats are still here!!!

There is a lady called Mia who is with "Animals Without Limits" which is on the web think it's just a www.animalswithoutlimits.com or .org not sure which? She is an amazing woman.  As for going after the folks who do abandon their animals I fully agree something needs to be done, it's not fair to anyone who either loves animals or not to have to deal with peoples cast offs!  I know animals get left out in town and state side everyday  "however" at least state side there are decent shalters and have a small chance of survival.  Unfortunately here, for the ones who live out in town there is not a lot we can do about it.  But living on a small base we are all effected by folks discarded cats/dogs one way or another, like I said you don't even have to like animals but you can respect the total injustice of it.

rachael wrote: I didn't know they had disbanded.  They had some very good people at Friends of animals.  Though, i once "heard" that someone from the organization adopted out a cat and the woman that adopted it called to tell her that she had changed her mind and wanted to bring the cat back..when the woman who adopted the cat the next morning decided she wanted to keep it after all, the woman from FOA went personally to the house and tried to take the cat away (for changing her mind).  I and a few onlookers watched as they argued outside until securtiy had to be called, imploring the MP's to decide who's cat is should belong too ;) It's a cute..it surely does show how much animals are loved!

I know the situation that you speak of, and the lady was a foster for NFOA at the time. She didnt follow all the rules on that particular adoption event as she was new. Unfortunately there was a lot of mixed signals on that event from both individuales and it would not have happend if the correct procedures had been followed. I know both individuals and they are both nice people so please dont bash either one (not saying you did but i dont want others to). It was a case of lack of communication (which happens in other areas too) and it was resolved peacefully.

Also for the cat spay/neuter, Dr Fritz, at Lega Pro Animale has cat traps for rent. You put a 50 euro deposit down, get a trap, bring the trapped cat into the clinic in the trap and you get your 50 euro deposit back. She has free cat spay days almost once a month, but you need to register for it. She will also spay and microchip and animal for free if you take one off the streets AND register it in your name (adopt for real ).  That is 140 euro out of her pocket. Side note: Please do not leave traps unattended, several cats have been found dead in traps within the last year from people leaving them too long out in the elements.

Mia at Animals Without Limits also can be contacted to help. She has recently opened up a hospice for the older and sick animals to be rehabed and live in peace and health. She is seeking volunteers to help with the operations and animals. Please contact her if you would like to volunteer.

Angela:

 Thank you so much for the information. I'm thinking that the base vet probably has the info for Dr Fritz, but not sure about Mia. Would you have the contact info on her? I would like to help.

 We have a beautiful green-eyed gal who is so loving and sweet. (We call her Hershey--'cause she's so sweet! and placed an ad for her with NAH.) She hangs around our area (I think she's working hard to find herself a permanent family and food source)  I am going to have her checked to see if she's spayed and/or chipped. I'm also planning on getting her immunized so that she will stay well while we try to help find her a forever home. We're soon to enter the rainy (and cold) season, so we will  probably see if we can bring her in without our male cat driving her nuts! (He's very...amourous.) We can tell that she was dumped--she's much too sweet to have grown up in the wild.    

 There are also 2 female cats around our area that are pregnant... obviously, lots of altering that needs to be done. So much for the theory that all the cats that live here were dumped.

 Also--readers--Any ideas to help our sweet strays during the upcoming rainy season?

 Anybody interested in trying to help arrange/participate in getting a monthly pet adoption day going? 

 God bless all of you sweet people out there who are helping take care of our fuzzy friends!

  Looked up the webstie: animalswithoutlimits.com  Wow! Thanks so much for sharing, ladies! Found that they:

*Accept donations of cat and dog food, bowls, leashes, etc etc

*Have pet adoption--help a stray!!!

*Can't take in a stray? Volunteer!

*Are working against pet overpopulation here in Campania  The site states that the law in Campania says  that healthy pets can't be euthanized, so this allows them to be packed into animal shelters and the people who run the shelter get 3 Euro a day per pet. (One dog on the site has been in a shelter for over 17 years and had never been outside!!!)

***For those of you who may not know, most people in this area don't believe in altering their pets. I have had people question me as to why Americans do so and I have had people tell me that they think it's cruel. I've even heard this from an Italian vet! And while he was talking to me, I was staring out the window at an abandoned dog with the mange.When some people go on holiday, esp in August, they turn their dogs out into the neighborhood. And since most animals are not altered, you can only imagine the fights and puppies that result.  

*Alter animals (Recently got a call to pick up some puppies left in a bucket at Carney Park)

*Need volunteers!!!

*Allow kids to come and love on the pets   

*Have Hospice for animals (saw pics of bunnies, buffalo, etc)

  If you love animals, you'll DEFINITELY want to check this site out!   

Would love to help where I can.