KC SUNSHINE

Her third day….feeding her and putting on a collar.   Identifying her as a our chosen dog. She has truly enriched our lives. Thank you Bella for making sure the chip got in our name!  

We travel annually to Sicily in order to pick our olives to make our olive oil.  It can take a month to harvest them depending on the years yield. Nearly two years ago late October on one such morning a stray dog showed up at our house on the hill. She was a scrawny, skinny dog at the time and had her ribs visibly showing. Sicily on the whole has a bit of a problem with abandoned dogs.  You can see signs posted at the toll stops on the Altra Strada highways. 

Our neighbors have taken in many abandon strays. Dogs just left by the  lake reservoir that serves Palermo. This seems to be a country spot where many farmers leave unwanted dogs. Our neighbors have taken in 10 of these strays,  most don’t live that long afterwards despite their care and the continual vet visits.  This is because the farmers put a toxic chemical on them to repel the snails, and the dogs lick it and then slowly their internal organs die. I have seen it happen to many of their dogs, even in my care while they were traveling. Ballerina as she was called, slowly passed, despite my attention to healing her with everything I had at my disposal. Very sad indeed.  

So for the first three days when this stray dog appeared at our door, we didn’t  know what to do, so we didn’t feed her right away, as we had to return stateside in a few weeks. But she was persistent and stayed.  Sleeping outside and following anyone who was outside. On the third day our neighbors said “feed her and then we will take her”. So I did just that. Boy I have never seen a dog leap so high straight up in the air with the arrival of her food bowl. 4-5 foot leaps straight up. On the second day I said “ok, we will have none of that jumping. You will sit quietly and wait for your food.”   To my utter surprise I only had to teach her this once and thereafter she waited patiently for her food bowl until with her eyes were on mine and my hands gave her the go ahead. 

I knew then that she had been handled before. Friends and family arrived to help us pick our olives. This dog won all their hearts and before we knew it we were at the vets office to check if she did have a chip in her that would lead to her owners address. As all dogs, well mostly all are chipped. Low and behold she didn’t have a chip, but we happened to be in the office with some of our family. Our daughter who was smitten with the dog okay’ed the vet, despite us not being in the room at the time, to put the dog’s chip in with our name on it. So now we were dog owners.   

We didn’t really want a dog as our German Short Haired Pointer Wyatt died in the spring, and as a couple we decided to wait a year before we got another dog as Wyatt’s final year and passing with hard on us. He was such an exceptional dog we thought no dog could surpass him.

So now we own a new dog, one the vet said “might be a year in age”. Then that very night I awoke in the middle of the night, sat bolt upright and said out loud “her name is Casey”. I had no idea where that came from, but then the next night the same thing happened but this time I said, “No it’s spelled K.C.”  Our neighbors started calling her KC Sunshine,  because that is exactly her demeanor. Always smiling. Always an appreciative, upbeat and happy doggy.

The vet told us that she had to do her rabies shots and that would require us staying another month to do so. So we changed our tickets and decided to build a fireplace in one of our bedrooms. With KC along side of us going up to the mountain top on one particular windy Siraco day to gather lichened stones.  The wind was blowing about 50 knots. Despite the weather we managed to gather enough stones to build the fireplace and every step of the way that day KC was by our side.

One of our friends who was visiting also became “smitten” with KC and found her breed. She is an Africanis, which is actually not a breed at all, but a species. She is indeed that.  https://www.kloofspca.co.za/august-africanis-month/

What makes the Africanis unique is that the dog is a mainly a result of natural, not human, selection. Unlike Western dog breeds, whose bodies have been artificially shaped by the arbitrary and sometimes cruel standards of the Kennel Clubs, Africanis dogs are healthy and valued for their usefulness and loyalty.

The Africanis is descended from dogs pictured in ancient cave art and on Egyptian murals. The earliest remains of the domesticated dog in Africa was found in the Nile delta and dated to 4,700 BC. Today, Africanis dogs are found all over Southern Africa. The earliest record of a domestic dog in South Africa is dated 570 AD, on the farm Diamant in the Ellisras district, near the Botswana border. At the same time, domestic dogs lived south-west of Francistown, Botswana.

KC handled the airline crate and 22 hours to get home very well. She was triumphant and after two years is such an incredible dog that we discovered we are lucky to have her come up to our house on that Faithful day of October 28th 2022.  

SHOP NIXRAY

The Silent Threat in Sicily: Addressing Snail Bait Poisoning Among Abandoned Dogs

In Sicily, snail bait laced with metaldehyde poses a deadly risk to unsuspecting canines. When ingested by abandoned dogs, this poison can induce severe reactions, including convulsions and potential liver failure, necessitating urgent medical attention to avert fatal outcomes.

In Sicily's streets, especially around Palermo, stray and forsaken canines face heightened peril. While some locals administer poison, others embrace these dogs as community members. The south of Italy grapples with pet desertion, occasionally leading to lethal encounters. Some foreign visitors have even taken these strays to their home countries.

In Sicily, gardens and farms frequently utilize snail bait to safeguard vegetation from slugs and snails. Dogs often encounter this poison during their wanderings, leading to accidental ingestion and the subsequent risk of snail poisoning.

Dogs suffering from snail bait poisoning exhibit trembling, convulsive seizures, and elevated body temperatures. Veterinarians diagnose this toxic condition through these clinical signs and by inquiring about possible exposure to the hazardous substance in the dog's environment.

To prevent snail bait poisoning, choosing less toxic alternatives to metaldehyde-based pellets is crucial. Securing areas where dogs can roam freely and educating the public on the hazards of chemical baits also serve as vital protective steps. There is no cure for metaldehyde toxicity.

Local groups in Sicily tirelessly rescue strays, simultaneously raising awareness about the dangers of snail bait. Community involvement is key, with education campaigns aiding in the mitigation of snail poisoning risks for dogs' health. Public support amplifies these lifesaving efforts.

In concluding, tackling snail bait poisoning is critical for the well-being of Sicily's abandoned dogs. We urge support for local initiatives safeguarding these animals. Collective action can turn the tide against this silent menace, ensuring healthier futures for canines.

References

"Metaldehyde Toxicity in Dogs" - Journal of Veterinary Medicine
"The Plight of Stray Dogs in Southern Italy" - Animal Welfare Institute
"Garden Poisons and Pet Safety" - ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center
"Community-Based Strategies for Preventing Animal Poisoning" - Humane Society International
"Rescue and Rehabilitation of Stray Animals in Sicily" - Sicilian Animal Rescue Organization Annual Report
"Public Awareness Campaigns for Stray Animal Poisoning Prevention" - PETA