The expression "It's a dog's life" has become an ambiguous one of late. My dog, who languishes on her temperpedic-ortho-ergo-green-cycled fleece-lined dog bed and eats high-nutrition all-organic dog kibbles certainly has a life of luxe. But this is not the "dog's life" for which the expression was coined. Instead, the saying was first recorded in the sixteenth century, and it's meaning was "a life of misery and subserviency". This was because, during the time, the life of a dog was incredibly difficult- kept outside regardless of weather as guards of the household, and fed only scraps. These dogs lived lean, and often not long.
Napoli, it seems, has retained the original meaning of this sad expression.
Prior to my arrival to Naples, I read warnings about stray dogs in the region. And, upon arrival, I became aware of just what a significant problem stray animals are in Naples. It is estimated that there are 70,000 stray dogs on the streets of Naples.
I think they only counted the brown ones with blue eyes and a white sock on the right hind foot.
There are an enormous number of stray dogs in Naples. You cannot take a drive without seeing one or more animals trotting, tongue out, along the busy streets. These animals make their living on the periphery- rooting around overflowing dumpsters or depending upon the rare kindness of passersby. They become masters of traffic avoidance, or they become road kill. I have actually changed my driving patterns to and from the military base to avoid the area that seems to be the wasteland of unlucky road-travelers.
Some animals became stray through no fault- escapees from yards, run feral. The vast majority, however, are stray due to a systemic problem in Naples itself.
1. Dogs are most often kept as "watchdogs", and not pets-- therefore, when they go missing, it is simply a matter of replacing the role, not the family member. In fact, though I have yet to experience it, I am told that dogs are often "released" during European vacation weeks to fend for themselves while the family hits the mountains or the beach. If the dog is still there upon the families' return, they can resume their role as guard dog. If not, they can be replaced.
2. Italians are loathe to spay/neuter their animals. It's cultural, and deep-set.
3. The combination of 1 and 2 makes for an enormous number of "born wild" animals who will never be spayed/neutered and will only continue the vicious cycle.
American and NATO military members are not guilt-free. Warned of the crime in the region, military members are known to adopt animals as watch dogs only to abandon them when their duty station changes.>
This spring began "puppy season" here in Naples. Pups, born wild of strays, begin appearing along fencelines, wandering into subdivisions, or trundling into traffic. Their mothers, who struggle to feed THEMSELVES on a street diet, become increasingly obvious in town-- thin and desperate with swollen udders and prominent ribs.
Eighteen such puppies were born in two litters in Carney Park, the recreational facility here in the Naples area. A kind-hearted woman and friend began feeding the mothers and puppies, and trying to find them homes. I helped her by fostering a number of the puppies while we tried desperately to find them homes. Of the eighteen weaned from their mothers at the beginning of June, 12 are still searching for homes. Just today I saw another posting of 12 puppies needing homes. There simply is nowhere for these puppies to go.
It is uncommon for Neopolitans to adopt animals from an animal shelter. In fact, animal shelters here have unfortunately become another victim of corruption in the area. Instead of serving to care for and re-home animals, shelters are used as profit centers on the backs of these unfortunate creatures. An animal shelter in Naples is provided 5E/day for each animal "living" in the shelter. If the animal can be kept "alive" on less, the remaining $$ can stay with the shelter management. Though I cannot verify the conditions myself (I haven't the heart), I understand the conditions to be deplorable, with near-starvation and disease run rampant.
I still am fostering two of these puppies. They are each a joy- full of wiggles and love. It gives me palpitations to think of the number of like-animals fending for themselves and dying on the streets of this town as I write.
Where are the two females that delivered the eighteen puppies in Carney Park? Still stray. Still unspayed. Most probably pregnant. It's too much.
