July 2012 EN

Help us to help!Call 760 20 70 60

(0.60€ + vat)

JULY’ 2012

Help us to help!Call 760 20 70 60

(0.60€ + vat)

Official Bianca Association Newsletter | Year III

http://bianca.pt/english | http://bianca-pet-rescue-adoption.blogspot.com

TITIFeatured Animal

see page 4

1

EDITORIAL

July is a special month! It is the time of Bianca’s

anniversary which we celebrate with our annual party. This

year, like the previous ones, the party was a success! We

had lots of fun, games, food, beverages, facial paintings

that delighted the children, stalls with several articles for

sale, and above all good conviviality! It is always nice to be

with friends, sympathizers and volunteers that help our

Association.

But this month is always a difficult one too with the highest

number of abandonments. Some people tie the dogs to our

gate in an anonymous and coward way! Others, without

shame, go to our shelter and even though they know they are being filmed, have no fear of

consequences. We lack a law that effectively protects animal rights and punishes whoever

mistreats and abandons an animal. Bianca has already filed several complaints for

abandonment by owners properly identified.

Education and good judgment are crucial when adopting an animal! If you cannot adopt

don’t do it! Adopting an animal just to abandon him when he grows up or because you

want to go on vacation, is a way to mistreat and traumatize him.

We hope that the future generations are better and friendlier to animals because we still

have to face those who don’t respect them and even offend those who protect them.

Read more inside this edition.

Help us to help them!


MAKING ANIMALS HAPPY

This month we selected the Hello Kitty’s purse which

its very pretty, practical and feminine!

See other items and utilities at the blog and know that

by buying something you are directly and actively

helping Association Bianca.

http://fazendoanimaisfelizes.blogspot.com

DO YOU KNOW. . .

When you fly, you may help Bianca Association? If you fly - on vacation or for work - from

Lisbon to Belgium, Holland, Germany or Denmark, you can help our pets. You can take an

animal with you to his new home.

Lets us know when you fly and we will manage all the details including animal passports,

sky kennels, a person to take the animal to Lisbon Airport and do the check-in with you

and a person in the destination airport to pick up the animal.

You don't need to do anything except transporting the animal. This is your way of helping

a dog or a cat that needs a home. If you are willing to help out, please contact us by

[email protected].

2

Rosy Titi

Clark

Aba

TreyPrima

Piko Melito

MaxPrimo Pandora

Mocho

Fish

Niko

WE WERE ABANDONED.. .


Bianca was formed 10 years ago and (unfortunately) we know by

heart all the excuses people come up with to give their animals:

health problems, job transfers, new houses, divorces, etc. But in

fact, for those who love animals, there is no reason in the world

that could lead them to abandon their animal.

Our shelter is not the perfect home for any animal. We bring them

to the shelter (hopefully) temporarily, give them a safe place to

heal and be cared for, while trying to promote a responsible

adoption for each and every animal. A responsible adoption

because, if someone lacks the conditions to adopt, they shouldn’t

do it. The animal may become stressed, psychologically damaged

and his future life may be impaired.

If you want to join our cause, you may visit us on Saturdays and

find out more about us and our work. All help is welcome.

If you can and want to adopt, please send an email to

[email protected].

If you cannot adopt but want to help, know that you may sponsor.

This way you will be providing an extra welfare to an animal.

Know more at http://bianca.pt/english or send us an email.

3

Rima

Michelle

Pocky Tanga

Roxy

Lami

Yuri

Minnie Gabor GibbMilady

Gugi

Nora

Peta

Narta Narcy

NualoPer

Roma



4

LokiLetty

Mazarati Mhia

Miana

Lauro

Marluce

Nalin Mora NarutoMica

LuciBravoGui

BiléSilvy Pako

Pintada

Phelps

Liv



5

Pintas



This cat was abandoned this month and at the day we brought

him to the shelter we realised he was not able to urinate. He was

taken to the vet on an emergency basis, but unfortunately he died

a few days after.

May you rest in peace sweet cat.

B L A C K C A T

Riva came to us one day presenting a giant hernia on her

abdomen. She underwent an emergency corrective surgery and

survived. Recently she suffered an accident and passed away. . .

Rest in peace sweetheart!

R I V A

Makro was at the shelter for a very long time. She had always

been shy and liked to be left alone! One day, while being bathed

and cared for, we realised she had several tumours on her belly.

She was taken to the vet for proper observation. Her health status

was weak and even after some days of treatment she did not

resist. May you have your rest dear Makro.

M A K R O

IN MEMORY OF. . .

6

puppies, one of which died. When we managed

to collect the puppies Titi followed them into

the car and remained calm the whole time. She

is now very sweet. Nevertheless Titi has an

enormous hernia that almost touches the

ground! Because she is breast feeding the

puppies she cannot undergo surgery yet.

Unfortunately we do not have a temporary

foster family that may shelter them during

these crucial first weeks of life. We cannot be

sure if the puppies will survive because they are

very young (just a few days old) and small.

FEATURED ANIMAL

SPECIAL ADOPTIONS

COVER ISSUE

T I T I

Aline at our shelter in January.

A L I N E


Titi in our shelter

One day when we were searching for a dog

that had loosened herself from the chain,

we found Aline. She is a very sweet and big

female dog that was in a pitiful condition

when we found her. She was producing

milk, lots of milk. We asked a man that was

wandering around the place if he knew

where the puppies were. He told us that

they had been adopted but we realised later

that they had been killed. We took her to

the vet immediately and the exams showed

she suffered from a mammary infection,

chronic otitis and leishmaniasis. Today she

is treated, the leishmaniasis is under

control but still no one wanted her. She is

super sweet, tender and has a suffering

look. Adopt her!

Titi is a female dog of a group of 6

that were abandoned near the

shelter. We were never able to

catch her because she always ran

away. She eventually became

pregnant and gave birth to 3

Additionally we are overcrowded with new and sick animals, all in need of our attention

and care.

We have already mentioned here the importance of spaying and neutering and once again

we give emphasis to that. Every year thousands of unwanted puppies are born and we have

to counteract this tendency and be responsible human beings.

We need volunteers that may actively help at the shelter! Be solidary and come volunteer

at our shelter.

7

WE ARE VOLUNTEERS

C h a r l i e a n d J u l i e

We are Charlie and Julie and moved to Portugal

a couple of years ago, to look after a friend's

fruit farm. We are originary from the United

Kingdom (Guernsey, Channel Islands) and

have been involved with Bianca more or less,

since our arrival.

Our motivation comes from witnessing so

many homeless dogs on the streets of Portugal

and wanting to help.

Having lived in Goa, India, for around 3 years,

we have seen what happens when dogs are left

to their own devices on the streets. Basically

they form scavenging packs that hunt at night.

They are full of diseases, (rabies etc) and have

many, many puppies that are not controlled or

monitored by humans whatsoever. Their lives are basically terrible, with no hope of help,

and mercifully, their life spans are short, due to illness and neglect. We found a few

volunteers from Europe trying to help with a sterilization program, but the problem was

almost impossible to control. The local Indians had problems in feeding themselves, let

alone animals, and the end result was that animals were left alone to completely forage for

themselves.

In Portugal however, there seems to be a different type of problem, where animals appear

to be brought into the family as household pets and given security and hope from the

"puppy" stage, only to be abandoned later on, through no fault of their own. This is

perhaps crueler than India, as a lot of the Portuguese strays seem to be so very easily

approachable, and have been given love at some stage of their life, and cannot adapt easily

to street life. We have seen some terrible signs of neglect in stray animals in Portugal, and

it would appear that Portuguese people have not understood that when taking on a four

legged addition to their family, that it is for that dog's entire life, regardless of expense,

family changes, or whatever. A lot of the dogs have not been neutered, and hence the local

population of strays, increases rapidly.

We honestly believe that any society can be measured in its humanity, as to how it treats

its animals. We also believe that the volunteers at Bianca are very very special people. Not

only do they understand the local problem, but tirelessly devote their time, money and

love on helping the dogs that are lucky enough to find themselves in Bianca.

One of our biggest surprises when first visiting the Bianca shelter, was how nearly every

dog there, wags its tail and comes straight up to you when you first visit! That alone, tells

everyone what incredible work they do there! All the volunteers know every dog by name,

and also know its history of where it was found etc etc. We are truly honored to play a little

role in helping them all. The other amazing factor about Bianca, is how it attracts young

volunteers from all over Europe, (Holland, Denmark, Sweden, Germany etc) who give up

their annual holidays to come over to Portugal, and tirelessly help in the shelter, or in

escorting dogs to their new homes found in Europe! Now that the regulations have been

reduced for dogs entering the UK, we do hope that some day in the future, there will be

some UK volunteers, as well as finding wonderful homes for Bianca dogs!

When we took on our first dog from Bianca, (Kooga, a beautiful 8 year old thoroughbred


8

WE ARE VOLUNTEERS

German pointer), he had been found tied to a

litter bin. As he had been "chipped," the Bianca

representative tracked down the owner easily.

When questioned about why his dog had been

left in such a terrible state, (he was so dirty, it

took four baths to see that he had dapple

markings on his fur. . . .) the owner couldn't

understand what all the fuss was about. Kooga

had been used for hunting all of his life, and

was used to being tied there!

He was only fed once a week by the owner, and

was no longer any use for hunting, so he had

basically been left there! His back had been

marked by stick beatings, and he was more or

less close to emotionally giving up on life. . .

That was over a year ago, and now he has found out that he doesn't have to walk directly

behind me, and he doesn't get beaten if he has a good bark at anything that takes his fancy

! ! (yes, it took two months of complete silence before he learnt to bark again!) We have

found a beautiful loving dog, (thanks to Bianca) who will be by our sides for the rest of his

life. He has responded to our love, and pays us back a hundredfold on a daily basis, with

fun and love and happiness. . . the change in his character has been a joy to watch!!

We would so thoroughly recommend anyone to adopt a Bianca dog!!

In the United Kingdom, dogs are generally looked after, as a four legged member of the

family, and are taken on for life. This is not to say that there is no cruelty, however the

general population get very annoyed and upset if they hear of specific cruelty to animals

and generally, offenders are punished by law. Serious offenses are well publicized. . . There

are still animal shelters all over the country, but generally, the main worry appears to be

the breeding of dangerous dogs (Pit-bull, Dobermans, and Rottweilers) that are used by

the more uneducated members of the community, as appendages for their "macho"

image. . . You will not see many stray dogs anywhere in the UK, as the community would be

concerned for its welfare! The RSPCA (The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to

Animals) plays a huge role in monitoring the overall situation in the UK. There are also

laws to protect animals, with severe penalties for offenders.

With the recent relaxation of the UK's strict quarantine laws, we are really hoping that we

can contribute to finding loving, happy homes for Bianca dogs in the UK, in the not too

distant future. We are confident that Mike Gibb in Scotland, is making tentative enquiries

with this in mind.

We believe that Portugal needs to introduce legislation on "Responsible Ownership of

Animals". This should encapsulate animals being chipped by law, to track the owners,

along with suitable fines for any cruelty discovered in the home environment. The law

should also cover the responsible neutering of both male and female dogs that have been

found abandoned, along with the Government or suitable charitable trust, meeting the

veterinary costs incurred.


9

WE ARE VOLUNTEERS

We also believe that many people obtain dogs for "security" purposes, and have no

intention of allowing them in their homes or family. We believe this to be wrong and

again, education should be spread on how dogs should be a part of the family, and not

delegated to sleeping outside of the home in the garden or elsewhere. After all, a good dog

would react to an intruder just as well if it was in the house or outside!

We also believe that in cases of extreme cruelty or neglect, the story should receive

adequate local publicity in newspapers and TV, to encourage the community to be suitably

appalled by the acts of "the few". This might help in showing the population what is

happening amongst them to their "four legged friends".

Finally, we believe in education at school level from within the curriculum, to show

children how they are expected to treat animals generally in the home environment. It

would be nice to produce a short "Bianca" film for circulation amongst schools at some

point, showing how animals should be treated and loved for all their lifetimes. (Would

you believe that we walked Kooga on a lead through Setubal, and all the children were

scared of him and moved to the other side of the street??)

If we had any message to leave with the Bianca newsletter, we would like to mention that,

thank goodness, dogs have got an amazing capacity to forgive what has happened to them.

We all know that eventually they will become a reflection of their new owner's character,

and given the right environment, will become an extremely loving, valuable member of

the family.

Perhaps it might be an idea to have a small document given out to potential owners of

Bianca dogs, when they arrive at the Bianca shelter, asking them what would they do with

this animal if they lost their job, or suffered a divorce or similar problem? Would they

still want to care for the dog? Perhaps they should sign a document promising to look

after that dog for its lifetime??

That seems to be one of the main problems with finding new homes. Are the owners really

serious about their new commitment?

Perhaps only education of the general public will help in the long term. . .

We are so very grateful for the opportunity to help at Bianca. We do wish we had more

time to help, but our hearts go out to all those

people who help with Bianca! Keep up the great

work!!

Charlie and Julie


10http://bianca.pt/english | http://bianca-pet-rescue-adoption.blogspot.com

TIPS

Summer, heat and beach are the

watchwords of this season! Lately the

temperatures have been very high and

many pet owners think about taking their

dogs to the beach.

The option may not be a very practical one

for many people but it is possible to enjoy

a real family day at the beach with your

dog. Nevertheless we leave here some tips

on how to improve this experience and

make it a pleasant and safe one.

First of all make sure that dogs are

allowed at that beach. In the summer

season it is forbidden to take dogs to

concessioned beaches no matter what time

of the day, except for assistance dogs. At

non concessioned beaches be sure to look

for any prohibition sign.

Do not forget that you must always keep your dog on a leash at public places and the beach

is no exception.

Keep your dog in the shade at all times! Take an extra sun umbrella with you if necessary.

Be sure to always have fresh water available. At the beach and on hot days animals

increase the ingestion of water! We take this chance to remind everyone not to let the dogs

drink sea water. It may cause them indigestions.

Even in the shade the UV rays may be harmful not just to ourselves but to our four legged

friends too. The solution is a sunscreen! Nowadays every pet shop or vet has this products

available. The most sensitive areas are the ones without hair like the nose, belly and ears.

Animals with fewer or brighter hair are more exposed. Young and senior dogs must have

extra surveillance. Apply some sunscreen on your dog, avoid sun burns and have fun with

the family!

11

Berta Gigio Dani

Delinda

Lista

Prince

Dany

ClementinaLobito

Dhara

RaulUma

Dica

Naruto

I FOUND A HOME. . .

It is always a great joy to see an animal being adopted. An

adoption should always be a conscientious, well though and

voluntary act. And that is why at Bianca all adoptions are carefully

considered.

This way we try to assure that the animals are in good hands, that

they will have a family for their entire lifes and will be loved,

cherished and respected as a member of the family that feels,

reacts and suffers like all of us. And even with all this some

animals are still returned.

Remember, if you cannot adopt there are other possibilities for

you, like sponsoring. In this case, you are actually helping without

taking the animal into your home. You may walk your sponsored

animal, take him to the vet, etc. They thank that!

Go to http://bianca.pt/english or send an email to

[email protected] and find out more about it.

If you send us photos we will publish them on our website and

social networks.

Contact us by e-mail for the address [email protected]!


12

Blaze Nora Felix Sebastião

NEWS of the MONTH

Like the previous years, the “Bianca’s Day”

party was a huge success! Lots of people

joined us and had fun knowing that they were

at the same time helping and contributing for

the welfare of the more than 300 dogs and tens

of cats we have under our care at the moment.

The games amused everyone and the food was

delicious. It was the celebration of Bianca’s

10th anniversary, well spent among human

and four legged friends.

We were also visited by some of the dogs that

already found a home and it was rewarding to

see them so happy.

To everyone who attended the party and to

those who could not come but sent very

positive messages we thank very much.

B I A N C A S ’ D A Y


I FOUND A HOME. . .

13

EVENTS

On Saturday, August 18, 2012 at Catoctin Creek Distilling Co. , Purcellville, VA, Friends of

Bianca Pet Rescue will host a whisky bottling fund raiser. 100% of the donation goes to the

rescued pets!

During this event you can reserve a private spot at the magic “whisky cow” and learn an

important skill: how to bottle, cap, seal, and label whisky. Be a part of whisky history at

VA’s first legal distillery since prohibition and sign your name or promote “Friends of

Bianca” with a personal message on some bottles. Share lunch on the house with your

fellow whisky bottlers and, best of all, you get to take home your own souvenir bottle of

whisky, filled by your own two hands! RSVP now! Reservations are limited!

F R I E N D S O F B I A N C A I N S E S I M B R A

It was with great enthusiasm we welcomed Mike and his wife Norma, founder of the

“Friends of Bianca” charity in Scotland. Mike came to meet our shelter, our conditions and

of course, to personally meet the volunteers, who took the chance to gather and have a

pleasant evening with these scottish friends.

W h i s k y B o t t l i n g F u n d R a i s e r

August 19 will be the DAWG Day, which is a big event and weather permitting will be very

well attended. It will be held at Hazelhead Park in Aberdeen Scotland from 12:00 p.m.

until 4:00 p.m. Friends of Bianca will have a stand at this event with dog shows,

demonstrations, catering stall that include ice cream and. . . a bouncy castle for the

children. Show up and have a fun filled family afternoon with no admission and free

parking!

D AW G D a y b y F R I E N D S O F B I A N C A

NEWS of the MONTH (continuing)


Documents

July 2012 EN