CaraComeHome

From Italy to Cornwall

This is Cara's Story !

Press Release: November 6th., 2008 – for immediate release

Abandoned Cara...can you help?

Cara, a young, cute, friendly, foxy dog abandoned in Calabria, the far south of Italy, desperately needs help if she is to start a new life with Mary Alice (Cornwalls Voice For Animals) and Chris, who have Jollity Farm, a forever home for rescued farm animals, in Gerrans, Portscatho, Cornwall. Abandoned and scrounging food, walking the streets in the hope of ransacking bins, being shouted at, threatened and almost certainly beaten, for some two years, Cara's life was tough.

But a UK based animal rescuer, Diane Selvanayagam, working in Italy, took pity on Cara. Her rescue was carefully planned and executed, as Cara was not used to human contact. Diane took Cara under her wing, giving her love and attention, in addition to providing all necessary veterinary treatment. Cara has learnt to play and to a large extent, to trust. Now she is a lively, happy, sociable creature.

Following Cara's rescue, an extensive appeal was launched to find a good, permanent home for Cara, but sadly nothing came of it. The situation with abandoned dogs in the south of Italy is tragic and finding homes is nigh on impossible. Diane Selvanayagam says: “ Almost every day I see an abandoned puppy or dog. I have seen stray dogs being hit by cars, running along the motorway and lying dead in the road. This, along with the sight of dogs, sometimes injured, malnourished or covered in fleas or ticks, is harrowing.”

Diane, unable to provide a permanent home for another abandoned dog, arranged for Cara to be cared for in boarding kennels, where she remains now. But this is costly and not a long term solution. Cara is desperately in need of a loving, caring family to take care of her. Sadly she seems destined not to find what she is seeking in the south of Italy.

However, there is an offer of a fantastic home for life for her at Jollity Farm in Gerrans, near Truro, in Cornwall. It would be a dream come true if Cara could somehow go there. The Pet Travel Scheme allows this without Cara having to be kept in quarantine on arrival in the UK. In less than three weeks Cara could be in Cornwall enjoying her new life at Jollity Farm, as from then she can legally travel with her Pet Passport Unfortunately, to make Cara's dream come true, money is needed to pay for her travel expenses, which total approximately £800. Her location in the far south of Italy, and the stringent DEFRA regulations, make her travel arrangements complicated and expensive.

If you can help make Cara happy, either by making a donation (no matter how small), towards her flights, or by offering help by means of transport from Italy to the UK, please contact Mary Alice Pollard, Cornwalls Voice For Animals

If you can help make Cara happy please contact Mary Alice Pollard at Jollity Farm at Trematon Cottage, 3 Gerrans Square, Truro TR2 5GA or on 01872-580429

ENDS

DIANE SELVANAYAGAM - Telephone: 0039 347 2206023

diane.selvanayagam@btinternet.com

For Further Information Contact Diane diane.selvanayagam@btinternet.com

or Mary Alice cvfa.uk@virgin.net

From Cara, Diane and Mary Alice & Chris

WE THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT !

Thank You to all who responded to the West Briton Newspaper's article of November 13th ( see bottom of the page ) !

Money Raised To Date for Care & Travel

September 26th., 2008 £ 286.00

October 19th., 2008 £ 72.39

November 13th., 2008 £ 146.63

November 20th., 2008 £ 510.00

November 22nd., 2008 £ 40.00

November 22nd., 2008 £ 115.00

November 25th., 2008 £ 100.00

November 28th., 2008 £ 45.00

Cara's expenditure from Jan 20th rescue date:

35 euros Initial visit to vet (incl full check over, bath and scan)

550 Payment to dog sitter for two months care incl trips to vet.

40 Food during above period.

180 Spaying

20 Medication after spaying (antibiotics)

20 Follow up vet visit

24 Frontline combo

40 Vaccinations (x2)

25 Microchip

10 Drontol (anti parasite)

50 Colour posters with photos trying to find Cara a home in Italy

20 Anti rabies vaccination

10 Vet fee for blood test (following anti rabies vaccination)

65 Analysis in laboratory for blood test following anti rabies vaccination)

16 Pet passport

40 2 Scalibor collars

1050 Boarding kennels (7 months)

UPDATE: November 22, 2008

We would like to thank everyone who has supported Cara, by means of a donation, or by offering practical help. The fantastic news is that she will be arriving at Mary Alice and Chris' home next Wednesday! After much planning, and many hiccups, the journey is set to span three days. Cara will be travelling with her rescuer, Diane, and will be coming by train and plane. Airport strikes, misinformation regarding transporting dogs by rail, and the supplier not being able to provide the pet carrier ordered a month before, have all caused problems. But Diane is confident that these problems aside, she and Cara will be here within days of Cara's pet passport being ready for her to leave Italy. Cara herself is well and the time to travel seems to be perfect. Recent pictures of Cara show how much she has changed. But little does she know of the wonderful life that awaits her. Thank you so much for helping all of this to happen. There will be plenty of photos and an update following Cara's arrival.

November 24th., 2008

Cara and Diane are ON THEIR WAY HOME !

THEY'RE HOME ! ! ! ! !

26th November 2008

Above Diane with Cara and Sheba

Mary Alice, Sheba, Poppy with Cara at home in Cornwall

November 27th., 2008

Cara travelled really well, by train, plane and car. It was a long journey, carried out in stages. Diane and Cara took an overnight train from Calabria to Rome, on Monday night. Then two trains and a taxi in Rome. There were last minute problems as the pet carrier ordered more than a month before, hadn't arrived. It was therefore necessary to buy a suitable one in Rome. British Airways Cargo staff were excellent, both in Rome and London. On her release from the animal reception centre at Gatwick, Cara seemed happy and surprisingly relaxed, having made friends with the staff. Diane and Cara were collected from the airport by Martin (they would like to thank him for being wonderful). They drove to Bath, where they stayed the night, as it was late. The following morning (Wednesday) they drove to Gerrans, Cornwall...where Mary Alice was eagerly waiting.

Cara immediately made friends with the other dogs and cats, and seems as if she'll settle very quickly. Photos displayed were taken soon after Cara's arrival, on her first walk here.

We would like to thank everyone who has offered support by way of information or donations. Your help was crucial to making this dream come true for Cara. Already Cara is very happy, and as I write, she is lying asleep on a cushion she has adopted.

As for donations, the anticipated list of expenditure for the actual journey changed many times, and only as the journey happened, have we been able to know for sure, the actual cost. For now we are concentrating on settling Cara in, but in the very near future, we will post more information about the actual cost of the journey, along with further recent pics of Cara.

Once again, thank you so much for helping make this happen!

Diane & Mary Alice