Adopting Felix

by Alexandra

Introducing Felix the dog! And before anyone counters with “…but Felix is a cat’s name!”, non me ne frega niente. I think it’s the perfect name – it comes from the Latin meaning “happy” or “lucky”. From a concrete prison to walks across Circo Massimo…a lucky dog indeed.

Backstory

I adore dogs. I’ve wanted my own for a long, long time. Ever since the loss of my childhood dog (an Australian terrier named Ruby):

She was a character – hated other dogs, scared of cats, but loved being around people. She was mischievous and full of energy…your typical feisty, yappy terrier. She was hard work at times but we loved her.

I was about 5 when we got her as a puppy, and 17 when she died. I remember getting the news after my shift stacking shelves at the supermarket – crying in the car, then crying over dinner, then crying in the bath…It really felt like mourning a family member.

I would have loved to get another dog straight away. But although Ruby was missed, my parents were not-so-secretly relieved to no longer have the commitment. If I wanted a dog, it would have to be my own, and I would have to wait until I had the time, money and space. I was determined to be a responsible owner. It’s not just a question of “Will a dog make me happy?” but “Will I make a dog happy?”

For years, I never seriously considered getting one, as it seemed like this distant, unachievable goal, like being a home-owner. But piano piano things changed. At the end of 2020 I found myself living in a decent sized apartment with my boyfriend of 5 years. I was doing lots of work from home, and no longer living paycheck to paycheck. Covid was another motivating factor. I was ready for a change of lifestyle, and I wanted to do something positive and constructive – for myself and for another living creature.

Over the years I’d also become increasingly resolved to adopt from a shelter. I understand why people choose to get dogs from breeders, and I’m not totally against it, though after doing some research I’m against certain breeds (French bulldogs are cute but really shouldn’t exist). And I honestly wasn’t that fussed about having a certain breed. I love all dogs equally. So why not adopt from a shelter and transform a dog’s life? It just seemed like the logical, humane thing to do. Throw in some influence from social media, like senior adopter Steve Greig and adoption videos, and I was ready…

But was Valeriano ready? He loves dogs too, and said he was happy to have one in the house as long as it was small. The operative word was small. He didn’t exactly encourage me, but he gave me cautious approval. So after lots of long conversations and an agreement that I would be the dog’s primary owner (and responsible for the adoption process), I began to do some research.

At the end of November I passed my driving test. While that seems totally unrelated to getting a dog, in my mind the two were closely linked. Once I had achieved my goal and was no longer spending so much time and money on learning to drive, I was free to adopt a dog. In fact, as I walked through the streets of Torpignattara after my test, light-headed and euphoric, the only concrete thought I can remember is: “….I guess this means I can get a dog now.”

Finding Felix

I did some research online and contacted a couple of shelters, but the key was a conversation with Sarah, who I’d met through a wine event in Rome. She has several rescue dogs and volunteers at a shelter. I knew she’d already successfully match-made some rescue dogs and owners, so I asked her to keep an eye out for any dogs that matched our criteria: small/medium, adult, calm.

The size was an important point. While I was open to the idea of having a larger dog in the flat, especially as they’re often calmer and less jumpy than small dogs, Valeriano insisted that the dog had to be relatively small. The generic size categories aren’t very helpful, though. A 10kg dog and a 20g dog could both be considered medium, but there’s quite a difference between a beagle and a bull terrier, for example.

I encouraged Valeriano to keep an open mind – a good personality was the priority. Searching for a dog to adopt is a little like online dating. I wouldn’t reject a man outright for his height or weight, but if he had personality issues or believed in Covid conspiracies I would have second thoughts…

Sarah sent me a few suggestions, including the profile of a medium, mixed-breed, adult dog named Felix, who lived in a shelter in the countryside near Frosinone (southern Lazio).

He was 6 years old, and had lived in the shelter for 5 years. An update from 2018:

“Gli anni passano e mai una chiamata per questo dolcissimo e tenerissimo essere….con il tempo ha addolcito anche i suoi lineamenti: la vita della cella non permette grandi movimenti! Si lascia coccolare e accarezzare tranquillamente e anzi sembra dirci “Non ve ne andate vi prego!”…..speriamo di tornare presto a prenderti per portarti dalla tua nuova mamma!“

(“The years go by, without any calls for this sweet dog. With time his body has also “softened” – life in a cell doesn’t allow for much movement! He’s happy to be cuddled and stroked, and seems to say: “No, please don’t leave!”….We hope to come back soon to take you to your new mamma!”)

For the next few days, Valeriano and I argued about his size and weight, which was listed as 15 kg (see note at the end of the post***). Was he really a “smallish medium dog”? It was hard to judge from the photos, but Valeriano was convinced that Felix was too big for our flat. “Non e’ un cane, e’ un bisonte!”

Nonetheless, Valeriano agreed that we could at least go to the shelter to meet him. One blustery December morning we drove to the shelter (about an hour from Rome) to discover exactly how big Felix was, and to see if we got on.

(I don’t want to go into details about the shelter…It was an upsetting experience, and I had a very negative impression – that it’s basically a prison for the dogs. But I’m not really informed on why it’s like that, and whose “fault” it is. I don’t want to criticise the volunteers or workers who seem to be doing their best in difficult circumstances, and who clearly have genuine affection for the dogs. I’d also like to add that the vet in Rome was very impressed by Felix’s health. She said he was in remarkably good condition for a dog that had spent 5 years in a shelter.)

Felix was in a box with two other calm, friendly dogs. While all the other dogs in the shelter were barking their heads off, Felix and his companions (one of whom, Grazia, is still available for adoption) were tranquilli. What struck me the most about Felix was not his size – indisputably bigger than I had tried to convince Valeriano – but his desperate need for affection. When I stroked him through the cage he closed his eyes, and he had this expression of utter relief. “Finally…Please don’t go!“

15 minutes later we were in the car again, on the way back to Rome. After yet another conversation about Felix’s size (along the lines of: “I told you he was big!”) and a discussion about whether we were both sure and happy about the decision, we took the plunge. I called Francesca, my contact at the voluntary organisation, and told her we wanted to adopt Felix.

The adoption process

I’ll try to keep this brief and practical – hopefully this information will be useful to anyone considering adopting an animal from a shelter in Italy. This is the process I went through, and I think it’s pretty standard.

• Find an animal you’re interested in on the website and contact the shelter/organisation asking to book a visit. Alternatively, if you’re not sure about a specific animal but you have a general idea of what you’re looking for, you can contact the organisation and fill in a detailed questionnaire. They’ll then contact you to organise a visit. Either way, you’ll have to fill in a comprehensive questionnaire before you’re allowed to adopt. Mine had 90 questions, including sections on potential health issues and what I would do in specific situations.
• Visit the shelter and meet the animal. As far as I’m aware, it’s pretty much impossible to take the animal home on the same day, unless you’ve filled in all the paperwork and are 100% sure that you want that particular animal.
• A house visit (known as a visita di preaffido) is usually a must, and it’s something that puts off some potential adopters. But it’s no big deal – someone from the organisation pops round to check that your house is appropriate for the pet, and gives useful suggestions.
• Now it’s time for paperwork. This is Italy, after all! Of course the animal adoption process is going to be bureaucratic too…but rightly so. There are various documents to read and sign.

The final stage is then picking up the animal from the shelter and signing some final papers. To give you some idea of timeframes – I first contacted ACL Onlus about Felix on 5 December and collected him on 28 December. Without the complications of Covid travel restrictions and Christmas we probably would have got him a bit earlier.

Adoption day

On 28 December we drove back to the shelter to sign the final documents and collect Felix. We’d been instructed to come ready with his collar, lead, harness and seatbelt. We also covered our back car seat with an old sheet, as we were expecting him to be a little dirty and smelly after 5 years in the shelter without a wash.

The 28th was the first day of zona arancione (“orange zone”) Covid restrictions after Christmas, as opposed to zona rossa. Going into details about the Covid rules in Italy would require a separate blog post…Let’s just say that the orange zone rules meant a little more freedom of movement, but pretty much everything was shut, and everyone was staying at home. So on a cold, grey, wet and windy morning after Christmas, we drove down an empty motorway and down narrow country lanes until we reached the shelter.

We took refuge from the gale-force winds in the portacabin office, signed the papers, and waited for the man who worked at the shelter to bring Felix out to the car park. The actual handover was strange and rushed because of the weather, and I hardly had time to register what was happening. Was Felix happy to see us again, or just keen to get out of the wind and rain? He slipped into his new harness willingly enough and jumped straight into the car.

The journey back to Rome was difficult for all of us. Although initially relieved to take shelter in the car, as soon as we were on the road Felix began to look anxious. He curled up in the corner and I tried my best to comfort him. The poor thing also smelled vile. I don’t even know what to compare it to. Even with all the windows open, the smell was overwhelming. Sarah described one of her rescue dogs as smelling “like death” when she first got home from the shelter…I think that’s the most apt description!

We stopped at the Autogrill on the way back for a toilet break. Felix was delighted to get out of the car, pee and snack on some grass. But getting him back in the car was a challenge – a mixture of coaxing and pushing. On the second part of the journey he was even more distressed, shaking as he sat on my lap.

But as soon we arrived in Rome and got out of the car, he cheered up – wagging his tail as he trotted along the Lungotevere. This country boy already seemed quite at ease in the city – ready to become a testaccino.

The next step was to get him settled at home and start training – a story I’ll save for another day.

And finally…

…just a few of the many dogs in Lazio still in need of a home:

Here are three more lovely, affectionate adult dogs in Lazio that are ready to be adopted – Grazia, Aida and Alice. They’re all from the same shelter as Felix. Grazia shared a box with Felix so I met her briefly – she seemed like a really sweet, chilled dog. Aida and Alice have similar personalities and really enjoy human company.

While all dogs deserve a home, I think it’s such a shame when friendly, affectionate, social dogs like these end up in shelters. Felix, Aida and Alice all probably grew up with families. We can’t know for sure, but it’s something we can deduce from their good behaviour and desire to be around humans – and I imagine they suffer even more in the cold and isolation of the shelter.

You can find more dogs (and cats) available for adoption in Rome and Lazio here:

Canili di Roma

ACL Onlus

As you can tell from this post, I’m not an expert – this is all new to me – but if you have any questions or you want to share your adoption experience, please comment!

*** NOTE – So much for “15 kg” and “a smallish medium dog”. After we took him to get weighed at the vet, we discovered that Felix was actually 23 kg. So yes, Valeriano – avevi ragione. Hai sempre ragione…