newsletter september2012

Help us to help!Call 760 20 70 60

(0.60€ + vat)

SEPTEMBER’ 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

LYNDOFeatured Animal

1

EDITORIAL

Fall has begun and at Bianca we have already started to

prepare the new Christmas merchandising. We have new

items for sale at the volunteers’ blog, and a new calendar,

this time designed by a friend of the group Friends of

Bianca.

Although the summer is the time of the year where the

highest number of abandonments is recorded, the num ber

of animals we receive every month is always beyond

expectations. In the already overcrowded shelter, we

always have to try to find a place for one more dog, and the

urgent cases are a constant. See the animals that arrived at

the shelter on this newsletter and visit the site http://www.bianca.pt/english/ to check all

the animals that are still up for adoption. Fortunately there is still people who fall in love

with our animals and adopt them. In the section “We found a home” you may see the

animals adopted on the month of September.

We also have new safety tips, and recall the importance of the Temporary Foster Families.

At the shelter, and out of it, the work never stops. Fortunately we have unwearying

volunteers that help us on the donations’ collection campaigns. This month, once again,

Jumbo Alfragide invited us to be at a food collection campaign. We do the aftermath of

this and other events inside this newsletter.

Read more inside this edition.

Help us to help them!


MAKING ANIMALS HAPPY

This month we selected this lovely basket, ideal for

the decoration of any children’s room. It is gorgeous!

See the 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

He was one of the older residents at our shelter. Joãozinho (Little

John) was very shy and needed to be conquered to gain trust in

people. He was a very sweet dog, who loves to be petted, cuddled and

walked. It was amazing to see him jumping with happiness when he

realised he was about to be walked.

Sadly tumours happen when we least expect and unfortunately we

discovered he had an advanced state tumor on his prostate, so big

that made him incapable of urinating or defecating. Beside his

shyness, he left us a hole in our hearts.

J O Ã O Z I N H OIN MEMORY OF. . .

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Howie

Apollo

Els Barbinhas

Ninni

Sépia Shef

SheldonPenny

Kilas

Ravi

Tilia

Lyndo

Alena

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.

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Sanza

SkipLupi

Fury

Yellow

Hela

Amadeus

Skate

Epson

Mila

Tintin

RolaRolo

Zeca Zito

WE WERE ABANDONED.. .

DID YOU KNOW. . .

Temporary foster families have no expense with the animals they foster? Our shelter is

overcrowded and we do not have a cattery. Temporary Foster Families (TFF) are a great

alternative for those animals that need special care, which is so hard to provide at the

shelter. Animals homed at TFF still belong to Bianca so every expense is Bianca’s

responsibility. Families just take care of them until a new and definitive family comes

along. Be solidary and help us to help them. Be a foster family.


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freed himself from the trap. He was readily

taken to the vet, had surgery and is recovering

very well.

The vet hopes a complete recovery of Lyndo's

leg.

See his movie here:

http://youtu.be/pxldibamH94

FEATURED ANIMAL

SPECIAL ADOPTIONS

COVER ISSUE

L Y N D O

Per at our shelter.

P E R


Lyndo at the vet.

Per was one more dog abandoned near the

shelter, tied to an electricity pole.

Per is a adult dog with some peculiarities.

He is about 8 years of age, and healthy all

the time he has been with us.

He deserves a second chance at happiness.

Adopt him and have a friend for life!

Lyndo was caught by a boar trap.

He came to us in a very critical

state, extremely emaciated. When

he was found, on the woods, he

was too weak to stand up. The

look of his leg made us believe he

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I’M VOLUNTEER

C a m i l l a

My name is Camilla, I am 19 years old and I

come from Denmark. I recently graduated

from the Upper secondary school after 3 years.

I studied in Upper secondary school so I can

get into the university of Copenhagen. I want

to be a vet and to be a vet you must go to a

university for 5 ½ years. I would like to study

heart and lungs or neurology as my specialty.

To be a vet is my biggest wish. I don’t want to

be anything else. I want to help animals and

their owners. I live with my parents and my

sister in a little house on the country. I really

like living on the country. There is more space

and not too much noise. I just got a job in a big

company called Metro, which (usually) sell

products to restaurants, cafés etc. I am very grateful that I got this job because getting a

job is very difficult.

I like spending time with my family, my friends and my boyfriend, with whom I have a

relationship for 4 years now. I really like animals and my great passion is dogs. I have a

dog at home. A Beagle. Her name is Nala and she is about 8 months old so she is still a

puppy, a very active one! I love her, she is very important to me and I spend a lot of time

with her in my daily life. When she gets older I will take her to Agility training because she

simply loves jumping up and down and she can run really fast. Nala is like a sister to me.

Besides loving animals I am an animal activist. I have a lot of opinions about animal

welfare and because of that a lot of people think I am vegetarian, but I am not, I just don’t

wear fur or animal print as a principle.

The reason I found Bianca was because I search on the internet. I wanted to be a volunteer

in another country than my own to experience other cultures. I found Bianca through a

Danish organization called DFAS (Danish Friends Of Animals). I saw pictures and

descriptions of the shelter and I decided that I simply had to go and help the dogs of

Bianca. I thought: “The dogs need me”. So I went by myself for the first time ever without

my parents or friends and stayed in Portugal for a month. I like helping others, especially

animals who cannot help themselves. That is also why I want to go back again.

When I came to Portugal I was shocked to see so many dogs and cats living on the street.

The dogs looked so sad and frightened and they were so skinny and I was told that a lot of

the dogs are hard to catch because they have become so afraid of humans, probably

because the dog has been exposed to abuse. To throw a dog to the streets is animal abuse.

Animals are part of the family and therefore they should be treated that way too and even

though animals do not have a voice they will be heard no matter what because people (like

me) will be there voice!

The first time I came to Bianca I was surprised to see so many tails wagging. I imagined

that the dogs were sad and that they were all in cages or chained. Most of the dogs were

getting out of their cages and could run around in a yard. That was really nice to see. It

makes me sad that the dogs that are chained are not all bad to other dogs and the reason

why they can’t run with the other dogs is because there is not enough space to them. I

imagined Bianca to be smaller than it is. But even though it is big, it has to be bigger to


6

I’M VOLUNTEER


take care of all the dogs and everyday more dogs come to the shelter to recover. Most of

the dogs are happy at Bianca and that was very nice to see.

In Denmark the conditions for dogs and cats are well. We do not have dogs and cats living

on the street like in Portugal and many other countries. Of course some people can’t take

care of their animals but they do not throw them on the street. We do have shelters for

dogs and cats, whose owners could not take care of them anymore but the shelters, are

nothing like Bianca. There are not that many dogs in one place and the dogs are all healthy

because they have not been living on the streets.

So imagine how I felt when I came to Portugal and saw all the dogs and cats living on the

street, it was heartbreaking and unbelievable.

One of the things I remember the most from my visit to Bianca, which also gave the biggest

impression of how the conditions for animals are in Portugal and many other countries,

was one day when I went to the local supermarket with some other volunteers from

Belgium to shop groceries. When we arrived to the supermarket we saw a black dog playing

with a Coca Cola can beneath a truck, which was parked at the parking lot. We had a hard

time deciding if the dog was a street dog or not. It had no collar on but many dogs run loose

without collar in Portugal so that was not enough evidence. We tried to call the dog and it

came to us and greeted us. He was not shy. We decided to go to the shop and see if

somebody came after the dog to bring him home. When we got out of the shop the dog was

still playing with the Coca Cola can beneath the truck. One of the volunteers from Belgium

got the dog into our car and we drove it to Bianca. When we came to Bianca checked if the

dog had a chip to see who owned the dog. But the dog had no chip and we had to take him

outside the shelter because there was not enough space inside the shelter to the dog. We

gave the dog a collar on and chained him to a tree outside the shelter between two dogs. I

can’t really decide if this episode is great or not.

It all happened on the third day I was at the shelter and I was still a bit shocked about how

many animals suffered on the street. It was a very hard day for me, emotionally. The reason

why I think it is so hard to decide if the thing we did was good or bad is because I saw how

happy the dog was before we put him on a chain. Of course he was hungry and thirsty when

we gave him food and water, but he seemed happy, or did he? I could not decide. We took

his freedom, but we gave him a place to live, a place where he can get food and water every

day. And we saved him from suffering a lonely and

hurtful death on the street. So I guess we did a

good thing but it was very hard to see when we did

it.

It should definitely be more difficult to buy a

animal. It should not just be something which is

easily to buy. The problem here in Portugal is that

people (many people) are very poor and they don’t

even have the money to take care of themselves.

How can they take care of a animal? To buy a

animal should be like asking for a loan in a bank.

Someone should take a look on the persons

economy and decide whether the person has the

money to take care of a animal. If not the person

should be refused and if he decides to get a dog

illegally, he should be punished with prison

because another problem is that the punishment

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for animal abuse is too low. Mostly it will be a bill on a lot of money the person would

have to pay for his crime but if you commit crime to a child you can get to prison. Why

isn’t it the same with animals?

They are living creatures to. After my opinion animals and humans are equal and should

be treated that way but they are not. So make the punishment for animal abuse harder!

Make it harder to get a dog (passport to dogs).

The first thing I would like to say is that I don’t regret a second of the time I have spend

helping at Bianca. Bianca is grateful for every help they can get and they really need it.

The workers do an incredible job at the shelter. But there are a lot of things that they can’t

do because there are so many dogs and so much work to do.

Therefore I would like to say that if you read this newsletter, go help at Bianca. It is an

incredible experience to help socializing; playing and walking the dogs because the dogs

give you so much back, their gratefulness. They are so grateful if you take them on a walk

that they sometimes stops up and looks up at you and you can see how grateful they are

just to look them in their eyes. It is fantastic and it keeps me wanting to go back to Bianca

and help the animals there. I wanted to share this message with you because the dogs are

so important to me and therefore I need to share this. From the bottom of my heart, I love

Bianca, I love the people who once started Bianca and the people who are fighting so much

to keep it going even though it hard times in Portugal. Keep up the good work and thank

you for helping the dogs, they are so grateful each one of them.


I’M VOLUNTEER

TIPS

Did you know your dog should use a

security belt when going on a car trip?

In pet shops you can find special leashes

suitable for this purpose. This way, in case

of emergency break or accident, your dog

will be safe and will not be projected

through the car window.

Small dogs and cats should travel inside

boxes.

Enjoy your trip!

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Brad Daisy Mickey

Lutecia

Iuri

Loa

Strauss

ClaudeFígaro

Mocho EliaRisko

Koda

Michelle

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]!


9

Violeta Pintas Gibb Julie

Bile Kika Bingo Tingo

Willow

Mira

Whiskey Winnie

Minnie

Tobias

Whoopi

Minou

Woodstock


I FOUND A HOME. . .

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D o n a t i o n C a m p a i g n

This month, on the 22nd and 23rd, we were at “Jumbo de Alfragide” in Alegro Shopping

Center. With over 300 animals in our shelter it is urgent to collect dog and cat food, along

with other donations, so we may take care of our animals properly. Luckily, “Jumbo de

Alfragide” administration always supported us and invited Bianca to make a new food

collection campaign. We raised plenty food, bleach, garbage

bags, wet wipes and other products. Bianca is very grateful not only to “Jumbo"

administration but also to all the tireless volunteers, and to everyone who contributed

with a donation.

B i a n c a a t T o r r e s E x t r e m e

Thanks to some of our beloved volunteers who

perform in bike competitions, Bianca will be,

from now on, in every competition they enter,

because they glued a few stickers on their bikes.

We thank them for this lovely gesture and wish

them the best.

The picture shows Bianca’s sticker during

Torres Extreme challenge.

A u c t i o n i n b e n e fi t o f B i a n c a

We are very proud to announce that Carlos Calvet

abstract painting will be on auction next November

in Palace Correio Velho. All proceeds goes to Bianca

Charity.

B i a n c a a t T a p a d a ’ s V e t e r i n a r y H o s p i t a l

Bianca, following the invitation made by Veterinary Hospital of Tapada (Tapada das

Mercês) was present at the facilities of that hospital, on the September 29th, between 9

a.m. and 9 p.m. to collect donations (food, blankets, towels, medication, etc.)

The Hospital gave Bianca 10% of the value of normal appointments and put bags of dry

food on sale.

NEWS of the MONTH


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EVENTS


Dawg Day In Aberdeen was a huge success.

Sun shone and literally hundreds of dogs

came along. FOB found a new volunteer and

handed out masses of Dog Walk flyers and

sponsor forms. Amazing just how many

people had now heard of the charity and

how many were so interested. Photo of Mike

and Linda in front of our stall.

D a w g d a y w a l k

Following the success of the first evening for Bianca in

Aberdeen in Spring we are holding a second, this time in

Broughty Ferry, Dundee. Wine, soft drinks, cheese and biscuits

will be provided and all for £10, with all proceeds going to the

Friends of Bianca charity. The evening will be in St Luke's &

Queen Street Church Hall, Queen Street, Broughty Ferry on

Saturday 27 October at 7.30.

E v e n i n g F o r B i a n c a t h i s t i m e i n D u n d e e i n O c t o b e r

Friends of Bianca are producing a 2013 Calendar

(designed by David Stout of Sketchpad) featuring

10 dogs, 1 cat and a group of pups all of whom

have a very special story to tell and a particular

reason to be grateful to Bianca. In addition to a

recent photograph, each month will have a brief

history of the animal while on the back cover

there will be 12 pen pictures showing how they

looked when they first arrived at the shelter. We

are now taking advance orders for the calendars,

which we will have soon. This will be the only

Bianca calendar this year and a version with the

monthly text in Portuguese will be available

directly from Bianca. And also Friends of Bianca

Christmas Cards. This calendar has a english and a

portuguese version, and you can order to

[email protected] or

[email protected].

Also Friends of Bianca are producing Christmas

Cards, each pack of 6 will cost 3€.

F O B C a l e n d a r 2 0 1 3

NEWS of the MONTH

newsletter september2012

Documents

association bianca

ptenglish http

group friends of bianca

site http

responsible adoption

new items

overcrowded shelter

num ber of animals