They are family, not presents. A pet is a lifelong commitment, not a holiday trend

The Pitfalls of Gifting Animals at Christmas

The excitement of Christmas, coupled with the desire to bring joy to loved ones, sometimes leads to the act of gifting an animal. This decision can have unfortunate consequences.

Giving Animals as Gifts: A Discouraged Practice

Giving animals as Christmas gifts – whether puppies, kittens, or any other animal – is never advisable. Welcoming an animal into a family is a significant decision requiring awareness and responsibility. It should not be taken lightly, especially on behalf of others. Caring for an animal is a lifelong commitment demanding time, patience, financial resources, and sometimes even personal sacrifices.

The Unexpected Realities of Pet Ownership

When gifting a puppy, people often overlook these considerations, caught up in the excitement of the moment and assuming the recipient will be overjoyed. Sadly, many animals given as Christmas presents end up abandoned in the following months (which, as a reminder, is a crime punishable by law). This is not always due to cruelty, but rather a realization that the commitment is overwhelming.

Choosing Adoption Over Purchase

If, with careful consideration and a true commitment, you decide to welcome an animal into your family, OIPA urges you to adopt from shelters and rescues. Avoid purchasing animals from pet stores or breeding farms, which may be involved in illegal puppy trafficking.

Alternative Ways to Celebrate Animals

If you are not ready to adopt, already have pets, or wish to give a gift related to animals to friends or family who are animal lovers, consider alternative options this Christmas.

Supporting Abandoned Animals

Contribute to giving abandoned animals the greatest gift of all: a chance at a better life. Every act of kindness, no matter how small, makes a difference. A small contribution can make a huge difference. €10 can feed a dog for a week, €50 can cover the costs of a veterinary check-up, and €150 can help with the spaying or neutering of a dog or cat in need. Every donation counts, no matter the amount.

Let’s make this holiday season brighter for those who need it most

14 dogs fly from Lebanon to a new life. A few weeks ago, we shared the news of the urgent request received by OIPA International from ‘Back To Life Dog Rescue‘, an Italian organization led by Lebanese activist Pascale. They were seeking help to  evacuate 30 dogs from Lebanon, a country threatened by an extremely unstable security situation.

A Successful First Step

Thanks to the incredible solidarity of our supporters, both in Italy and abroad, we were able to make significant progress. The first 14 dogs have already embarked on a new life of freedom.

OIPA International, through your generous donations, covered the travel expenses for 10 of these dogs and purchased two large kennels for transportation. The remaining 4, who had already found loving homes, were sponsored directly by their adoptive families.

Overcoming Challenges

To reduce the initially high transportation costs associated with a cargo flight, we opted for a more economical solution. The dogs traveled on a commercial flight with Middle East Airlines from Beirut to Milan, accompanied by dedicated flight sponsors. Departing in the early hours of the day, they arrived at Milan-Malpensa airport, where they continued their journey to shelters arranged by Back To Life Dog Rescue. The four adopted dogs were welcomed directly at the airport by their overjoyed new families.

A Dream for the Future

Our hope is that all the rescued dogs find loving homes soon, and we dream of evacuating the remaining dogs in Lebanon to offer them a life free from suffering.

Rescue mission to save 30 dogs from Lebanon. Lebanon, already grappling with economic turmoil and political instability, now faces a growing humanitarian crisis due to the escalating conflict between Israel and Palestine. Innocent animals, including dogs, risk being caught in the crossfire, suffering from neglect and abuse.

In light of the imminent threat of war, OIPA – the International Organization for Animal Protection – has received a request for assistance in evacuating 30 of the most vulnerable dogs to Italy. These dogs are currently located in Bzebdine, Hemlaya, and Batroun.

“Back To Life Dog Rescue” a registered Italian association led by Lebanese activist Pascale, is working tirelessly to rescue these vulnerable creatures. Despite the lack of animal protection laws in Lebanon, the association has been assisting 50 dogs, including 170 at the “The Shouf Dog Shelter.”

Once necessary paperwork and veterinary procedures are completed, the dogs will be transported to the airport for their cargo flight to Paris. In Paris, Pascale and volunteers will meet them and escort them to northern Italy, where they will be placed in loving homes.

We understand that this journey will be challenging for our four-legged friends, and the costs are significant. However, we cannot abandon them to the horrors of war.

Diana left to suffer on the road. Her cries of pain were deliberately ignored by the driver who hit Diana, a tiny 4-month-old kitten. The person drove away without even bothering to help her. She was left to suffer alone on the street with her tiny body battered and bruised.

OIPA volunteers in Chieti, Italy, immediately rushed on site after being alerted by a citizen. The little kitten was in very serious condition, breathing heavily and in shock. She was taken to veterinary clinic. Hypothermic and tachycardic, a check-up revealed a ruptured bladder, a paracentral hernia, and a fractured pelvis.

She underwent emergency surgery to reconstruct her pelvis and bladder. Now Diana is recovering, but her health is still very precarious. She is following a therapy and needs to be monitored with particular attention and an adequate diet.

Volunteers have never left her alone, not even in the most critical phase
Please, help this little warrior who managed to win her battle with life.

Dog rescued from a deadly trap. OIPA volunteers received a distress call at 5 a.m. reporting a dog barking somewhere in a nearby field. Racing to the scene, they searched frantically for the animal. Finally, they discovered the source of the pitiful wails: a small, emaciated female dog trapped inside a barbaric wild boar trap. These cages, used for poaching, are designed to inflict hours of agonizing suffering before the victim meets a gruesome end. Beside the terrified dog lay the macabre remnants of the bait that had lured her into this deadly trap.

There was no telling how long she had been trapped inside, exposed to the scorching sun with no hope of escape. The tiny dog, barely 5 kg, was so petrified she was paralyzed with fear, urinating in terror.

A scene the volunteers will never forget. Elena, as they named her, could have perished alone and unnoticed, just another victim of the cruel poaching traps.

Underweight and terrified, perhaps abused or cast aside during her wandering, Elena needs to heal and, most importantly learn to trust humans again.

Volunteers have vowed to give Elena a brighter future. Let’s come together to help her start a new life.

Even a small donation will go a long way in providing Elena with the veterinary care she needs and the nutritious food to help her recover.

Puppies and adult dogs needs help in Palermo. For about ten days now, OIPA Italy’s volunteers have been following a very critical situation involving a litter of puppies reported to be abandoned in a remote location of Palermo, in Sicily.

There were originally seven puppies, but sadly, one was already dead when they reached the location. Another puppy, rescued with great effort, was taken to the vet. Very weak and covered in fleas and ticks, he was found to be anaemic and is now under observation.

Volunteers are caring for the remaining 5 puppies, who are around 2 and a half months old. They are feeding and monitoring them on site, but they urgently need a foster home, even temporarily, where puppies can be kept safe in a clean and protected environment.

Additionally, in the same area, rescuers found 5 adult dogs (2 females and 3 males) and a 6-month-old puppy. All of these animals need to be spayed or neutered.

Let’s not turn a blind eye. By joining forces and showing solidarity, we can support volunteers in covering the costs of caring for all these puppies and other stray animals. If we don’t spay and neuter them, the problem will only get worse, and unwanted litters will be born.

You can help by donating to cover the costs of their care and sterilization, while we are looking for a foster home even temporary, or, ideally, a forever adoption.

Six equids rescued from neglect – Very thin, emaciated, deprived of food and veterinary care: these were the conditions in which six equines were found at the intervention of OIPA volunteers in Ravenna in collaboration with the association Animal Rescue Team Italia.

Three donkeys, two horses, and a pony were discovered in a deplorable state, living in filth and manure. They were found to be suffering from dermatitis, dental diseases, eye problems, leg issues, and lameness.

Animal Rescue Team Italia is handling their medical care, while OIPA’s volunteers are taking care of all the other needs.

They visit the shelter daily to care for the horses and donkeys, cleaning their living spaces and ensuring they have a steady supply of quality food. This includes fruit (apples, carrots, fennel, etc.), high-quality hay to prevent intestinal issues, and supplements to address nutritional deficiencies.

Besides providing daily care, OIPA volunteers are seeking a sanctuary where the six equines can eventually be rehomed and cared for in a loving and respectful environment.

Let’s give these amazing animals a second chance.
All it takes is a small act of solidarity from each of us. With a donation, you can contribute to the costs of purchasing hay and supplements and support OIPA volunteers in assisting the horses and donkeys in the long term.

Vincent rescued kitten hit by car and abandoned. – A small kitten was found in desperate conditions, after someone hit him with a car and run away. Left to die on the side of a road in Castellammare del Golfo, a town in the South of Italy, he was rescued by OIPA volunteers, who immediately took him to the municipal veterinary clinic for urgent care to his mangled paw, which was infected and full of maggots for days.

Given up for dead, volunteers decided to hospitalize the kitten at their own expense in another clinic to save him.

Vincent, only two and a half months old, is now in the clinic under observation, but thanks to timely care and his great vital force, he is gradually improving. He has started eating again and his paw is healing.

To continue with the care he needs, volunteers rely on everyone’s solidarity. Let’s help little Vincent overcome this time of great suffering.

Mum and puppies rescued by OIPA – After becoming aware of a family in difficult economic situation, OIPA animal control officers in Lucca intervened to help a female dog found in a bad condition along with her three puppies, the only survivors of a litter of seven. The mother, very thin, was losing blood and was not nursing her puppies.

The entire family was rushed to the clinic. An ultrasound revealed that the mother, while severely weakened from giving birth and her difficult living conditions, was otherwise healthy. The three puppies, however, were hypoglycemic and required immediate treatment and close monitoring

After overcoming the critical phase, the male puppies, Bruno and Giorgio, were sent to the Alma Libre shelter, while Rosa, the female puppy, is being lovingly cared for by the Vice Coordinator of the OIPA Lucca guards. She’s being nursed around the clock and closely monitored

In the hope of finding a loving home for the mother as soon as possible, OIPA volunteers are appealing for help to cover the veterinary costs of saving the family and to purchase formula milk for the puppies.