Our projects
Ameris and Graziella have dedicated their lives to the protection of the cats of Follonica. They manage their cattery taking good care of their 80 little friends helped by just one volunteer.
The association, constituted in 2009, care for a herd of local wild horses and mules and it is led by their President and vet Dr Mariachiara Lietti. Since 2010 the 24 horses of Mount Bisbino belong to this organisation that bears their name and counts over 400 members. In the summer the herd roam free on the mountains and in winter they are brought down and cared for by a group of local volunteers on a plot of land provided by the municipality of Lanzo.
Cristina and her volunteers have cared for cats in Fano’s colonies for many years. Sadly four years ago the cats were poisoned but she did not give up. She built an oasis in the countryside where they lovingly provide care for 62 cats.
The 170 APAC cats live in a beautiful, abandoned 13th century nunnery in the city centre of Cremona. The cats are free to roam around the extensive buildings and grounds. They are all sterilized and a good team of vets support them. The group, managed by Monica Gennari, also takes care of numerous cat colonies around Cremona.
Cani di Carla is a small refuge set in the outskirts of Florence. For many years Carla, the founder and manager of the project, has succeeded in finding loving adoptive families for her dogs. Her team of volunteers takes good care of each of them making sure they are healthy, adequately socialised and have plenty of space to exercise and play. In addition to that they run successful educational campaigns in the area.
Carolyn Martini, Monica Monti and Maria Barbagli are the heart and soul of CATs Onlus. Since 1999 they have combined their efforts for the well-being of the feline population in Val di Nievole. They constituted this group in March 2011 and thanks to the support of enthusiastic volunteers they carry on spay/neuter, rescue and adoption projects in the provinces of Pistoia and Lucca.
Set on the southernmost tip of the Italian peninsula, in the province of Reggio Calabria, the Turtles Rescue Centre is managed by founders Tania Il Grande and Filippo Armonio. The centre has been active since 2006 and is aimed at rescuing, caring and releasing sea turtles that have been found across the region and as far as the province of Messina. It is managed by the animal welfare group Blue Conservancy which is at the forefront of Sea Turtles conservation efforts in the Mediterranean.
Dr Maira Sgueglia provides advice on animal welfare related issues in her local area. She is a young and enthusiastic vet whose efforts are invaluable in progressing AISPA’s work. She is one of AISPA’s veterinary representatives in Italy.
EDIGA is a charitable organisation based in Palermo. Franco Lannino is in charge of the project and manages a cat oasis on the outskirts of the city where 120 cats are taken care of. Since Franco took on the management and with AISPA’s support, significant improvement works have been carried out in the facility.
Under the supervision of their President Maria Teresa Ravaioli, ENPA Faenza cares for 85 dogs at the kennels and looks after the town’s cat colonies. The number of dogs in the kennels has been reduced by 50% over the last ten years and they have an excellent re-homing record. They are in the process of re-building a brand new facility and AISPA has been happy to contribute to this project.
Managed by Tiziana Scognamiglio, Gatti Mammoni is a cat oasis set on the outskirts of Pisa. The association was founded in 2001 and cares for approximately 190 cats in addition to working in a number of colonies around Pisa.
The monumental cemetery of Verano, in the city centre of Rome, is home to a cat colony, lovingly looked after by Luana Stefani and her dedicated team of volunteers. The group cares for both the colony and the cat shelter located within the site. AISPA has been helping through the provision of feeding stations and the purchase of a van and has contributed to ongoing improvement works at the shelter.
After 15 years of dedication to reduce the population of feral and stray cats in the province of Trieste, many Triestines have come to trust, admire, and support Giorgio Cociani and his work at Il Gattile, a cattery in the city centre of Trieste. So much so, that in 2004 the municipality, allocated land on the outskirts of town for a much needed cat sanctuary which is successfully managed by the group.
IHP Italian Horse Protection is a non-profit association which works in Italy for the protection of horses and other equines. Moreover, it manages the first rescue centre for mistreated and sequestrated horses in the country. In the heart of the Tuscan countryside near Volterra , horses live freely in large open spaces and benefit from physical and physiological rehabilitation programmes, finding their wellbeing and balance again.
Founded by a team of 5 veterinarians and 1 biologist, the Italian Wildlife and Zoo Veterinary Emergency Team (IWZvet) aims at answering promptly and efficiently to animal welfare emergencies in countries with increased social, economic and environmental problems. The group, headed by Dr. Klaus Friedrich, received AISPA’s support for a Trap Neuter Release project -now successfully concluded- focused on the cat colony living within Terni Steelworks. The project only made use of laparoscopy as non-invasive technique to sterilise and manage feral cat populations in industrial areas.
For 17 years Cosetta Prontu, President of LIDA Olbia, has devoted her energies to animal welfare issues. For the last six years the association has managed a refuge on the outskirts of Olbia where she cares for 520 dogs and 220 cats supported by a team of dedicated volunteers.
This kennel was established in 1978 by Mr and Mrs Carboni. With its own infirmary and surgery room the refuge cares for approximately 200 dogs.
LPA is a spay and neuter centre which also hosts a number of cats and dogs available for adoption. There are also rescued goats, rabbits, ducks, and four buffaloes too!
It also serves as a training centre for many vets and vet students while FMA provides crucial educational programmes on animal welfare for school children. Both organisations have been founded and are managed by Dr Dorothea Friz and by her team of professional vets and volunteers. Dorothea is also one of our AISPA’s veterinary representatives in Italy.
Silvana and her husband Kevin founded this association with the aim of safeguarding swifts. The facility is a best practice centre in Italy and they have created partnerships with other leading European bird rescue centres. They also run awareness raising initiatives, educational campaigns in schools and manage conservation projects in the city centre of Trieste with the co-operation of the local authorities.
David Lingard directs LIPU UK which is associated to LIPU – Lega Italiana Protezione Uccelli. They are the Italian equivalent of our RSPB and are the leading nature conservation organisation in Italy.
A welcome addition to AISPA’s family, this little sanctuary lies in the heart of the Tuscan countryside. Driven entirely by her love of animals Freya has turned her guesthouse into a safe haven for rescued cats, dogs and ponies.
Marta Cecchi manages a number of cat colonies in and around the city of Florence. She has devoted her life to make a difference for the feline colonies of her city. AISPA is glad to support by funding food and her spay and neuter programme.
Francesca began helping stray cats in the area around Cecina in 2004. Today her group of volunteers care for cat colonies in 10 municipalities and since 2011 she has also been in charge of a local kennel where 30 dogs are housed.
Set in a quiet area on the outskirts of Palermo the dog refuge La Favorita cares for over 200 dogs. Since 1989 Elena la Porta and her team of dedicated volunteers have helped to clean, feed, treat and re-home the dogs.
Salviamo l’Orso is a bear conservation project. This association of volunteers works to save the Marsican brown bear from extinction. In addition to various projects aimed at the conservation of the Marsican bear, the association deals with the National Parks, and all the regional and local authorities involved.
When Dingo was founded in 1965, there were approximately 12,000 stray cats on the streets of Venice – today thanks to their spay and neuter outreach work there are only around 2,000. Fifty years on, Dingo still cares for hundreds of cats, in colonies around the city and at their shelter of Malamocco on Venice Lido.
This association cares for over 200 cats in this historic site of Largo di Torre Argentina in the centre of Rome and assists 45 colonies with food and sterilisations. AISPA has been helping for over 20 years.