"Hunting for a second life". This is the name of the project conceived by the Municipality of Bologna, departing in April and intended for hunting dogs who are no longer able to play their role: in a nutshell it is a second opportunity offered to animals, which can be adopted and keep company with a new family or be employed in the so-called "Pet therapy". The initiative came to mind atIntermediate Health and Healthy Cities Unit of the Emilian capital and was presented underlining the protagonist role of these dogs in hunting, their sweet character, the brilliance in the shots and the developed sense of smell.
Aging is unfortunately inevitable, but there may also be diseases or other factors that make these dogs no longer suitable for hunting. This is why they will have a new opportunity to make themselves useful, an experiment to which associations such as Federcaccia, ArciCaccia, Animal Liberation and The lands of the Pack. The ultimate goal is the welfare of the hunting dog. The hunters will have to fill in a form with the data of the animals and in this case it will be known precisely how many there are, as well as verifying the microchip: together with the card, a bookmark with useful contacts will be given in case of renunciation of the dog.
Federcaccia and ArciCaccia will promote the project in the environment with informative material and organizing some meetings to provide other important information. Animal Liberation and Le Terre del Branco will instead manage adoptions and pet therapy. Finally, a book will be produced shortly with the same title as the initiative, "Hunting for a second life", a collection of dog stories written by citizens and hunters who want to make their contribution.