They've seen hell, but now they're starting a new life . After years of being held in critical conditions in the Santa Luria kennel in the Quartu countryside, some dogs, both young and old, have finally found a family.
Following the seizure and forced eviction in 2024 , all 223 dogs found inside the house, which had been transformed into an illegal kennel, were transferred to the Shardana shelter. Some in critical condition died, but others found loving homes.
In total, 64 dogs have been adopted, thanks in part to the "Adopt a Dog from the Kennel 2026" project, which involves various associations. There are still 99 remaining in the shelter, including about ten who, unfortunately, cannot be adopted because they exhibit serious behavioral problems, unless they embark on a rehabilitation program . So here's Mirtilla , happily wagging her tail in the garden of her new home, and Pippo , who came from hell to Macomer to find his new family at the ripe old age of 12. And then there's sweet Coco , walking on a leash with her new owners.
Two women, a mother and daughter, had accumulated dogs over the years, reaching a staggering 223. On the day of the eviction, staff at the SHardana shelter found them hiding everywhere, even inside the oven, amidst dirt and excrement. Francesca Deplano adopted one of these dogs. At the shelter, they had named her Luisa, but she renamed her Mirtilla. "She's a very sweet dog," she says. "She was a little timid at first, which is normal after everything she's been through, but now she's slowly getting used to it." When she saw her on social media, "I immediately fell in love. I always say, 'Thank goodness we found her, because she changed our lives.'" As for the concentration camp shelter, "I had heard about the story, and I can't even imagine what those dogs went through."
