Fausto: A special adoption in Italy

Fausto during his first few days at Footprints of Joy

Fausto crept quietly into our lives. When we first saw him, he was curled up next to a shop in Cernavoda in Romania. Some passersby had alerted us to his presence after spotting him huddled up there, as if he was trying to hide. To begin with, he wouldn’t even look us in the eye, and the delicious pâté we offered him didn’t seem to convince him he could trust us. Then something changed.

The first days at Footprints of Joy

Although we didn’t know much about his past, we suspected right away that Fausto had been abandoned. His behavior, the place where we found him, and his overall condition indicated that he wasn’t used to living on the streets.

With a lot of patience (and lots of pâté!), we managed to get him to stand up and eat something. Eventually, he stepped into the transport crate we had prepared for him, and we brought him to our clinic.

After routine health checks confirmed he was in good shape, we gave him a few quiet days to recuperate.

The first hug with his new family

Fausto regains his confidence

During this recovery period, we focused on building a relationship of trust with him, reassuring him that he had nothing to fear. We spent days just sitting by his cot, allowing him to get used to us and to adjust to our presence, our hand gestures, and the tone of our voices.

It wasn’t long before his innocent, puppy-like gaze won everyone over. Fausto gradually met the entire staff at the center and began discovering spaces that were all new to him. The day then came when he was finally ready to wear a harness and leash and be able to go out and explore the world.

As the weeks went by, we watched him regain his confidence, tackle new challenges with increasing courage, and learn to interact with both people and the other residents at our shelter.

Then we received the wonderful news we had been hoping for: a family in Italy was interested in adopting him.

Adoption in Italy

Fausto was welcomed by the Italian staff on a sunny September afternoon and was delivered into the arms of his new family shortly afterwards. Emotions ran high for everyone as he jumped out of the van, marking a heart-warming conclusion to such a special story.

Although none of the staff from Milan had met him before, they felt as though they had always known him. The same was true for his new family, who wrapped him in a warm embrace when they met him.

A few days later, we received the first photos of Fausto in his new home. We could see the change in him, and bid him farewell one more time, thrilled to have shared such a beautiful journey together.