The Foundation was instituted by will of Franca Melchiori, wife of the late well-known Paduan painter Antonio Fasan. The Foundation deals mainly with the maintenance and care of strays, against any kind of animal abuse. Its chairman for life is Michele Pietro Ghezzo, essayist, writer, university fellow, and founder of various protectionist associations. A vegetarian since 1983, he has been actively engaged in animal care since 1977.
The Veneto region acknowledged legal personality of the Foundation with an act of December 29 1997. In November 2001, the Foundation became a non-profitable organization of social welfare (Organizzazione Non Lucrativa di Utilità Sociale = ONLUS).
The primary aim of the Foundation is the general protection of cats, as stated in article 3 of its statute. Thus, in accordance with the current law - art. 727 CP, L. 281/91 and L.R. 60/93 - many animals are sterilized, several feline colonies are maintained, and strays are taken care of, amounting to several hundreds of animals.
Sterilizations are not carried out indiscriminately, and before surgery animals are tested for intestinal parasitosis (coccidiosis, ascariasis, etc.). If some are particularly weak, the whole colony is monitored for FIV-FELV. After sterilization, animals are kept at the Foundation for a few days to verify the favourable post-operative course (animals can often have post-operative problems which would have fatal results if the animals were re-introduced into the colony unchecked).
In one of the Foundation seats, cats under observation or confined for post-operative purposes, are kept in a room equipped with modern Terenziani cages (some of which have been donated to the Day Hospital of the National Association for Dogs’ Protection - Lega Nazionale per la Difesa del Cane).
The Foundation also protects and makes the most of nature and the environment and pursues exclusively social solidarity aims.
The Foundation is in contact with journalists for the promotion of campaigns to awaken public opinion to animal rights. Information about the activities of the Foundation is provided by the widely-circulated quarterly magazine Universi, founded by professor Michele Pietro Ghezzo in 1991.
The Foundation is also in contact with the public administration and collaborates with the judiciary body by reporting many irregularities and violations of the law. According to the provisions of the above-mentioned article 3 of the statute, sums of money (or food) have been assigned to the Bardot Foundation of Paris, the DINGO of Venice, the dogs' home of Rubano (Padova), the Zoophilic Park (Parco Zoofilo) of Cona (Venice), the Day Hospital of the National Association for Dogs' Protection of Padova (Lega Nazionale per la Difesa del Cane) and the Strays' Friends Association (Amici Animali Abbandonati) of Lazise (Verona), to support their activities in animal protection.
The Foundation board of directors (including its president) work without payment, for purely charitable purposes.
As you all can imagine, the Foundation bears heavy and increasing expenses!
Contributions to animal protection and anti-vivisection campaigns can be made depositing in the following:
- post office account 13964358;
- post office IBAN IT08 S076 0112 1000 0001 3964 358;
- bank account IBAN IT37 L05040 12124 000000163909 (SWIFT BIC: ANTBIT21327);
both in the name of:
Fondazione Franca Melchiori Fasan - ONLUS
Corso Milano 5 - 35139 PADOVA (Italy)
Tel. 049-781.10.46 - Fax 049-894.11.30
Tel./Fax Santuario degli Animali 0442-94.763
Offerings can be deducted from income-tax return in accordance with current fiscal regulations.
Contributors of a minimum 15 Euro will receive the quarterly magazine Universi for a year.
