This short communication introduces the reader to challenges faced by a cat rescue organization (Dingo-Venezia ONLUS ) operating in the Venice area during and after the COVID -19 pandemic restrictions. The area around Venice houses more than 1,500 cat colonies, in the mainland and in a number of densely inhabited isles. During COVID -19 restrictions, providing for animals was recognized as a legitimate cause to circulate, but there was uncertainty about the procedure to obtain such recognition. Volunteers chose to go and feed the animals nonetheless, even with the risk of incurring legal consequences. During restrictions, there was an increase of cat adoption demands, but also in cat relinquishment, and a general decrease in donations due to the economic crisis. Although not reporting experimentally sourced data, this paper affords the reader an informed insight into the challenges due to COVID -19 restriction, directly from the experience of an established Italian cat rescue organization.
This paper describes the RiVite project granted by the Italian Ministry of Economic Development according to the JUMP (Joint Universities Program for PoC) program for patents enhancement, proposed by Sant'Anna School, Scuola Normale and the University of Palermo. The patent (Calvo, R., D’Asaro, F., Baiamonte, G.: Metodo per la realizzazione di un’opera costruttiva modulare per la protezione del territorio e detta opera. Attestato di Brevetto per Invenzione Industriale, n° 102,017,000,141,369, Ministero dello Sviluppo Economico, Roma, 27/02/2020.) consists of an advanced soil bioengineering work providing anti-erosion function, consolidating and stabilizing of slopes, thus for land protection. The technique is based on modular elements construction (Roll Modular Fascine, RFM, 40 cm × 60 cm) made with the residues of vine pruning collected with specialized agricultural machines. The RFMs are filled with a pre-seeded cultivation substrate, consisting of a mixture of beached Posidonia oceanica (L.) Delile, seeds of autochthonous species and coolant fluids. The wooden part of the work resists only for the time to rooting and development of the native species, after which the resistant action will be exerted by the root systems. The final work was realized connecting longitudinally the RFMs with cables or wire meshes. Differently from the common works, thanks to the assembling system, the proposed patented work is less time consuming, and reduces CO2 emissions because of reusing waste materials. The project was based on different prototypes, and the JUMP program made it possible to implement four prototypes in two areas near Etna volcano (Nicolosi, Giarre).
