Our Mission and Motivation

Friends of Roman Cats desires to help homeless cats and their caretakers with an emphasis in Italy and the United States. We pursue this goal through innovative programs, international cooperation and educational initiatives. We support spay-neuter programs and believe that the practice of Trap-Neuter-Return is the best and most humane way to help reduce homeless cat populations.

Friends of Roman Cats (FORC) was formed in 2001 through collaboration between Susan Wheeler and Caroline Coulston, two Americans with ties to Rome and to the Torre Argentina Cat Sanctuary located in Rome’s historic city center. The FORC board is composed of animal welfare proponents in the San Francisco Bay Area. Our advisory board has members from both the US and Italy.

Our organization wishes to highlight positive actions and programs of cat welfare groups doing such heroic work in Italy and those in the American animal welfare community who support No-Kill. In Italy such groups as Torre Argentina in Rome, the DINGO organization in Venice, Dr Malcolm Holliday in Arezzo and Dr Dorothea Friz with Lega Pro Animale near Naples are doing stellar work educating Italians about the values of sterilizing companion animals, the benefits of Trap-Neuter-Return for community (homeless but cared for) cats and the importance of not abandoning animals once they have become companions (pets). We recognize that there are many other groups throughout Italy laboring to save cats’ lives through much hard work and monetary sacrifice.

Supported by funds raised in the United States, we collaborate with Italian and other foreign organizations to help with spay-neuter programs in Italy. One of our most successful continuing programs is shipping humane cat traps to Italy to aid in catching cats that are to be sterilized and released. Another FORC program is our St Francis Fund, which offers financial assistance for the medical needs of Bay Area feral cats to their caretakers when cats become ill or injured. In years past we have guided cat lovers on a trip to Italy for our Cats and Culture Tour, so Americans can visit a few of the most picturesque and innovative Italian cat sanctuaries and shelters. Trip goers will see for themselves how Italian community cats (homeless but cared for) live in parks, gardens and even a major hospital in Venice where they act as rodent patrol.

Below is the Italian Law Pertaining to Animals. We feel that it highlights the important “no-kill” ethos that we wish to educate the public on and encourage our local government to follow.

Thank you for visiting our site. We hope you will support us in our efforts to make the world a better place for the wonderful creatures that live among us.

Law August 14th,1991, # 281
Translated by Piera Bignetti

Law “quadro” on the matter of pets and the prevention of straying

The Chamber of Deputies and the Senate of the Republic approved.
The President of the Republic approved the following law:

1) General Principles
The State enforces and regulates the treatment of domestic animals, condemns any violence against them, condemns the bad treatment or the abandoning of them, with the aim to promote the cohabitation of humans and animals, and to promote public health and the environment.

2) Treatment of dogs and other pets
1. The control of the population of dogs and cats through the limitations of births is done, keeping into account the scientific progress at the local public health facilities. Pet owners or guardians can use veterinarian offices approved by recognized dog associations or animal-protective corporations, at their own expense.
2. Stray dogs found or captured or hospitalized at the above institutions (comma 1 article 4) cannot be put to sleep.
3. Dogs captured or coming from the above institutions (comma 1 article 4) cannot be used for clinical trials.
4. Stray dogs found or captured with a tattoo must be handed back to the owner or guardian.
5. Stray dogs found without a tattoo, as well as the dogs hospitalized at the above institutions (comma 1 article 4), must be tattooed; if no one searches for them within 60 days, these dogs can be given in adoption to private individuals who can guarantee them a good treatment or to animal-protective corporations, after receiving a treatment against rabies, “echinococcosi”, and other transmissible diseases.
6. Dogs hospitalized at the above institutions (comma 1 article 4)- with the exception of what defined by the articles 86, 87, 91 of the veterinarian police corps approved by the President of the Republic on February 8th 1954, number 20 and following modifications can be put asleep, only in a euthanasia way, by veterinarians, only if severely ill, incurable, or of proven danger.
7. It is forbidden for anyone to mistreat stray cats.
8. Stray cats are neutered by the health authority responsible for the territory and eventually reinserted in their group. 9. Stray cats can be put asleep only if severely ill or incurable.
10. The protective associations can, in agreement with the local authorities, manage the colonies of local stray cats, guaranteeing the good health and the surviving conditions.
11. The protective associations can manage the associations in comma 1 article 4, under the authority of a veterinarian office for that territory.
12. The associations in comma 1 article 4 can keep dogs in custody against a payment and offer an emergency service

3) Regional Responsibilities

1) The regions rule with their own laws, within 6 months the approval of this law, the institution of a canine register at the city hall or the local public health offices, as well as the modalities dog owners should follow to register their dogs and how to release the dog identification, which should be given using a painless tattoo.
2) The regions should determine, with their own law, within 6 months of the approval of this law, the criteria to rehabilitate dog pounds and housing for dogs. These structures should guarantee healthy living conditions for the dogs, follow sanitary rules, and are subject to the health and sanitary control from the local public health authorities. The regional law also determines the criteria and the division between the counties for the implementations of the project under their responsibilities.
3) The regions should adopt, with their own law, within 6 months of the approval of this law, and after a hearing of the associations for animals, protective, and hunting, which operate in that regional territory, a program to prevent straying.
4) The program at comma 3 includes intervention for the following:
a) Initiatives to create awareness including schools on a correct relationship between the respect for animal life and the defense of their habitat.
b) Courses to instruct the personnel of the regions and the regional health units working on the services this law provides, as well as courses for the “guardie zoofile” who collaborate with the above authorities.

This law, including the state seal, will be included in the official collection of the normative papers of the Italian Republic. Everyone is required to follow it and implement it as government law.