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Matteuccio

Unknown · Adult · 7 years

A little warrior reborn is looking for his forever family! Matteuccio, an adorable miniature Jack Russell, small size, has a touching story. Born presumably in January 2019, he entered the dog shelter in the first days of 2025, after being found hit by a car and injured, with a partial paralysis that made the worst fears, possibly due to a herniated disc. But Matteuccio is a fighter. Thanks to the care received, the wound on the side has healed, the bulge has receded and the paralysis has disappeared. Now he runs and jumps without difficulty, showing extraordinary resilience. He is sociable and affectionate with people, eager to give and receive love. He is a little earthquake, full of energy and desire to do, always ready to explore the world around him. However, he has a bit of a nervous side when it comes to other dogs, whom he barks at insistently. And cats? Well, he finds them very interesting, even though they don't seem to share his enthusiasm! Matteuccio has overcome huge obstacles and now deserves a life full of joy and love. We are looking for a special family, who can appreciate his vitality and who has the patience to help him manage his reactivity towards other dogs. A family that loves him for what he is, with his strengths and his flaws, and that offers him a safe and stimulating environment. If you are an active person, who loves small and lively dogs, and who has time and willingness to dedicate yourself to him, Matteuccio could be the ideal companion for you. He is located in a private accredited dog shelter in the province of Rome but we also adopt him to the north, after the necessary pre-adoption home checks, vaccinated, spayed, tested for leishmaniasis and obviously with a microchip.

IT·Show original

Un piccolo guerriero rinato cerca la sua famiglia per sempre! Matteuccio, adorabile simil jack russell di taglia piccola, ha una storia che commuove. Nato presumibilmente nel gennaio 2019, è entrato in canile nei primi giorni del 2025 dopo essere stato trovato incidentato e ferito, con una semi-paralisi che faceva temere il peggio, forse causata da un’ernia discale. Ma Matteuccio è un vero combattente. Grazie alle cure ricevute, la ferita sul fianco è guarita, la protuberanza è rientrata e la paralisi è completamente sparita. Oggi corre, salta e affronta la vita con una voglia incredibile di vivere. È un cagnolino vivace, curioso e pieno di entusiasmo, sempre pronto a esplorare ciò che lo circonda. Ama il contatto con le persone, farsi maneggiare e ricevere attenzioni e coccole. Con gli altri cani è compatibile e può convivere serenamente; i gatti lo incuriosiscono un po’, ma senza particolare interesse. Matteuccio ora sogna soltanto una casa e una famiglia che possa amarlo come merita, condividendo con lui giornate piene di affetto, gioco e serenità. Per chi cerca un compagno piccolo, allegro e pieno di vita, lui potrebbe davvero essere il cane perfetto. Si trova in un canile privato convenzionato in provincia di Roma ma lo affidiamo anche al nord, dopo le dovute verifiche preaffido, vaccinato, sterilizzato, testato leishmania e ovviamente con microchip. Settore Adozioni Associazione ALFA OdV SMS/WhatsApp: 3280034508 email: un volontario ALFA ti contatterà per darti tutte le informazioni Preso atto dell'Informativa privacy di Alfa, acconsento espressamente al trattamento dei miei dati personali con le modalità sopra indicate, ivi inclusa la comunicazione dei miei dati ai soggetti menzionati: per l’invio di comunicazioni informative, di eventuali nostre newsletter, con qualsiasi mezzo (conosciuto o non), ivi compreso, a titolo esemplificativo e non esaustivo, posta, Internet, telefono, E-mail, MMS, SMS da parte di Alfa, nonché da parte di entità fisiche o giuridiche legate contrattualmente ad Alfa e/o che, comunque, collaborino alle attività di Alfa

Size
Small
Age
Adult · 7 years
Location
🇮🇹Roma
Shelter
Associazione ALFA
Living with Matteuccio
  • Vaccinated
  • Neutered
  • Microchipped
  • Good with dogs
  • Good with kids
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Cared for by Associazione ALFA · Roma

Listed 2 months ago

Bringing Matteuccio home

What you'll need for Matteuccio in week one.

Hand-picked · prices indicative

  1. 01
    Required by most shelters

    Trixie Transport Box

    Sturdy plastic carrier — what most shelters require for pickup.

    View on Amazon
    €35–45
  2. 02
    Editor's pick

    Folding Wire Crate

    First-week safe space. Shelter dogs settle faster with a crate.

    View on Amazon
    €50–80
  3. 03
    Legal · EU

    Car Seatbelt Tether

    Legally required in most EU countries for transporting dogs.

    View on Amazon
    €8–12
  4. 04

    Adaptil Calming Spray

    Dog-specific pheromone diffuser. Worth it for the trip home.

    View on Amazon
    €18–25
  5. 05

    Orthopaedic Dog Bed

    Worth the upgrade — rescues often have joint issues from kennels.

    View on Amazon
    €30–60
  6. 06
    Safer than a collar

    Padded Y-Front Harness

    Escape-proof for spooky rescues. Safer than a collar in week one.

    View on Amazon
    €20–35

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About Matteuccio

What life with Matteuccio looks like

Matteuccio is a small adult dog waiting at Associazione ALFA in Roma.

An adult dog fits most household rhythms once the first couple of weeks of adjustment pass. Two reasonable walks a day plus play time is usually enough. Plan a "decompression fortnight" — quiet routine, no visitors, no off-leash adventures — to let them settle.

🇮🇹Adopting from Italy

Italian canili require adopters to sign a stewardship contract (affido) and may retain the right to verify the animal's wellbeing post-adoption. Animals are chipped and sterilized before leaving (Legge 281/91). Public canili rifugio typically waive adoption fees.

Roma, Italy browse more dogs in Italy.

Frequently asked

Adopting Matteuccio, answered.

How do I contact the shelter about Matteuccio?
Use the phone, email, or website link in the sidebar of this page. Associazione ALFA handles screening and the adoption contract directly — TailHarbor doesn't broker the conversation. When you reach out, mention you saw Matteuccio on TailHarbor so they know which animal you're asking about.
Can I adopt Matteuccio if I live in another country?
Yes, in most cases. Rescues across Europe routinely place animals abroad — Associazione ALFA will tell you what they need (EU pet passport, rabies titer, transport coordination) and whether they handle transport themselves or refer you to a partner. Plan for an extra €100–€350 in transport costs depending on distance.
Is Matteuccio already vetted, vaccinated, and chipped?
Most dogs on TailHarbor leave their shelter with sterilization, current vaccinations, microchip ID, and an EU pet passport included in the adoption fee. The vet status on this page reflects what the shelter has reported — ask them directly if you need details on specific vaccines, recent bloodwork, or chronic conditions.
What happens if Matteuccio isn't the right fit?
Every reputable rescue accepts an animal back if the adoption genuinely doesn't work — that's part of the standard contract. Talk it through with Associazione ALFA early rather than rehoming privately; they know Matteuccio and can place them more successfully than a second-hand listing can.
Why does the description sometimes read awkwardly?
TailHarbor translates shelter descriptions into English from the source language (IT). Translation is imperfect — names of streets, donors, and shelter-specific terms occasionally slip through unidiomatically. For the cleanest read, click the source link to see the shelter's original page.
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Adopt Matteuccio — 7yo Mixed breed in Roma | TailHarbor