“We can no longer view kennels as a leper colony with a pietistic approach, but we must make them centers of relational services at the service of citizens to reduce victims and promote dog adoption.” Roberto Marchesini is a volcano of ideas. And that of the Alter Expo, an exhibition for Italian kennels, is one of the most interesting, constructive and even achievable without too many bureaucratic complications. The September 30 and October 1, 2023 takes place at Naturama in Galliera, in the province of Bologna, in a green space in the Po Valley, miraculously isolated from the world. During these two days, kennel managers, dog trainers and veterinarians will take stock of the situation of the structures that house the small animals in the four most popular legs in the world. The meeting is hosted by the Bolognese ethologist, anti-species philosopher, zoo anthropologist, brother and friend of the handsome Jack Russell and author of, among other things, “Love for Animals” (Lindau). “The starting point is that things as they are demonstrate the inability to solve the existing problems,” explains Marchesini FQMagazine. “Today, the tender documents for the management of kennels are primarily based on the economic keeping of dogs, an important aspect, but not a focus. Therefore, the convenience of maintaining them over time will always be at the forefront and a strategic vision of the services that can be provided instead is never developed.” Marchesini describes the “revolution” of kennels with simplicity and competence: animal ( and human behavior experts are always present in the facility; Maximum 80-100 dogs per kennel; pleasant and green spaces for a dignified life for four-legged guests. “THE Volunteers are essential but if they are not prepared, they can cause harm and even suffer harm – he continues – and then the kennels must be organized as pleasant places, surrounded by greenery, structured with pavilions where you can, I don’t know, with dogs works that have anxiety problems on the one hand, more aggressive ones on the other, all to improve the dog’s adoptability. Attention: The kennel must also be a place where people can be taught which dog is right for them. Not Yes He just goes to the kennel save a dog, an excellent act on a moral level, but also to start a relationship based on the fact that two living beings meet.” At Alter Expo we will also talk about another possible idea in the world of kennels: behavior cards for all dogs present to recognize their natural qualities, their level of socialization and their peculiarities. “With 80-100 dogs in the facility, I know in a month which training courses I need to carry out for all animals and what the right combination between dog and human could look like. Kennels must be agile structures in which no money is wasted. Hold a dog in a kennel for 6-7 years it is not good for the dog and not even for the municipality that keeps it.” And here we open the bracket to the difference between kennels in the south and in central-northern Italy: “The situation in the south is more problematic, but this is due to factors independent of the good will of the individual managers and volunteers,” emphasizes the ethologist. “The presence of dogs running loose, which is an almost non-existent phenomenon in the north, is normal in the south. A mistake that has become a real nuisance is taking dogs that have grown up in complete freedom and bringing them to the north. One thing, however, is the dogs that live on the streets in small towns, who have developed socialization with humans and can be integrated into family circles; Another thing is that Half dogs wild that don’t come any closer and, like unsafe wild animals, stay at a safe distance: catching them and putting them in kennels means locking them up for life because they can never be reintroduced into family circles.” The work of the Alter Expo 2023 will then immediately be turned into a draft law which will be presented to the Chamber, and in the meantime also into a kind of handbook on building good management practices, which will be distributed to all kennel managers.