Companion for Life

From ownership to responsibility

Almo Nature, alongside its participation in the Reintegration Economy, also promotes a holistic view of the relationship between humans and dogs and cats. As part of its status as a benefit society (under Italian law), the company’s ‘Companion for Life’ project aims to shift from the concept of ownership to one of responsibility, focusing on respecting the unique needs of our animal companions, rather than supporting the widespread and unhealthy tendency to treat animals like humans.

Almo Nature's Companion for Life project operates on four levels.

THE CALL FOR PROJECTS

Almo Nature is making £45,000 available to be distributed seven best projects from non-profit organisations across European Countries, all focused on the welfare of dogs and cats. The 'Companion for Life' scheme is aimed at organisations that promote responsible adoption, education, and respect for the specific needs of our animal companions.

EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT

For us, animal companions are first and foremost lives, not customers. We need more effective regulations to ensure their real protection, both within the EU and beyond. In partnership with those who share our values, we are committed to advocating for amendments to improve the proposed European Regulation on the welfare and traceability of dogs and cats. Our goal is to establish laws that enforce clear obligations for dogs and cats from birth, tackling any actions that compromise their well-being and natural characteristics.

LOVE FOOD BANK

As part of Companion for Life, we are active with the Love Food Bank, the virtual solidarity warehouse with which we continue to donate quality meals to dogs and cats in emergency situations and to families in situations of economic difficulty.

Since 2018, we have donated more than 5,114,425 meals worldwide.

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UCA – Anti-Poison Dog Unit

Poisoning is a serious threat to wildlife.
The use of poisoned bait is not only illegal, but also extremely dangerous. It affects not only the animal that ingests it, but also those that feed on the contaminated carcass, triggering a lethal chain reaction.

After taking part in two LIFE Wolf Alps projects between 2013 and 2024, the Capellino Foundation has renewed its collaboration with the Anti-Poison Dog Units (UCA) for the 2025–2027 period. The Foundation will continue to donate Almo Nature food to support the dogs involved in the vital work of protecting wildlife and domestic animals from poisoning.

OUR CONTRIBUTION
Over 3,000 meals of Almo Nature kibble donated per year.

INTERVENTION IN UKRAINE - 2024

Following our 2022 initiative, we organised a food aid delivery to Ukraine in November 2024, coordinated on-site by the Kj2 Italy Shelter.

This effort supported 200 dogs and 60 cats housed at the shelter and provided aid to associations and families in the Kharkiv and Kherson regions.

INTERVENTION IN EMILIA-ROMAGNA IN 2024

In September and October 2024, a series of extreme weather events hit Emilia-Romagna, in Italy causing widespread damage and leaving many animals homeless. Volunteers did their utmost to rescue and shelter the dogs and cats of displaced families. Almo Nature responded to this emergency with a donation of food which, thanks to the collaboration with ENPA, was distributed in the hardest hit areas to guarantee a safe and balanced meal to animals in difficulty.

INTERNATIONAL DOG DAY 2024

For International Dog Day 2024, we joined forces with LNDC Animal Protection and distributed 10,000 meals to dogs cared for by LNDC volunteers operating in some areas of Sicily.

Over the course of the summer, in fact, LNDC volunteers saved and welcomed more than 3,000 abandoned animals, who need to be fed, cared for and compensated for the pain they suffered with all the love possible.

INTERNATIONAL CAT DAY 2024

We celebrated International Cat Day 2024 by distributing 10,000 meals to cats in emergency situations and to families who are facing tough economic challenges to allow them to continue to care for their 4-legged friends as best they can.

SUPPORT FOR "ASLAN: THE ANIMAL BOND" IN 2024

Recognizing the importance and impact of the "Ri-Animali" project of "ASLAN. The Bond with Animals", which brings man's best friends into hospital wards and pet therapy activities, we supported this extraordinary initiative by donating to the Association 800 kilos of kibble intended for dogs committed every day to improving people's lives.

INTERVENTION IN BRAZIL IN 2024

In May 2024, a devastating flood hit the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, causing serious human losses and also severely affecting many animals. Almo Nature supported dogs and cats in difficulty, sending 5 tons of food for them. This aid was managed by the GRAD Association, which worked tirelessly to save and assist the animals involved in the tragedy.

INTERVENTION IN EMILIA-ROMAGNA IN 2023

Following the flood that hit Emilia-Romagna in 2023, Almo Nature responded to the crisis by donating 200,000 meals to support animals affected by the disaster. Through a network of 28 local outlets and the assistance of OIPA and ENPA volunteers, we facilitated food distribution, ensuring that animals had access to vital resources during the reconstruction period.

INTERVENTION IN UKRAINE IN 2022

In 2022, in response to the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine, Almo Nature sent three shipments of food, totaling over 167,600 meals, to support animals left homeless or separated from their owners due to conflict. Our President, Pier Giovanni Capellino, personally led one of the expeditions, distributing aid directly to associations and people who continue to take care of their animals despite the war.

‘Guard Dog in the Casentino Forests’ Project

Launched in 2017, this project responds to the need to reduce conflict with livestock farming by offering farmers practical support in selecting and using effective prevention tools. Guard dogs are one of the most reliable methods for reducing damage caused by predators and have long been used in areas where livestock farming coexists with large carnivores.

The Fondazione Capellino has supported the project since its beginning by providing Almo Nature kibble for the 30 guard dogs involved, ensuring they receive a healthy, balanced diet. In just a few years, wolf predation on flocks has been reduced to zero.

OUR CONTRIBUTION
Over 10,400 meals of Almo Nature kibble donated per year.

Foto Nadia e Carlo_azienda del Monastero

CONCLUDED PROJECTS

We are proud to be able to boast among our triumphs 40,048 adoptions carried out thanks to the AdoptMe program with which, until April 30, 2024, we supported shelters and foster families of dogs and cats. Over the years, we have promoted numerous other initiatives aimed at evolving the status of our animal companions.

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ADOPT ME

From 2018 until April 30, 2024, the Adopt Me program supported organizations and shelters for dogs and cats, with the aim of reducing the phenomenon of abandonments and encouraging adoptions. In particular, we have provided food support to those organizations that have demonstrated a strong commitment to increasing the number of adoptions, recognizing their tireless work.

Since 2018 we have achieved remarkable results, generating 40,048 adoptions across Europe.

In 2019, the activity allowed 24,450 dogs and cats to receive 736,716 solidarity meals in Italy, France, Germany, Belgium and Holland.

In 2020, 55,680 dogs and cats received 1,670,469 solidarity meals in Italy, France, Germany, Belgium, Holland, widening the scope of intervention and collaboration to associations to support dogs and cats of families in difficulty economic so as to prevent abandonments due to necessity. In the AdoptMe context, an awareness campaign was implemented among the European population to encourage informed adoptions of dogs and cats.

In 2021, we supported 8,468 adoptions across Europe, which gave rise to over 435 thousand meals donated to dogs and cats, through the mechanism that rewards the adopter with a month's worth of Almo Nature food but at the same time also encourages shelters to be active in generating adoptions, assigning a month's worth of meals to animals still waiting to find a human companion for each adoption that took place during the period.

In 2022, thanks to 8,034 adoptions across Europe registered on the portal, AdoptMe supported 14,618 dogs and cats, distributing a total of 114,300 solidarity meals to shelters and supported families in difficulty and other entities involved in protecting biodiversity (in particular the Hedgehog Rescue Center “La Ninna” and the Casentinesi Forest Park) with 156,600 meals.

In 2023 - and through the first quarter of 2024 - Adopt Me allowed 2140 dogs and cats to find a family, donating a total of 240,570 meals.

RESPECT ME

In 2019, within RespectMe we financially supported the holding of the international conference dedicated to the identification and registration of dogs and cats which took place in Berlin on 6 November 2019. The objective was to take stock of the state of the art in Europe at a legislative level and relaunch the path towards a single dog and cat recognition model for all European Union countries.

Furthermore, in 2022, together with the Bicocca University of Milan and an international team of lawyers specialized in Comparative Animal Law, it contributed to drafting a document which constitutes the basis for preparing a proposal to be submitted to the Commission, the Council and the European Parliament so that animal companions are considered to all intents and purposes members of the family and launch a petition in support of the initiative, which we will submit to all dog and cat owners in Europe.

Here's what we've accomplished since 2018:

since 2018

5,238,425

meals donated in emergencies or to families in financial difficulty

since 2018

40,048

adoptions to which we have contributed