The “Human Dog” exhibition, a Coop Lombardia project to stop stray dogs, is underway

A selection of the photographs that the portraitist Silvia Amodio, internationally known for her sensitivity towards social and environmental issues, took last June, as part of the ‘Human Dog – Feeding Love’ project, opens at the Castello Sforzesco in Milan. , to people accompanied by their pet. All 130 photographs taken are also collected in a catalog, on sale during the event and in the book shop of the Castello Sforzesco. “The bond between the Milanese and our four-legged friends is getting deeper and more rooted and in this very complicated period they have been close to us, they have comforted and supported us with their company and, in fact, even adoptions have increased”, explains Roberta Guaineri, councilor with responsibility for animal protection and defense policies of the Municipality of Milan. “People have rediscovered the pleasure and importance of having a pet next to them. It is therefore with great pleasure that, for the seventh year, we welcome and give the patronage of the Municipality of Milan to this project. An appointment that is part of the Feed Love campaign, which has the great merit of celebrating the love between people and our animal companions and, at the same time, giving concrete help for the well-being of those less fortunate. A virtuous and successful initiative that, in fact, has crossed the borders of our city and has also been resumed in many other municipalities in the region “, he explains. Guest of honor at the event is Davide Acito, president of Apa, Action Project Animal , which will receive a donation of 40 thousand euros, the result of the sale of the charity bags, also made by the author. The contribution will be used for a sterilization campaign in Southern Italy, where stray dogs represent a health emergency. Among the projects of Apa at an international level, there is also that of combating the consumption of dog and cat meat in Asian countries. “How can one remain indifferent in the face of these ‘traditions’?”, Asks Acito. “As far as I’m concerned, no animal should end up like this, but betraying the trust of those who would give their lives for you and wagging their tail looking you straight in the eye, even though you are the executioner, I find it abhorrent. In 2016 I left for China, precisely in the place where this macabre slaughter takes place every year, involving 10,000 animals in a few days. “In this way, he emphasizes,” the first Operation Yulin was born, which saved four hundred dogs and sixty cats. I formalized my commitment with the creation of the Apa association and I extended my activities to other countries that consume dog and cat meat, creating shelters and putting pressure on local governments and attending the European Parliament in Strasbourg. Ten million animals are slaughtered every year in China, thirty million in Asia ”. “Feeding Love is solidarity at 360 degrees. In addition to food for animals in difficulty, collected in our stores, the commitment also extends to other activities ”, adds Alfredo de Bellis, vice president of Coop Lombardia. “For years, thanks to the collaboration with intellectuals and artists, first of all that with Bruno Bozzetto, we have also been promoting cultural projects that focus on a correct relationship between man and animals. A theme, that of nature, very dear to our cooperative and particularly felt by our members “. In recent years, says Silvia Amodio, “during the usual photographic appointment at the Castello Sforzesco in Milan, I have made more than a thousand portraits. Although I am always afraid, before every appointment, of not adding anything new to the work done, I must say that each edition is different from the other. I am surprised to note that it is precisely repetition that is an added value rather than a limit. The work becomes a sort of zooanthropological census. They are the starting point for describing society and its changes. There are really many shots and when I happen to look at them, and I manage to put aside the severe judgment towards my work, I see so many love stories, complicity, important bonds and relationships “. Animals, continues Amodio, “have extraordinary powers, among others also that of uniting people and giving a sense of family. Yet, despite the fact that animals are so present in the personal history of some of us and in the evolutionary history of all of us. humanity, are often mistreated, neglected, not considered and, at best, simply transparent. And it is on this that we must work, we must open our eyes and not underestimate the opportunity of confrontation with nature and its resources, not only for a personal gain, but also for collective gain. Nature is showing signs of intolerance to our neglect, just think of climate change which is a serious problem indeed, very serious, and it is not clear how those who have the duty to deal with it, listen to merchant”.