Francis' route with your dog
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Anna's story

Would you like to walk the St. Francis Way with your faithful four-legged friend? Are you worried about finding facilities or that your dog might have difficulty? Discover the stoty of Anna, a pilgrim who walked along the St. Francis Way with her two Australian Shepherds, Ombra and Ken, sharing a lovely adventure. 


Anna lives in the countryside between Bergamo and Brescia and manages a boarding kennel for dogs, where she combines passion and work. She was, not coincidentally, the first pilgrim to travel the Way accompanied by 4-legged friends.

She walked the path in May 2013, when the idea of travelling with dogs was still beginning to develop. She started from Piediluco and in a week she reached Assisi, via the Valnerina and the Umbrian Valley, following the Route's stages exactly.

Here is her story about this journey with her dogs and her advice to others considering starting on this adventure with their dogs.

Anna, how did you get the idea of travelling along the St. Francis ay?

I got the idea almost by chance, since I read an article on the route in a travel magazine.  So I became curious and I asked for information to the administrators of the viadifrancesco.it website and I came in contact with the Francesco's Way consortium that helped me to organize the journey, particularly to find places that could host my dogs and arrange my luggage transportation. My primary requirement was that my dogs could stay with me in the same room.

At the beginning did you plan to travel alone or did you always intend to make the journey with your dogs?

From the start I wanted to travel with my dogs. I always walk with the dogs and try every day to walk with them for at least an hour. I believe that movement for dogs is essential and if you don't move, they won't, either. There's never enough open space around home or a sufficient garden.

Francis' route with your dog
Francis' route together with your dog
Francis' route with your dog
It's vital to keep them moving with us.

Before leaving, how did you have to arrange things to manage the journey with your 4-legged friends?

I trusted the consortium, therefore I didn't have to manage logistics, because I didn't have particular needs except keeping my dogs in my same room. Anyone who planning this on their own will have to look for facilities that accept dogs.

What difficulties did you find during the journey?

Actually no particular difficulty or at least nothing forbidding. On the second day, Ombra's paw became a bit cracked, but I had with me all I needed to take care of her. Luckily, in May it wasn't so hot and therefore we didn't have the water problem, that could be the main worry for dogs. In Valnerina we have always had the river near, and in other places there are some small fountains along the path but I always kept a small water supply with me in case of need.

Which was the most challenging stage, for you and your dogs? Why?

For sure the route from Spoleto to Poreta, particularly because I went the wrong way leaving the route and I could hardly find my bearings. Finally I walked many kilometers more than expected and I ended the stage only in the late afternoon.

What stage or place has most remained in your heart?

I liked the entire Valnerina area so much, immersed in the nature, because I didn't know it at all before I went there. The place I liked most was Castel di Lago, a charming small village that gives a perfect idea of Umbria and of Francis' route.

What did you take away from your journey along the St. Francis Way?

It was a really positive experience, that strengthened me a lot. I often tend to underestimate myself and so I feel the need to arrange everything just so. Instead, facing this journey alone with only my two dogs, managing to finish it, going on adventures and overcoming even small difficulties, strengthened my confidence. When I did the Way I was still living in Monza and not working; the time alone with my dogs gave me the chance to reflect and think a lot, and probably this experience gave me the courage to change my life, moving to a family property and starting my present job.

What would you recommend to those wanting to take the St. Francis Way with dogs?

First, choose a period that is not too hot, because having enough water is the main concern with dogs. Carrying a big supply of water in your rucksack adds a lot of weight and makes you work harder.

Then you must carefully assess your own  conditioning and that of your dogs, and  choose suitable stages to avoid subjecting them to excessive effort. You'll have a wonderful experience, that will deepen your bond to your 4-legged friends. I also advise considering taking more days than necessary to travel calmly, maybe giving yourself extra time to sightsee in the art towns and having a rest day to visit the historical centers. Even your dog will have the time to rest, without being too much under stress.

Don't forget to pack bandaging supplies, like I needed for Ombra's paw on the second walking day.

Finally, pay attention to people and other dogs you may meet along the trail, particularly those on private land. Along the route, I let them roam free, but approaching towns, I had the leash ready in case of need.

Anna's story is beautiful; it's an adventure shared with her splendid companions that will surely live on in her memory, and it even contributed in a small way to turning her life around.

Today travelling along the St. Francis Way with dogs is even easier and safer than it was for Anna, thanks to the many support services created by the Francis' Way consortium to make the route more pet-friendly. These range from tourist facilities hosting animals to welcome kits containing a bowl, a sleeping mat and a toy. It will be also possible to get a collar with GPS tracker, so the dog's location can be pinpointed.

The Statio Peregrinorum (Pilgrim's Welcome Office) in Assisi welcomes those walking the Way and issues certificates attesting their pilgrimage. Dogs receive their own certificates too, in keeping with St. Francis's message of love and respect for nature and her creatures.

For information: www.francescosways.com

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