“Exploring the underbelly of the city, I feel like I would be more likely to encounter a phantom from Pompeii than a government agent.”

From “The Hustle Napoletano” by Kate Bolongaro, journalist

 This is a memory of a journey I navigated on behalf of our dog.

Puntina was a small Italian-born mixed breed with a Sheltie look. We met her mother and her owners at a hotel while house hunting near Naples, Italy many years ago and she and her littermates were the result of a surprise encounter by the pool of that very same hotel.

Approximately two months after we moved out of the hotel, a birth announcement was made and our kids just had to see the puppies. With a coat of orange and white and a pink dot on her nose, Puntina captured all of our hearts right away and we adopted her.

She loved her Italian home, as did we, but my husband’s employment dictated the length of our stay. After two and a half years, his job was done and we needed emigration papers for our Italian dog. The Italian Government requires that all cats and dogs traveling from Italy to the U.S. must have a Pet Export Certificate that can be obtained from an authorized veterinarian of the local ASL (Azienda Sanitaria Locale), who will check the validity of the vaccination against rabies.

I went to our Italian vet near our home in Arco Felice and he told me that emigration papers were only issued in one central office in Napoli. Okay, not a problem. I would go there. "Where is it?"

He shrugged and said, "Boh," Neapolitan for "I don't know."

This flummoxed me; how could he not know?

He hesitated, smiled apologetically, and said that it was hard to keep track because the office moved quite often. I had lived in Naples long enough to understand that he was alluding to the Neapolitan "system" for avoiding taxes; the government couldn't tax you if it couldn't find you. It was an example of Italy’s Underground Economy. Though often associated with illegal activities, such as the purchase and sale of banned drugs or the illegal sale of weapons, an underground economy can also include businesses that do not report income.

The veterinarian said that the office was most likely downtown somewhere, but Napoli was a large, congested city with a warren of alleys in addition to busy boulevards. I would just have to drive around, make inquiries, and hope for the best. We weren't leaving the country without our dog!

 One morning, I headed for the port area of the city thinking it was a logical spot for an emigration office, but nothing stood out. As I headed up Corso Garibaldi, a wide boulevard climbing the hill from the port, my peripheral vision caught sight of a few people entering a building with dogs in tow.  Curiosity piqued, I found a parking spot and checked it out. Through the massive arched doorway was a large courtyard and balconies ran along each side on several floors. My attention was drawn up to the left where I heard yips and yelps and saw a long line of people with dogs! I went up, made inquiries, and found out that it was the right place. All I had to do was go home, get Puntina, and come back before the office moved.

 A few days later, emigration papers secured, Puntina was on a plane bound for Boston. I still couldn't believe that I did it!