A DOG’S LIFE FOR ABANDONED PETS
Four hundred pooches dumped since Christmas
THE message that “dogs are for life” is not getting through after it emerged that over 400 pets have been surrendered to an animal charity since Christmas Day.
Dogs Trust Ireland has revealed it has 412 requests from members of the public seeking to surrender their dogs into the charity’s care.
Worryingly, this figure follows on from the 3,968 surrender requests they received last year, the highest volume it has seen since they opened their doors in 2009.
The reason most people give for wanting to hand over their dog is not having enough time, accommodation issues or that the animal is exhibiting unwanted behaviours.
With shelters across the country struggling to cope with the volume of dogs they are being asked to take in and very little space to do so, cases of abandonment are being seen more frequently.
Dogs Trust recently took in and cared for two emaciated Pitbull crossbreed puppies who were found at a bog in Donadea, Co Kildare by a shocked member of the public.
Assistant Manager at Dogs Trust Ireland said: “The sight of these two, defenceless little pups with their bones protruding broke my heart.
“We know there is very little rescue space available at the moment by the sheer volume of dogs we are being asked to take in, but we are begging people not to abandon their dogs, especially young puppies who have very little chance of survival if not discovered quickly.”
Late last year the charity launched their “Save the Next Dog” campaign, highlighting what it described as an “abandoned dog crisis” in Ireland.
On the other side of the border the situation is even worse and described as being “out of control” — with dog rescuers said to be finding it extremely difficult to rehome dogs because of the sheer number being abandoned.
Just before Christmas, Belfast Live reported that every rescue group in the North was beyond capacity.
In recent years, there has been a 95 per cent increase in the number of stray dogs entering dog pounds in the Republic, figures from the Department of Agriculture, Food, and the Marine show.
In 2022, the number rose to 8,116 from 4,165 in the previous year and it is understood this
We know there is very little rescue space at the moment
ASSISTANT MANAGER AT DOG’S TRUST IRELAND
reflects the mass abandonment of pets after the pandemic.
The Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ISPCA) confirmed it rescued 724 dogs between January and the end of August last year.
The ISPCA says the increase highlights a worrying trend towards pet abandonment.
Earlier this year, a national census carried out by the Connemara-based charity MADRA — which stands for Mutts Anonymous Dog Rescue and Adoption showed that at that time there were over 3,220 dogs in shelters and pounds across Ireland.
The charity also said there are hundreds more dogs waiting for a place with the cost-of-living and housing crisis one of the reasons for the public abandoning or surrendering their pets.
Because many people are no longer working from home an increasing number of dogs are being left on their own and are being under-socialised which means they can develop behavioural problems which owners can’t handle. Referring to the latest two puppies to be abandoned, Dogs Trust Ireland’s communications manager Corina Fitzsimons said that the charity’s staff are also affected by the distress caused to some animals.
She said: “It’s incredibly upsetting to see the increase in dogs being abandoned, especially young puppies.
“While we don’t know what would drive someone to abandon them in such a way, it’s clear that in their short lives, they hadn’t received the love and care that all puppies need.
“We are also worried about their mum and if there were any other pups in the litter.
“However, we’re glad these two pups are with us now, so we can nurse them back to health until they are ready to be adopted.”
While the Dogs Trust said it is more than happy to have been able to find loving homes for 1,042 dogs in 2023, they fear that 2024 will bring even more challenges as their resources are stretched to the limit.
The charity is appealing for the public to support them so they can be there to save the next dog who needs them. See www.dogstrust.ie/crisis.