Puppy love:
The abandoned collie who stole our hearts
You hear Tyson and Tiny before you see them. Big, deep barks emanate from behind a gate before two fully grown Rottweilers come bounding up. The siblings, a male and a female (Tiny doesn’t really live up to her name) were surrendered 11 weeks ago and they’re waiting for a new home. Their story is typical. Their owner no longer felt they could give the dogs what they needed so the ISPCA stepped in, working with the owner to act in the best interest of the dogs.
They are luckier than some of the other animals at the rehab centre just outside Letterkenny. Dot, a Jack Russell terrier, is recovering from the mange. When she was brought in she was in very poor condition. She hadn’t been properly cared for in a long time. Some marks still remain on her skin but she’s jaunty and lively and it’s hoped she will be ready for adoption early in the New Year.
Centre manager Denise McCausland must be one of the best career matched people you could ever meet. Her face lights up when she’s with the animals as she tells you their individual story and her hopes that each and every one will find the loving family it deserves.
Originally from Falcarragh in Donegal, she worked in retail for many years before taking a degree in veterinary nursing and working for the ISPCA in Longford for eight years. When the organisation opened its Donegal rehab centre over a year ago, Denise was promoted and made the move back home to run it.
With one other full-time staff member and one part-time member, the centre relies heavily on a team of 30 volunteers who come from all over Donegal to help out. The centre also works closely with the dog pound in Letterkenny and local ISPCA inspector Kevin McGinley.
Denise is all too aware that the coming months will provide extra challenges for the centre here and elsewhere. Come March, when the fluffy puppy look has gone and the reality of pet ownership dawns, centres like this one will be chock-full of unwanted dogs.
Denise believes people surrender or abandon dogs because they haven’t fully thought through the responsibility of getting a dog. “What I ask people coming to adopt a dog is, ‘Have you thought that this is a 15-year commitment? Have you got the time? Can you do that?’”
What they often see is people looking for an unusual dog like a husky, for example, only to find they’re not able to care for the dog. “I say look less to the breed but to the dog that is suitable for your family and your lifestyle. We can help guide a family in making those decisions. It’s in our best interests to match the pet with the family. We want to make sure the animals are re-homed for life. People might not think of them but greyhounds make wonderful pets,” she says.
However, giving pets as Christmas gifts is not something she would advise. “I don’t think a live animal should be given as a present, especially as a surprise present. It’s something that has to be planned for and it shouldn’t be on a whim. Most homes are busy at Christmas and it can be a stressful time for a young dog or a pup to be thrown into the middle of that”.
She introduces Alex, a five-year-old Staffordshire bull terrier, who she says would also make a great pet. While he may look a bit tough, he is, according to Denise, a dream. It’s clear Alex just loves company and melts when he’s rubbed.
Denise explains that while they do see hard cases, they have to stay focused on finding homes for the animals. “Being able to take them in here and being able to hold them and give them comfort, interaction, exercise and socialisation — that’s rewarding. We can move past the hard cases because we see the bigger picture. The best part is when you get photos showing the animals in their new homes,” she says.
So far this year the centre has taken in 162 cats and 53 dogs (46 are currently up for adoption while there are 11 dogs). Denise explains that they are constantly overrun with cats. Some got dumped at the side of the road.
In one instance inspectors got a report of kittens being flung from a moving car.
While the Donegal centre gives a snapshot of the work being carried out, the picture nationally paints a picture of animals being tossed aside with worrying frequency. While this year’s figures are not yet available, last year the ISPCA handled a record 17,338 calls about animal cruelty with its staff carrying out 3,494 inspections and taking 1,102 animals into care. Relying heavily on public donations, the organisation would like to be in a position to have inspectors in every county. There are currently only nine.
One issue the team in Donegal regularly contend with is border collies and collie mix breeds being dumped, abandoned or surrendered. Denise brings in Blaze, one of four 16-week-old collie pups, which are looking for new homes. His mum was taken in by the dog pound in Letterkenny where it was discovered she was pregnant. She was transferred to the rehab centre where she gave birth to Blaze and three other pups, Breeze, Misty and Flash.
‘I don’t think a live animal should be given as a present, especially as a surprise present. It’s something that has to be planned for. Most homes are busy at Christmas and it can be a stressful time for a young dog or a pup to be thrown into the middle of that’
Like many families, mine has been having the ‘dog’ conversation for quite some time. We’ve been holding out until our two sons, now aged 11 and 8, were at an age where they could be more responsible in caring for a pet. We had begun doing our research on planning for a dog. On the day I went to the Donegal rehab centre, my sons came with me as their school was off that day.
My husband and I have often explained that a dog must be walked, cleaned up after, house trained, fed, watered and loved. I think the gravity of pet ownership was further solidified when they heard the animals’ stories and listened as Denise talked about the commitment it would take.
Blaze and his siblings are more than ready for adoption. But in a place like Donegal, where collies are seen as farm working dogs, they are not always easy to find homes for.
My boys spend time with him and get the chance to hold him. He is gentle and calm if a little bit nervous of us. We are all smitten. We say goodbye to Blaze and to Denise and her colleagues at the centre. As a family we sit down later and talk about the changes we’d all have to be prepared to make to bring a dog into our lives. It never felt like the right time before. Perhaps we’d been waiting to meet the right dog.
Having grown up with dogs in both our families, my husband and I wanted a dog in the kids’ lives too.
Forty years ago the Dogs Trust coined the phrase ‘A dog is for life, not just for Christmas’ and it rings as true today as it did then. In 15 years, the average lifespan of a dog, our boys will be grown men and their childhood will be long gone. We’d love a dog to be part of that childhood and hope we could offer them a loving home. For us, the right time is now and we’re starting the process of offering Blaze his forever home with us.