'It is devastating to lose an animal to something that is easily preventable'

The latest Dog Statistics Report for 2023 has been released by the Department of Rural and Community Development and reveals that 179 dogs went through the Dog Shelter in Letterkenny last year.

Of these dogs, 119 were brought in as strays and 60 were surrendered by their owners. No dogs were seized by the Dog Warden. A total of 41 dogs were reclaimed by their owners and 26 dogs were rehomed by the Dog Shelter.

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Another 97 dogs were rehomed after being transferred to animal rescues (Animals In Need or the ISPCA).

Eleven of the remaining dogs were euthanised and one dog died on their way to the vets/Pound.

The Dog Shelter figures for 2023 are an improvement on the previous year, during which 264 dogs went through the Letterkenny Pound.

There has been a significant drop in surrenders this year, from 141 dogs in 2022 to 60 in 2023.

This reflects the huge increase in unwanted dogs during 2022, many of them ‘pandemic pups’ who were bought during lockdown and were then unwanted when life got back to normal.

The Dog Statistics Report also records that there were 21 reported incidents of dog aggression in Donegal during 2023, with 14 people sustaining injuries.

There were also eight reported incidents of livestock worrying, resulting in injury to 25 sheep and five cattle.

Despite the drop in dogs being given in to the Pound, animal rescues are still overwhelmed with the number of dogs that people want to give up.

Animals In Need (AIN) receives calls, often on a daily basis, from people who want to rehome their pet or they have litters of pups that nobody wants.

Once again, the charity is appealing to people to neuter or spay their pet dog and be part of the solution, rather than adding to the problem.

The cat rescuers have had a difficult weekend, with the deaths of three kittens.

The kittens were from different litters but all died from the same cause – worms.

Despite using worming treatment specifically for kittens, the kittens worm burden was so heavy that they passed away.

It is devastating to lose an animal due to something that is easily preventable. If their mother had been wormed, she would not have passed parasites on to her kittens, whose tiny bodies were unable to flourish as a result.

It has been a busy week for the volunteers, with 11 kittens arriving from a man in Inishowen.

With such a large number of kittens due to arrive, AIN asked the ISPCA to assist and the kittens were split between the two charities, six going to AIN and five to the ISPCA.

Their help is much appreciated.

Meanwhile, tiny kitten Hiccup, who is being bottle-fed, went downhill on Saturday but thankfully he seems be recovering, so fingers crossed for him.

Two black kittens, Hermes and Magic, who were found separately with badly injured legs, have both fully recovered from surgery.

Hermes and Magic each had to have a leg removed but they are in excellent spirits now and having only three legs is not holding either of them back.

They are now ready to find fantastic homes.

There were more trips to the vets for AIN’s volunteers, including taking kitten Noah to have his badly inflamed eye examined.

Unfortunately, his eye is beyond saving and he will have to have surgery to remove it this week.

AIN has dozens of cats and kittens looking for new homes.

Amongst them is a Persian cat called Bunty. He is an older cat at eleven years old and he is looking for an indoor home as the only pet as he does not get along with other animals.

If you can offer Bunty or any of AIN’s rescued cats and kittens a home, please contact the cat helpline or send a personal message on Facebook.

To help AIN’s animals, please donate €2 to AIN’s ‘Help Us To Help Them’ fundraising appeal via your phone by texting the word ‘KITTEN’ to 50300. Every cent goes directly to the rescued animals for their food, bedding, vet bills, worming treatment, and vaccinations.

For further information on adoption, fostering, volunteering etc, please contact the main helpline on 087 1356188. For cat/kitten enquiries please call 087 7644420. Animals In Need Donegal is also on Facebook and has a website at http://www.animalsinneeddonegal.com

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