Leading Donegal animal charity appealing for new fosterers

Animals In Need (AIN) is a Donegal-based charity made up completely of unpaid volunteers. They do not have a sanctuary and therefore AIN’s fosterers care for rescued animals in their own homes.

Volunteering can take many forms, including hands on animal rescues and fostering, fundraising, helping with Trap/Neuter/Return (TNR) of feral cats in the community, working in the AIN Charity Shop in Donegal Town and helping with emergency transport for rescued animals.

READ NEXT: Great turnout for fundraiser in memory of Pettigo’s Caoimhe Kelly

READ NEXT: Cllr Niamh Kennedy bestowed with Honorary Doctoral Degree

AIN only has a handful of fosterers and are appealing for more people to join their ranks. The more fosterers they have, the more animals they can save.

Fostering is mostly caring for cats or dogs and AIN provide bedding, food, cover any medical expenses, and can provide pens for fostered dogs.

In return, fosterers give their time and a safe refuge to an animal that has often not had the best start in life.

It can be hard work as many of the animals rescued are frightened, sick, traumatised or injured, but it is also rewarding as you watch an animal heal, physically and emotionally, and help that animal onto the path to a new and better future.

If you would like further information on volunteering, please contact AIN for further information.

Last week, AIN was contacted about a cat who was found with horrific injuries to his face.

The big, ginger tom appeared to have his upper jaw blown out to the sides and his nose was missing.

He would have been in excruciating pain and unable to eat or drink and he had been around the Downings area for at least five days in that condition.

During an emergency trip to the vet, the cat was found to be far beyond help and the kindest thing to do was to end his suffering.

A little tabby kitten called Robbie was found in a garden in Letterkenny last week.

Robbie has a permanent head tilt and was taken to the vets, who believes that it is due to a birth defect caused by the kitten having been exposed to Feline Panleukopenia whilst in the womb.

Luckily, Robbie’s head tilt does not affect him in any other way, and he is an adorable kitten.

Tuxedo tripod cat Percy is now ready for his new home.

Percy is nearly a year old and was found with a serious injury to a back leg, which had to be amputated.

However, he has completely adapted to having three legs and is looking for a loving, secure indoor-only home.

Percy has been neutered, vaccinated, microchipped and wormed and would make a wonderful companion cat.

AIN’s cat maternity wing is filled with mother cats and kittens, but none of the kittens are old enough for rehoming yet.

Kittens are posted on AIN’s social media at around 6 weeks of age, when they can be booked, although they are not ready to go to their new homes until they are 8 or 9 weeks old.

AIN has a rehoming album on Facebook, which has photos and details of available cats.

Currently ready for rehoming are Percy, Java and Cleocatra, who is still a kitten although she had a litter of four kittens of her own when she was only six months old.

Cleocatra deserves to find a home where she will at last have the opportunity and freedom to enjoy being a big kitten herself.

AIN’s helplines ring daily with requests to take in pet dogs or pups.

Many of these are unwanted due to overbreeding, the novelty has worn off, the puppy has grown too big etc, but there are also genuine reasons why someone must give up their dog, such as ill health or a dramatic change in circumstances.

AIN were recently called on to help a family whose home had burnt down, and they had nowhere for their six little dogs to go.

The charity managed to find homes for all six dogs, who had been much loved by their previous family and who were heartbroken to have to rehome them.

The Dog Shelter in Letterkenny also has many dogs available for adoption.

Always adopt, don’t shop, and give a dog in need a second chance.

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.