Weekly column - Autumn advice to keep your pets safe - Donegal Animals in Need

Animals In Need (AIN) have issued a warning regarding the suspected poisoning of two cats in the Ballyhaskey area of Newtowncunningham.
The laying of poisoned bait of any kind is illegal and a conviction for laying it can lead to a fine of up to €5,000 and/or a 12-month prison sentence.
AIN are appealing to people in this area to keep their cats indoors and to ensure that their dogs do not roam.
Any information regarding the laying of poison should be reported to the Gardaí or the National Wildlife and Parks Service.
Every season comes with its own set of pet hazards and Autumn is no exception.
The humble conker can be dangerous for dogs if ingested, causing vomiting and diarrhoea, retching and intestinal blockages, so it is best to steer clear of areas where they have fallen.
Mushrooms and toadstools are also around at the moment, so it is advisable to keep your dog on a lead if they are the curious type or a bit of a forager.
Soon people will be topping up their cars with antifreeze and this too is a hazard for dogs, cats and wildlife.
If your pet shows signs of having swallowed antifreeze, an urgent trip to the vets is vital as this can cause serious kidney damage and can sometimes prove fatal.
Meanwhile, the cat rescuers have had another busy week, with 11 new feline arrivals.
These included a friendly, black male cat who was found outside the Spar shop in Newtowncunningham and a white four-week-old white kitten who was found in Donegal Town and is very sick with cat flu at the moment.
A five-week-old kitten was found in Ballyshannon at the weekend and a mother cat and her seven kittens of only three-weeks-old were found on a Ballyshannon farm on Monday last.
Apart from the sick white kitten, the rest of the cats are in good health.
There is good news for the rescued rabbits featured in last week’s column as two of them have been adopted.
Chubbs the rabbit is still waiting for his forever home.
AIN is also seeking outside homes for several neutered semi-feral cats.
All they need is shelter and daily food and fresh water and in return they will provide excellent, eco-friendly rodent control, so they would be perfect for a farm or rural home with a barn or shed.
The cats have all been neutered and treated for parasites and are in good health.
If you can offer a home for any of these cats, please contact the cat helpline.
The dog rescuers are also as busy as ever, with all the foster homes full.

Two more lucky collies

Two lucky collies received their Pet Passports which meant they could travel to the UK at the weekend to the fantastic new homes that were waiting for them there.
Sadly, collies are still being overbred in Donegal, in the hope that a good working dog will come from the litter.
Those that do not make the grade then find themselves surplus to requirements and are often dumped in the Letterkenny Pound or surrendered to a rescue for rehoming, usually as they approach their first birthday.
The main breed of dog that AIN rescues has always been collies and there is no sign of that changing any time soon, which is a great shame as they make such intelligent, loyal companions when they are given a chance to thrive.

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Thankfully, Irish collies are popular in the UK and further afield in Europe as companion animals and AIN has been able to find many of these ‘failed’ sheepdogs loving homes in the UK and Scandinavia.
Finally, AIN would like to say a huge thank you to Rebecca Moore of Bundoran Golf Club, who popped into AIN’s charity shop in Donegal Town this week.
Rebecca had held a fundraising event with AIN and Leitrim Animal Welfare as the beneficiaries, and raised €400 for each charity.
AIN and the rescued animals are very grateful for this donation and for Rebecca's support and thank you to everyone who helped to raise this money.

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 last cent goes directly to the rescued animals for their food, bedding, vet bills, worming treatment and vaccinations.