The Highs and Lows of Animal Rescue - Donegal Animals in Need

Animals In Need (AIN) are always looking for new fosterers for the hundreds of cats and dogs that they rescue each year.

Fosterers look after the animals in their own homes and all the cat or dog’s food, bedding and vet bills are covered by the charity.

In return, fosterers are asked to provide time and TLC while providing a stepping stone to a new life for an unwanted animal.

Sadly the little fox did not survive

If you have spare time and are interested in fostering, please contact AIN for further information.

Several more dogs were collected from the Letterkenny Pound on Monday.

AIN’s foster homes are currently full apart from emergency cases, however they did pull out all the stops to find homes for two dogs whose owners needed to surrender their pets.

However, the dogs’ owners then changed their minds and retrieved their pets.

AIN would ask people who want to surrender their dogs to be 100% certain that they want to give up their pet. The charity is extremely busy and it takes up a lot of the volunteers’ time to find a suitable home for a dog and this time could have been spent rehoming a dog that needs it.

It is inevitable that fosterers become attached to the animals that they care for and this week saw a bitter-sweet parting for a little collie called Bailey and her fosterer. 

Bailey is a lovely dog who was surrendered due to a change in her family’s circumstances.

She loves nothing more than to go for long walks, play ball and give her fosterer high-fives.

Bailey has found a fantastic new home in the North and her fosterer wishes her a long and happy life with her new family, although she will be missed by AIN.

The cat rescuers are extremely busy, with constant calls to the helpline, mostly regarding kittens in trouble.

Some of the kittens are in a terrible state when they are found, including an injured kitten who has lost most of their tail and had to be collected from Falcarragh. The kitten will be receiving veterinary treatment to tidy up the tail but is otherwise in good form.

Sadly, this was not the case for a little black kitten who was found in a horrific condition, being eaten alive by maggots. 

Antique weighing scales are on sale

The kitten’s gums, anus and tiny body were heavily infested with maggots and so she was rushed straight to the vets, but tragically it was too late for this little girl and she did not survive.

It is a harsh fact in rescue that not every tale has a happy ending, as was also the case with an injured fox cub that was found at the weekend.

The cub appeared to have been hit by a car, leaving his back legs paralysed. He had been dragging himself along by his front legs for several days before AIN were alerted to his plight.

Unfortunately, he was beyond help and despite being rushed to the vets, he passed away.

The terrified kitten that was found at Centra 

But there is good news too and several kittens went to their new homes at the weekend, plus the kittens found in an ivy nest on top of a building a couple of weeks ago are thriving as are the kittens who were found soaking wet and near frozen last week.

New arrivals soon filled the spaces left by the adopted kittens, with three young kittens found abandoned in a box in Carrigart joining the cattery.

A terrified kitten was found at Centra in Donegal Town on Saturday and another one was found on Monday in Clar. The kittens are identical and are most likely siblings.

Meanwhile, Storm, a kitten who was found in a state of collapse, emaciated, dehydrated and freezing last week, has made a miraculous recovery. Just four days into foster care and he is purring away happily, playing with his toy mouse and is full of life. 

Finally, AIN has a stunning antique weighing scales for sale to raise funds for the animals. Made by Berkel Auto Scale Co, it is in fantastic condition, fully functional and with all original parts, glass frontage and enamel paint coating. Price €295 o.n.o. Please check AIN’s Facebook page for further details.

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.

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.