Animal Care Society

eNews from the Cork Animal Care Society


It is with deep sadness that we have to announce the tragic and unexpected death of Anne Fitzgerald, our employee, animal welfare coordinator and staunch friend.

Her passing away has left a huge void in the world of animal welfare in Cork, and indeed, in Ireland. She was admired and loved by all those who met her, and her love and compassion to all of God's creatures knew no bounds.

Our website home page caries an obituary to her, please click here to read. To her Mother, Brothers and Sister and her Children we extend our deepest sympathy.

May she Rest in Eternal Peace, surrounded by those she loved so much.

Cork Animal Care Society  eNews  June 2011

 EDITORIAL backtotop

To all our Cork ACS Supporters.

 

Welcome to the June issue of our e Newsletter. This one is real mixed bag and you are bound to find something in here of interest, irrespective of whether you love dogs, cats, horses, wildlife or what ever other animals we share our planet with. 


In every newsletter we urge our supporters to ACT and not leave it to someone else to do so, as that almost never happens. If we want the hopelessly outdated 1911 "Protection" of Animals Act to be replaced we must make this painstakingly clear to the Department of Agriculture in Dublin. The replacement of this Act is in their hands and they need to hear from you and all your friends. See our other article further down in this newsletter about what YOU can do. 

Cruelty to animals must stop

Call to Arms. Replace the outdated 1911 Act 

 So, it's time to make up your mind. Are you  a couch potato too and wait for others to take the initiative ? Or, are you prepared to sacrifice one, just one, Sunday, travel to Dublin and make it clear that YOU WANT ACTION and the shame of a 100 year old useless Act is no longer acceptable to you.  Is that ONE Sunday too high a price to pay for what you believe in ? We in the Cork ACS fully support ARAN's peaceful protest and urge all our supporters to join in.

 

In This Issue
Early Neutering, the REAL story.
Call to Arms
Sweetie Pie, update
New Wildlife website
Meet our Hurling Team
Homes, PLEASE PLEASE
The Cat with 18 Lives !
A Mum's work is never done

Previous issues of ACS eNews, click here.

 HandyQuick Links

http://www.animalcaresociety.ie 

http://irishwildlifematters.ie

http://thecathospital.ie

http://woodgreen.org.uk

http://dogstrust.ie

http://bluecross.ie

http://www.aran.ie

 


Contact Us

Cork Animal Care Society
087-3199016
+353-21-4551781

info@animalcarescoeity.ie

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EARLY NEUTERING, What's the Real Story?

 

In our previous newsletter we devoted an article to the subject of early neutering. We received several reactions from our readers on our article. In essense, they boil down to the fact that our readers vets will not do it since they aren't comfortable with the operation and feel that they do not posses the required surgical skills.

 

Sadly, as usual, we are behind the times here in Ireland. In the UK there is a register kept where vets can indicate that they are comfortable in doing the operation when the animal reaches a 1KG weight and that means that they ( the vets ) also feel comfortable with the anesthesia requirements on such a small animal.

At a recently held major animal welfare conference in Dublin our ACS Chairman brought this subject up and asked the chairman of Veterinary Ireland to support the introduction of such a register for Irish Vets. Time will tell if this will be done but it certainly would be a good start.

If you missed last months newsletter  here is an excerpt of what it contained:

 

"There is no evidence to show that neutering earlier than six months (and as early as seven weeks) has negative developmental or behavioural consequenses.  The perceived increased risks of surgery/anaesthesia are now considerably reduced by published information on improved techniques and agents."

Read their comprehensive article here.

 

If we said it once, we have said it a thousand times. Neurtering companion animals must be made compulsory. That, and only that, will put a stop to the dreadful suffering the animals go thru, due to endless breeding. Where this has been done, for instance in areas in New Zealand, a dramatic reduction has been noted. But that requires political will and that commodity is in very very short supply in our Government. Suffering of animals is paid lipservice to and that's as far as it goes. After all they, our elected politicians, do not have to deal with stream of unwanted animals and they do not have to face the needle going into a vein of yet another animal on death row.

PLEASE HELP US. RAISE YOUR VOICE AND HELP US GET PROPER ANIMAL WELFARE LEGISLATION AND HELP ERASE THE IRISH SHAME OF A ONE CENTURY OLD USELESS ACT.

 

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    Call to Arms. Replace the 1911 ACT !

Cruelty to animals must stop 2 

Make a stand if you dare and care !

 

Further to our editorial above. Here are the details of what is planned by ARAN. A major rally in Dublin later this year.

MARK YOUR DIARY NOW AND JOIN MANY HUNDREDS OF COMPASSIONATE ANIMAL LOVERS FOR WHAT'S GOING TO BE ONE OF THE BEST DAYS OF THE YEAR FOR SPEAKING OUT AGAINST ANIMAL ABUSE.

 

When: Sunday, October 30th, 2pm sharp - (will be wrapped up by 5pm)

 

Where: Garden of Remembrance, O'Connell Street, Dublin. 

 

The present Bill will this year be 100 years old, it's now time for more modern laws that will make life harder for those who get sick kicks from abusing animals, but also time for laws to stamp out fur farming and much more, we've got one last chance to get fur farming in Ireland banned in 2012 and if this opportunity slips, then it may not happen for a very long time to come.

 

Be sure to bring your rescued dogs, children, co-workers, friends etc. - make sure everyone on FACEBOOK knows about this big event to raise awareness of Ireland's obsolete animal welfare law and the need to bring in proper modern legislation. Although ARAN will be providing banners and placards, feel free to make a sign, poster or banner for an issue that you might feel closest too or strongest about.

Read our article opposite on why this is so very much needed.  Not convinced yet?  just click here and read the document presented.

Now do you believe us ? See you there?

 

 

UPDATE ON "SWEETIE PIE"
Fuzy at Clare 

 

       Sweetie at Home, at last !

 

We believe this elderly cat was dumped a long time ago and was one of group of homeless cats which one of our volunteers is caring for. But, there is more to the story. She was in an awful state, suffering from chronic upper respitory infection (herpes) and her oil soaked coat was in an absolutely  shocking state, caused probably by sleeping on the oil covered engine of an old tractor to get a tiny  bit of heat in the freezing weather we had. On top of that, her ears had turned cancerous, as is very common in white cats and to top it all of, she is deaf, very very common in white cats.

After 5 weeks at the cat hospital where vet Clare Meade, read more about her , did all that she could to get her back to health we are happy to report she now has her forever home at the sanctuary. See her photo in our photo gallery below. Read our previous newsletter for her full story.

 

Wildlife info and First Aid. 

Hedgehog picture 

Now, here is something you might wish to bookmark. There are a lot of websites and folks who devote all their considerable energies and time to helping our companion animals, of whatever kind or type. 

But... what about all the others who we share our planet with ? The birds (and the bees), the foxes, the badgers, the otters and the fish in the sea  to name but a few.

Do you know what to do if you see, or find, an injured animal? Most vets do not have the specialised knowledge at hand to know the right treatment and you probably might not know it either.

Well, this website, is a real goldmine of info. It has three sections:

Section one is aimed at the person who finds the casualty.

Section two is for the rehabilitator who takes responsibility for the long term care of the animal.

Section three is a veterinary section advising on common conditions, drugs ad dosages, etc.

 

We urge all our readers to visit and take a note of this website address, by doing so, YOU might have saved a life, or have contributed to doing so.

Please Remember, our own lives would be so much poorer if we did not have all those other creatures around us.

Here is the website.

DID YOU LOSE A BALL?

 

Phebie with Ball
Look no further, I found it !

 

Out of the blue we got an email from a lovely woman in Waterford, Anne is her name. Here it goes:

"Hi Animal Care Society, my dog Roxy continues to find lots of balls in his walks and brings them back to me, they look like Hurling Balls. I've so many now that I wonder if you would like a few for your dogs." Well, that wonderful offer did not fall on deaf ears and an email went straight back to Anne saying: YES YES YES PLEASE, we'd love some.

And so it was that the postman arrived at our door, thinking we had set up an animal hurling team as the box was full of them.

Anne, thank you, as you can see, they are being put to good use and we are most grateful to you. The postman thinks we are wonderful and have our own team of Hurling dogs. We smile and say nothing but all the Dogs said: Thank you Anne. Way to go !

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 Montfort needs a home with TLC.
 Montfort

This handsome lovely cat, about 8 years old needs a special caring home. Her eldery owner had to move into a care home and could not take her. She is neutered (of course) vacinated and is a dote as they say. Can you help her ?

Please contact us and say that you are enquiring about Montfort.

 

Johns Kittens
Thelma and Louise say Hello. 

 Kittens, Kittens and more Kittens. If you have been thinking of bringing a small life into your home and heart, why not contact us now. We have several lovely kittens waiting for that special home.

The Cat who had not 9 but 18 lives and borrowed a few more.

 

Curious ?, well grab that cup of coffee and read on. There is a saying which says: Curiosity killed the cat and in in this case it could so easily have happened.

A good month ago, this lovely cat, lets call him Mr. Crawford, went missing. The owner was distraught and put up posters and did all she could to find him back.

 

But... no trace of Mr.Crawford. Days became weeks and hope started to fade as with each passing day the chances of a successful return become smaller. Yes, we know, we have all heard stories of cats returning weeks and sometimes months later. But, those stories are the exception. But now our story takes a turn: The other day the ACS email enquiry account received an email from a person mentioning that a cat had been found at a recycling centre. The cat was very friendly and clearly had been used to people. So... he was posted on our Facebook site, on the off chance that someone would recognise him.

Low and behold: within hours we got a call from a Lady who thought it was her cat ! Not only is that unusual but the cat and it's possible owner were at least 80 km apart and that is a long way to travel, even for an intrepid cat ! Our Facebook coordinator put the finder and the possible owner in touch with each other and the owner travelled up in haste to the place where the cat had been found and taken in safely by the finder.

and YES !!! It was him. From what we heard, the cat went wild with joy and pleasure in seeing the owner back and it is fair to say that a few tears were shed.

 

The only explanation as to how the cat made the journey would be that Mr. Crawford got into the owners recycling bin and via the recycling truck ended up at the centre. Lucky ? Not half, very seldom do these stores have a happy ending like this one. The first thing the owner did was take him to the vet to have him microchipped as he well and truly used up his supply of nine lives. Our thanks to the kind lady who took him in and kept him safe, it was a kind and compassionate act which saved his life.

A very very very lucky cat indeed.

A mothers work is never done.

 

It's tough being a she cat; rearing litter after litter of kittens, hiding out from big scary tom cats, hunting for food and finding warm places for me and my babies to sleep safely. The last few weeks have been stressful. Both my sister and I were expecting a litter each, so we had to find somewhere safe in Youghal to have them. My sister and I always stick together - afterall, there is safety in numbers!

We chose the backgarden of what seemed to be a very friendly lady. She had a nice big shed, and was kind enough to let my sister and I use it. And it was here that I gave birth to my litter of 4. I've never had a forever home, and I've never been to a vet, so I was very sick and weak while I weaned my babies. They got sick too, which made me really sad. Luckily, the lady that owned the backgarden decided to help us. She called the ACS and asked them for advice.

 

I was a little scared when Anne from the ACS came, I didn't know what to expect. She took me and my litter to the vets to get the help we needed. The vet cleaned all my kitties eyes which were in a bad condition. I got lots of treatments too, and was finally neutered! No more running from tom cats and litters for me! Yipee!! I was so happy when the lady vet told me that all my kittens will be finding forever homes, I couldn't ask for more and I'm so happy to see them healthy and safe.

 

However, my work was not done. My sister had her litter of kittens, so she needed my help! So back to the kind lady's house I went to help out. I think my sister and I have found our forever home. The lady gives us yummy food, lots of cuddles and a warm place to sleep. Once my sister's kitties are old enough, she will be neutered too. No more babies for us!

The ACS arrived just in the nick of time. They've helped re-home my kitty's, neutered me and made me better. They will neuter my sister too. And hopefully, her two kitties will be rehomed also when they are old enough!

They say a mother's work is never done......well maybe that is true, but at least now my sister and I can look forward to our retirement! Time to rest and put our paws up I think. :) Thank you new forever mummy for taking us in and thank you Anne from ACS for coming to our rescue.
 
Ed's Note: A big thank you to Patricia O'Connor who wrote this lovely story !

  Youghal Tabby              Youghal Tabby kittens
                               

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City Hall ACS Stand
Cork Volunteer Fair at City Hall
The Cork ACS was asked to participate in the Cork Volunteer show, recently held in the City Hall. The fair spanned Friday night, all day Saturday and  a half day on Sunday. A great many folks stopped by the ACS stand to say hello and become more acquainted with our work, or offer their services.
The ACS used the opportunity to drive home it's spay and neuter message, the big stand in the left of picture says it all.
Anne Fitzgerald (R.I.P.), assisted by her team of wonderful volunteers, left no stone unturned to "Fly the Flag" and get that message across. Spaying and neutering holds the key, the only key, to stop the tragedy of pet overpopulation.
We say a big thank you to Anne and the team, it truly could not have been done without you all!
 
PLEASE CRUSH THOSE EMPTY FOOD CANS!
Ever had your head stuck in a bucket and not been able to get it out? No?well, lucky you. But if you were dying of hunger and that bucket had a taste morsel in it, you might stick your head in it. Well, many animals have had this experience and it is usually fatal. So, PLEASE squeeze those empty food cans, irrespective of what was in it. That simple one second act might just save a life!
 
  
Anne and John at City Hall
Anne Fitzgerald (R.I.P.)  and John (ARAN) at the Cork City Hall
From our photo gallery.
  
Mom
I wish they weren't so thirsty !
   
Ruben GSD
Yes, I know ! I'm HANDSOME ! 
Sweetie at Home

Sweetie Pie at Home, at last.

Her bed is electrically heated, the sleeping quarter of her spacious run is fully insulated and heated. A promise made to her was a promise kept.

 

 
OUR ANIMALS NEED YOU. YOUR HELP is vital if together we want to effect the desperately needed changes the animals require. Please add your voice to ours. PLEASE WRITE to the Department of Agriculture, Animal Health and Welfare division, Kildare Street, Dublin 2. Your letter will count.

Do ask for an answer and please ask when the hopelessly outdated 1911 Act will finally be replaced with legislation which puts the "Duty of Care" into  Animal Welfare in Ireland.  Please

join ARAN's demonstration in Dublin in October, mark you diary now, bodies on the street count and are a lot harder to ignore than a letter here and there.   If you can, please help us by donating a few Euro to our work. Every cent helpsclick here:

THANK YOU.

The Cork Animal Care Society                                  
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