Avoid Halloween Horrors for your pets - Donegal Animals in Need

The volunteers at Animals In Need (AIN) are bracing themselves for a busy time as Halloween approaches.

Every year the helplines ring constantly with reports of lost and found dogs, who have been spooked by fireworks, run away and got lost.

This is also a dangerous time for cats, especially black ones, as they could suffer abuse or cruel pranks if they fall into the wrong hands.

The best way to keep your pet safe at this time of year is to keep them indoors.

Dogs have been known to jump over previously unscalable fences if they are scared enough or to break down fences and it is not worth the risk.

Rescued kitten sisters recovering at AIN

To be on the safe side, make sure your dog is wearing an ID disk with their contact details on it and that their microchip’s details are up to date.

Many animals are terrified by fireworks, so make sure they have a safe, quiet place in the house that they can go and hide in if they want to.

Playing music, the radio or TV in the background can help to blanket the noise outside.

There are other hazards at this time, including goodies for Trick or Treaters, many of which can be toxic to pets.

Aside from chocolate, xylitol is a sugar substitute frequently found in sweets and cookies, which is highly toxic to dogs and can even kill them.

Decorations can be another problem. Fake cobwebs cause havoc for wildlife, with birds and small mammals easily becoming trapped in them, so please do not use them.

If you do lose your dog during Halloween, contact your local rescue, the Letterkenny Dog Shelter and the Gardai and hopefully you will soon be reunited, but the best way to ensure their safety is to keep them indoors and only take them outside on a lead or with supervision, even during toilet breaks.

AIN’s cat rescuers have been waiting for ‘Kitten Season’ to come to an end as it usually lasts from April until September, but young kittens are still being found regularly around the county.

The latest arrivals are two little sisters who were found separately during the week, a few hundred meters apart.

The kittens both showed signs of having travelled in a car engine and needed to be bathed before they could start their recovery together in the comfort of AIN’s cattery.

One of the kittens is also receiving treatment for an eye infection, but the sisters were very happy to be reunited and to have a good meal while they warmed up under a heat lamp.

Cats and kittens are drawn to the heat from a car’s engine to shelter and to sleep, so please check your engine or bang on the hood of your car before starting up your engine.

AIN were delighted to be nominated and to win a Disability Employer Equality Award 2023 last week.

Keep your pets safe this Halloween 

The award was thanks to the work of the fantastic volunteers in AIN’s Donegal Town charity shop, who not only work very hard but are also welcoming to everybody, so well done to them.

Finally, AIN’s 2024 calendar is now available to buy from the AIN Charity Store in Donegal Town, Pets'R'Us (Donegal Town) and Harkins shop (Muff) for only €6 each or two calendars for €10.

Calendars can also be purchased online for €10 each or two for €15 including shipping. For further details on buying a calendar online, please check AIN’s Facebook page or contact the cat helpline.

Well done to everyone who had the photo they entered into the competition included in the calendar and therefore won a free copy of the calendar. The full list of winners is on AIN’s Facebook page.

Many thanks also to the businesses that sponsored the calendar.

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.