Pupdate on some of Donegal's abandoned collies and kitten rescues
It has been another full-on week for the volunteers at Animals in Need
Six collie pups found abandoned in a box as newborns, are thriving in their Animals In Need (AIN) foster homes.
The puppies had been torn from their mother at birth and dumped in a box in Carndonagh Mart at the end of May. They were brought to AIN, but hand-rearing such young, vulnerable pups is always precarious.
However, against the odds, all six pups have thrived. The litter of five boys and one girl are now lively, healthy pups with hearty appetites and their individual personalities are starting to shine.
When they are over eight weeks old, they will be found fantastic homes where they will live as part of the family.
Small kittens are regularly being found around county Donegal, many of them being saved only in the nick of time.
Amongst the latest arrivals is kitten Pebbles, who was found in a state of complete collapse, on top of which, she was almost hit by a lorry on a rain-soaked Monday. Thankfully, fast forward a week and five-week-old Pebbles is full of beans. It is heartwarming to see her enjoying herself like a kitten should do.
Pebbles is still building up her strength but is delighted to be warm and safe with a full belly. She has become firm friends with Strawberry, a kitten found in poor condition in a garden in Buncrana at the weekend.
Another small kitten, Sullivan, was rescued in Glencolmcille on Monday, after being found alone and distressed outside a house.
All are doing well in their AIN foster homes.
At the other end of the age scale, AIN rescued a lovely old tom cat last week. He was at least ten years of age, unneutered and had spent his life as an outdoor cat.
Along with having bad teeth and rough fur, he was covered in battle scars from his life as an unneutered tom.
Sadly, he tested positive for FeLV (Feline Leukemia Virus) and FIV (Feline ‘Aids’) and was beyond help. This could most likely have been avoided if he had been neutered when he was young.
He was a friendly cat, and it was a very sad end to a tough life.
The importance of microchipping was highlighted this week. Two lost dogs were reunited with their owners due to being microchipped.
The first dog, a Yorkshire Terrier, had escaped from his home and was running down the main road from Castlefin heading towards Ballybofey, and the second dog, a spaniel, was found wandering in Glencar, Letterkenny.
A cat, who had been missing for five months, was also reunited with his delighted owners, due to being microchipped.
It was a good week for adoptions, with several kittens being rehomed over the weekend.
However, there are also time wasters, who do not turn up at the allotted time or at all. Please remember that AIN’s volunteers are exactly that – volunteers. They are unpaid members of the community who give up their time to help Donegal’s animals.
AIN has a number of feral and semi-feral cats who are seeking safe release spots, including a feral mother cat whose kittens are now weaned, and she has been neutered.
A sad reality during kitten season every year, is that adult cats, including many mother cats, get overlooked. The kittens are snapped up, but the mum, no matter how loving, gets left behind.
AIN currently has three friendly mother cats looking for homes. They are all adorable and would love a home of their own.
Finally, AIN would like to thank all the people who generously donate good quality items to their Charity Shop in Donegal Town. All profits from selling these items in the shop go directly to the care of the rescued animals.
Unfortunately, some people are still dumping their rubbish outside the shop when it is closed.
The charity then has to pay to dispose of it, which is wasting money that could be spent on the animals.
AIN would once again ask people to only drop off donations inside the shop during opening hours.
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
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