WATCH: Person of the Month award is 'great recognition' for work of Limerick Animal Welfare

THE PEOPLE behind Limerick Animal Welfare who, over the past 39 years, have cared for thousands of unwanted animals before finding them their 'forever homes', have been honoured with the Limerick Person of the Month award.

Marion Fitzgibbon, chairperson of Limerick Animal Welfare and Geraldine Gunning, vice chairperson, accepted the award on behalf of all the staff, volunteers and people who have helped them on their journey which began in 1983.

“We are absolutely thrilled to get this award. It’s for all the helpers and the people who work in the shops every day and it’s really the people of Limerick - that’s what the award is for because they’ve kept us going for 40 years,” said Marion at the presentation in Limerick’s Clayton Hotel.

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In 2007 Limerick Animal Welfare embarked on their biggest undertaking - building, staffing and running a purpose-built animal sanctuary in Kilfinane. Here a whole host of animals from horses to puppies, goats, kittens and the occasional exotic visitor receive expert veterinary care, nurture and, most important of all, some old fashioned TLC as they await better times.

Limerick Animal Welfare operates three shops in Limerick city providing essential frontline services as well as retailing a range of quality second-hand items to the public. There are two shops in Parnell Street and one in William Street. The shops specialise in second-hand clothing, ornaments and household items. 100% of the funds raised go directly to fund Limerick Animal Welfare activities.

The vast majority of their funding comes from the generosity of Limerick people and organisations; through on-street fundraising and through income from the charity shops which are staffed by volunteers. They also receive an annual grant from the Department of Agriculture.

It costs in the region €850,000 to €900,000 to run the sanctuary each year. Last year they homed 450 dogs.

“Once a year we get about €70,000 from the Department of Agriculture but we need to bring in €85,000 every month,” Marion explained.

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Marion, who will be 82 in August, has dedicated a huge portion of her life to the cause. Having come out the other side of the pandemic, she explains that there is cause for concern as donations have not picked up since society opened up.

“Our vet bills last year were €250,000. We are bringing in around €50,000 a month and we should be bringing in around €85,000. All donations are down, church gate collections are down, Facebook is down, the shops aren’t bringing in as much, we’re not open fully as much. With inflation now, it’s very hard for people and they have told us that. We were very grateful to get the help with the wages from the Government scheme. We were getting €22,000 a month but that stopped then on January 1,” she pointed out.

While they have many volunteers, the nucleus of the group comprises around seven to 10 people who do most of the work.

“We are down to 14 staff now - we are actually advertising for two jobs,” said Marion

“Many people have gotten Covid in the last three months. We had escaped the first two years and now in the last couple of months, we’ve had a lot of staff out and we haven’t been able to open fully yet.”

According to Marion “there are too many animals and not enough care”.

“So many people bought dogs during the pandemic. They paid big money for a puppy and now they are gone back to work and they don’t have anybody to mind the dog or walk it. The veterinary costs have all gone up.”

Limerick Animal Welfare is always looking for people to provide a long-term, loving home for the animals. Their website gives full details on how people can adopt a dog or cat.

“The dogs are neutered and fully vaccinated,” Marion explained.

While there is a lot of interest in small dogs, there is less interest from the public in adopting larger dogs.

“We have a lot of greyhounds and lurchers that never get homes.”

Geraldine Gunning, vice chairperson of Limerick Animal Welfare, who will be taking over from Marion as chairperson, highlighted real concern over the number of unwanted and neglected kittens at the moment.

“The cat situation is just crazy every year,” said Geraldine, who looks after the shop in William Street and has been with Limerick Animal Welfare for 30 years. “If everyone neutered just one cat it would make such a difference. The cats have an awful life - they are pregnant when they are only babies themselves.”

Already in one week, Limerick Animal Welfare have taken in 35 kittens. “People are finding kittens and ringing every day - the phone never stops. They are saying, ‘I’ve just found six in my garden’. We can get them in bags. We see bad neglect,” said Marion (pictured. left below).

A native of Patrickswell, Marion grew up in South Circular Road in the city and lived in the US, Spain and Dublin before moving to Castletroy.

“The car knows the road now to Kilfinane,” she smiled.

“The mobile is going all the time. I can’t say to anyone who rings me, we can’t take any more kittens, bring them to such and such a place. There is nowhere else. There are kittens crying here, there and everywhere and we feel we have to take them in. We have a no kill policy - the last thing we want to do is put anything down.”