It was an exceptionally busy Halloween period for the volunteers at Animals In Need (AIN), with numerous pets being lost or found after being terrified by fireworks and running away from home in panic.
Dogs, in particular, were reported missing or were found wandering around lost all over the county during the Halloween weekend.
Most of them have now been reunited with their owners but a number of dogs are currently in the Letterkenny Dog Shelter waiting to be reclaimed and this should be the first port of call if your dog is missing, followed by local rescues, vets, local Garda stations and also check social media for any relevant posts.
Any dogs that are found by rescues have to go to the Dog Shelter in Letterkenny by law, where they spend five days to give their owners time to collect them. If no-one comes forward and the owner cannot be traced through a dog’s microchip details, the dog can then be adopted directly from the Pound or will be transferred to AIN for rehoming.
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Hopefully all the dogs affected by fireworks at the weekend will be safely back in their own homes soon.
The cat rescuers were also kept busy this week, with several sick or injured cats requiring the volunteers to make frequent trips to the vets.
A young, pure white cat called Evie was found as a sick stray. Due to having white fur, her ears are vulnerable to skin cancer and sadly, her ear tips are already at a pre-cancerous stage, meaning she will have to have part of her ears removed. Evie is currently in the vets undergoing surgery at the time of writing, and further updates will follow after the surgery.
Two cats, Ned and Monty, are due to have surgery on their eyes this week. Monty was found when he was a tiny kitten with a severe eye infection which had been left untreated for too long before he was rescued, meaning the damage was permanent. As he was so small, surgery had to be delayed until he had grown sufficiently and hopefully, he is now strong enough to have his eye removed.
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AIN responded to an emergency call out on Tuesday when a paralysed white and ginger cat was reported. The cat is incontinent, and his back legs are covered in sores from being dragged along the ground. He is currently receiving veterinary treatment to see if he can be saved.
In better news, little kitten Sparkle has completely recovered after being found in a car engine a couple of weeks ago, emaciated, dehydrated and suffering from cat flu and an upset stomach. She is now full of beans, and she is ready to find a new, forever home.
Feral cat Alfie, who was brought to the vets when he was found to be suffering from severe burns along his back, has also responded well to treatment. As a feral cat, Alfie is lucky that he has a dedicated caregiver who feeds him and keeps an eye on his condition and was happy to have him returned to his home area this week.
Alfie’s wounds have healed, and he turned out to be a very good patient, taking his medication and cooperating with his treatment. He has also been neutered. AIN wishes Alfie a long and happy life back in his community in Glenties.
Despite the recent drop in temperature, kitten dumping continues around the county, with the latest arrivals being three kittens found abandoned in a park in Inishowen. The kittens were starving, had major ear mite infestations, and were dirty and quite smelly. They are now safe in the cattery.
Meanwhile, three gorgeous black kittens, Dubhin, Puisin and Sioghin, are ready for their new homes. Their fosterer Eimear has done a great job of looking after them, and they are all healthy, friendly black beauties.
If you are interested in offering a kitten or cat a home, please contact the cat helpline or send a private message to AIN’s Facebook page for further information.
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.
