Irish animal charity appeals for foster homes after 'huge rise' in dog surrender requests

An Irish animal charity is appealing for interested fosterers to contact them following a "huge rise" in dog surrender requests. 

According to Dogs Trust, the number of people looking to surrender their pets into care has risen significantly, with the charity fearing an influx of abandoned dogs. 

The call comes following the recent discovery of a pregnant emaciated lurcher dog who has been affectionally named 'Rainbow'. 

A caring couple reportedly found the malnourished dog after she wandered into their garden late on St. Patrick’s Day and, according to Dogs Trust, they sat with her all night as she gave birth to 10 puppies. 

All of the animals were brought to Dogs Trust the following day. 

Welfare Manager at Dogs Trust Ireland, Niamh Curran-Kelly Veterinary, said, "It broke our hearts to see the condition Rainbow was in when she arrived; she had clearly been straying for a while. She was severely malnourished, dehydrated, completely exhausted and as a result of this, she was unable to produce enough milk for her puppies. 

"Despite our best efforts and round the clock bottle feeding, only four of her puppies survived. Rainbow’s body simply hadn’t been able to produce healthy puppies due to starvation. It’s a miracle any survived so, we are very happy and relieved that Rainbow and her four pups are now thriving and almost ready for their forever homes!”

Regional Rehoming Manager at Dogs Trust Ireland, Eimear Cassidy, continued: "We are seeing a huge rise in the number of people looking to surrender dogs into our care, which is extremely worrying. What we really need now are more foster homes all around Ireland and people willing to take on dogs who need extra training and space to settle in.

"Due to the pandemic many of the dogs in our care missed out on vital socialisation so they can be very worried and therefore not suited to homes with young children due to their fearfulness. If you think you can give one of our adult dogs a quiet, temporary home, we would love to hear from you.”

If you live in a quiet home with older teenagers or just adults and are willing to open your home temporarily to a vulnerable dog, you can apply to foster via www.DogsTrust.ie/Fostering.  

Image: Dogs Trust