About our Animal Welfare Section
Our website features a comprehensive FAQ section that covers a range of topics related to animal welfare, from reporting cruelty to caring for stray animals to becoming a volunteer.
General Information
The ISPCAs mission is that all animals are loved, respected, protected and treated with kindness.
The ISPCA’s mission is that all animals have a good life free from cruelty, neglect or abuse. The ISPCA rescues animals from unimaginable cruelty and treats these animals in need, advocating on behalf of all animals and guiding pet owners to love, respect and be kind to animals.
The ISPCA aims to prevent cruelty to animals by promoting animal welfare and educating the public on responsible pet ownership. The ISPCA protect vulnerable animals and relieve animal suffering, and prosecute all those who break Irish animal welfare legislation.
ISPCA National Animal Centre, Longford: Our National Animal Centre is open to visitors for animal rehoming by appointment only during the hours of 11:30am and 4:00pm. Email [email protected] or call 043 33 25035 to make an appointment.
ISPCA Equine Rescue Centre, Cork: Our Equine Rescue Centre in Mallow is open to visitors for animal rehoming by appointment only. Please email [email protected] or call 022 43218 to make an appointment.
ISPCA Animal Rehabilitation Centre, Donegal: Our Donegal Animal Rehabilitation Centre is open to visitors for animal rehoming purposes by appointment only. Please email [email protected] or call 074 9152360 to make an appointment.
ISPCA Waterford: Our ISPCA Waterford centre is open to visitors for animal rehoming by appointment only. Please email [email protected] or call 051 841432 to make an appointment.
ISPCA Wicklow: Our ISPCA Wicklow centre is open to visitors for animal rehoming by appointment only. Please email [email protected] or call 0404 44783 to make an appointment.
The ISPCA (Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals), National Animal Centre, and Head Office is based in Longford. The ISPCA does have other Centres in Donegal, Cork, Waterford and Wicklow.
The ISPCA is also the representative forum for several affiliated member societies across Ireland, providing help and support to dedicated, committed, and hardworking volunteers. ISPCA affiliated members carry out vital work on a voluntary basis. They are separate legal entities and organisations that also care for animals. Collectively, the ISPCA and affiliated members rescue, rehabilitate and responsibly rehome thousands of animals annually across Ireland.
The ISPCA is also the representative forum for several affiliated member societies across Ireland, providing help and support to dedicated, committed, and hardworking volunteers. ISPCA affiliated members carry out vital work on a voluntary basis. They are separate legal entities and organisations that also care for animals. Collectively, the ISPCA and affiliated members rescue, rehabilitate and responsibly rehome thousands of animals annually across Ireland.
Visit our affiliated member listing here www.ispca.ie/member_societies/
The ISPCA operates on a national level, working across Ireland to address animal cruelty and promote animal welfare. While other animal charities also focus on the well-being of animals, the ISPCA Is dedicated to preventing cruelty to animals, promoting animal welfare, and providing rescue and rehabilitation services for animals in need, investigating animal cruelty and prosecuting those who break animal welfare laws.
The ISPCA works tirelessly to enforce animal welfare laws, rescue neglected or abused animals, and offer them a second chance at a better life. We also place a strong emphasis on education and awareness to help prevent cruelty and promote responsible pet ownership. By supporting the ISPCA, you’re directly contributing to the welfare of animals in Ireland and helping to create a more compassionate society.
Animal welfare with the ISPCA
The ISPCA (Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) is a non-profit organisation in Ireland dedicated to animal welfare. Our mission is to prevent cruelty, protect the welfare of animals, and prosecute those who those who break animal health and welfare laws. We work to prevent animal abuse, rescue and rehabilitate animals in need, promote responsible pet ownership, advocate for improved animal welfare laws, and facilitate the rehoming and adoption of animals. The ISPCA strives to create a society where animals are treated with compassion and where animal cruelty is actively addressed and prevented.
ISPCA Inspectors are the front line against animal cruelty in Ireland, investigating complaints of abandoned, neglected and cruelly treated animals. With legal power under the Animal Health and Welfare Act 2013 (AHWA), which came into force in March 2014, our Inspectors investigate complaints of animal cruelty and neglect. It is their job to establish the facts behind each case and decide whether or not there is evidence to suggest that an offense of cruelty has been or is being committed.
Where possible, our Inspectors use their communication skills and animal welfare knowledge to teach animal owners to care properly for their animals. If owners are unable to care for their animals appropriately, our Inspectors will offer the opportunity to surrender them. Prosecution is the last resort but, under certain circumstances, our Inspectors can seize animals and prepare case files that may result in legal proceedings.
ISPCA Inspectors work closely with other agencies, such as the Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine (DAFM) www.agriculture.gov.ie, An Garda Siochana www.garda.ie, and local authorities.
To report cruelty to an animal, please complete our confidential online complaint form here, call 0818 515 515 or email [email protected].
The ISPCA values feedback as it assists us in improving the quality of our service to the highest possible standard to the public. The ISPCA is committed to consistent, fair and confidential complaint handling and to resolving complaints as quickly as possible.
Complaints are defined as an expression of dissatisfaction or grievance by a member of the public in relation to a member of staff or the quality of our service.
Learn more about recording a complaint here.
FAO Complaints Section – Strictly Private & Confidential
Head of Communications
ISPCA National Animal Centre
Derryglogher, Keenagh
Co. Longford N39X 257
T: 043 33 25035
E: [email protected]
Animal in need
To report cruelty, please phone us at 0818 515 515. Callers from outside of Republic of Ireland should use +353 43 33 25035 or you can report animal cruelty online in confidence here Report Cruelty online form. You can also contact us by emailing [email protected].
If you see an animal been kept in distress, please phone our helpline for advice at 0818 515 515, as our Inspectors may be able to assist. Callers from outside of Republic of Ireland should use +353 43 33 25035 or you can report animal cruelty online in confidence here Report Cruelty online form. You can also contact us by emailing [email protected].
If you come across an injured animal, please phone our helpline for advice at 0818 515 515, as our Inspectors may be able to attend. If out of hours, please contact the local Gardaí.
Lost and Found
There’s nothing more frightening than losing a pet and we appreciate this is a very upsetting time but there are a few things you can do. Try to keep calm and contact your local dog warden service, local vets, local SPCAs or animal rescue centres to see if they have found your pet and keep in touch with them. You should also post your pet’s details on the ISPCA’s Report Lost Pet page.
The ISPCA manages a number of pounds in the Dog Warden Service ensuring compassionate treatment of stray and unwanted dogs, re-uniting dogs with their owners and finding safe and loving for dogs with no home to call their own. For a list of dog pounds in your area, please visit our website here: https://www.ispca.ie/useful-info/dog-warden-info/ If there are no Dog Warden Service details listed for your County please contact your Local Authority.
If you can, please try to bring the animal to your local vet to so they can check if they’re microchipped. You should also post the animal’s details on our Report Found Pet page.
If you find a dog that appears to be a stray, it’s important to act swiftly to help them get back to their owner, if they have one. If you can’t locate the owner quickly (ie by using the collar ID) then it’s best to let your local dog warden know as soon as possible. If you decide to take the dog home temporarily, then legally, you must inform your local dog warden immediately. The loss of a dog often causes great distress to the owner. Therefore, it’s best to hand the dog over to the dog warden as soon as possible.
That will give the owner the greatest chance of being reunited with their much-loved companion. The dog warden or kennel assistant in the dog pound will also be able to scan the dog for a microchip to see if it has current registered owners. By keeping the dog, you could also become attached and handing the dog back to the owner can be upsetting.
If the owner reclaims the dog through the dog warden, this will enable the dog warden to discuss the responsibilities of dog ownership, give advice on identification and follow up if necessary.
For a list of dog pounds in your area, please visit our website here: https://www.ispca.ie/useful-info/dog-warden-info/ . If there are no Dog Warden Service details listed for your County please contact your Local Authority.
If you come across a roaming horse or donkey, please contact your local council or Gardaí if it poses a risk of public safety. If urgent (e.g. animal or person is in immediate danger, ring 999/112).
Friendly Stray Cat
If there is a friendly stray cat hanging around your garden, it is very likely that he/she has an owner. Cats like to roam and will go from house to house and garden to garden accepting food. If you have a local social media/connected/community page, you could ask if anyone owns the cat. If the cat looks lost, you could bring it to a local vet to check for a microchip so you can reunite the cat with its owner.
Stray Semi-Feral Cat
Stray/semi-feral cat living in your garden are mostly stray cats. Feral cats are cats that cannot be touched or handled by people and are used to living outside.
The most productive thing to do for feral cats is to have them neutered/spayed as this will reduce the cat over population and prevent litters of unwanted kittens from being born. Stray/Feral cats should be 4 months old before being neutered/spayed but check with your vet and your local TNR group (Trap, Neuter, Return) to see if they can help.
If you found a litter of newborn kittens, get in touch for advice by emailing [email protected] or call us on 043 33 25025. The kittens may be too young to eat or drink and may need to be hand-fed special kitten milk by syringe (please don’t give cats or kittens or normal milk). If the kittens are tame and old enough to eat solid kitten food, give us a call for advice.
Taming feral kittens
If kittens are feral and you would like to try to tame them, once you start feeding them in the garden every day, you can try to get closer to them once they begin to build trust. After some time, you should be able to hold a food bowl while they feed from it. At this point, you could make a fake hand using a glove on a stick and start to stroke them while they are feeding. This will prevent you from getting bitten or scratched.
Feral cat colonies
Contact your local SPCA to see about a TNR program. This is where community cats are humanely trapped (with box traps), brought to a veterinarian to be spayed or neutered, vaccinated, ear-tipped (the universal sign that a community cat has been neutered and vaccinated), and then returned to their outdoor home.
Dealing with wildlife
Do not approach as swans can attack and you may injure yourself or further distress/injure the bird. Please phone our helpline for advice at 0818 515 515 for advice. If out of hours, please contact the local Gardaí.
Contact National Parks & Wildlife Service to find out about the season of the animal, they may naturally be leaving soon. They can also advise about the legalities of relocating.
Between April and September, it is common to find young birds on the ground during “Fledgling Season”. Some young birds can almost be the same size as some adult birds.
Why is he on the ground?
He is at the stage where he is now old enough to leave the nest but not quite ready to fly. It will take anything from a few hours to a couple of days before he takes full flight but in the meantime, the parents will be close by waiting on their young and will protect them when possible and as best they can. All dog owners should keep their dogs on lead and away from all fledgings.
What should I do?
Unless there are any obvious signs of injuries (blood/cuts on his body) please just leave the fledging where they are as its parents will be nearby. DON’T feed them as their parent will likely stop feeding them now to encourage him to fly up to them to get food.
I can see visible signs of injuries, what should I do?
If there are visible signs of any injuries, you could contact your local vet or your nearest wildlife rehabilitator. You can also email us a photo to [email protected] or call us on 043 33 25025 for advice.
Occasionally, foxes will sleep in a garden and may appear injured if they are not moving. If you move closer to them and they don’t run off, give your local wildlife rehabilitator or the ISPCA a call on 043 33 25035 for advice. Generally, the ISPCA do not call out to remove them, unless they are sick or injured and require veterinary intervention.
If a female fox (vixen) has had her cubs in your garden, she will move them on when the cubs are a little older and she won’t stay in your garden for long. Although foxes won’t attack people however, we advise not to get too close as this will frighten her, and she may be unpredictable when protecting her cubs. Do not tame her by feeding her as this will encourage her to remain in your garden.
Pets in my life
Barking is one of many forms of vocal communication for dogs. However, sometimes a dog’s barking can be excessive. Often the problem occurs when the dog’s owner is out of the house and so the owner doesn’t know until someone complains. In law, a barking dog can be a noise nuisance. The owner can be taken to court if he does nothing to stop the nuisance. You can make a complaint about excessive barking to the District Court under Noise Regulations.
Before you do this, you must first let the dog owner know that you are making a complaint. You do this by completing a Section 108 Form under the Control of Dogs Act, 1986. The Section 108 form is available from the District Court.
We understand personal situations can change and families sometimes can no longer care for your pet and you should consider all of your options before giving up your pet. If you’re certain you need to rehome your pet, the ideal solution is to find your pet a home through your own personal contacts (i.e., your local vet, dog walker, pet sitter, friends, family, co-workers, etc.).
Be sure to find people near you who are looking to adopt a pet and meet potential adopters to find a good home for your animal companion. Be sure to screen potential adopters carefully; ask them for references where they work and previous pet ownership. Ask to visit their homes before you rehome your pet to ensure that the environment is suitable and be sure to follow up.
ISPCA Centres are normally operating at full capacity with rescued animals, surrendered or seized animals from ISPCA Inspectors. Unfortunately, we don’t usually have extra space to take in unwanted and homeless pets from members of the public. However, please contact us and we will try our utmost to help. Many counties have local SPCAs or rehoming Centres that can help rehome pets in the local area and you can also contact them for help.
Donating and fundraising
Thank you for choosing to donate to the ISPCA. Your support is very much appreciated. You can make a kind once-off donation or set up a monthly direct debit to support our vital work. Visit our website page here: Donate online today. You can call us on 087 0512603 or email [email protected] for more information.
Leaving a gift to the ISPCA in your Will is a life-changing, often life-saving gift to those animals who need us most. By making a Will, you know that those you care about will be looked after, giving you peace of mind knowing that your wishes for your loved ones, friends and family will be respected. If like us, you are an animal lover and care deeply about the welfare of all animals, then leaving a legacy gift to the ISPCA is a great way to continue to help, save and protect animals who are voiceless, and need our help the most.
If you believe every animal deserves to live a life free from cruelty, neglect and abuse, please consider us when making your Will. To find out more about leaving a legacy gift to the ISPCA, please call us on 087 3572440, email [email protected] or visit our website page here www.ispca.ie/legacy/ for more info. Thank you so much.
The ISPCA are delighted to partner with LawOnline to bring you this free online service to enable you to write your Will or to amend your existing Will at no charge to you. Having made your Will, you have an additional option to have it reviewed by LawOnline’s solicitors at a significantly reduced fee should you wish.
You don’t have to include a gift to the ISPCA in your Will to use this free service, but we would love it if you do. Visit our website here www.ispca.ie/free_will_writing/ to sign up today.
Thank you for considering donating to us in memory of a loved one or pets you care for. Please see our page for more information about our ISPCA In Memory donations.
For more information on this and when your direct debit is due to go out please contact our ISPCA Fundraising Team
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 087 3572440
Write: ISPCA, The Masonry, 151-156 Thomas Street, Dublin 8 D08 PY5E
If you raised money using JustGiving/GivenGain:
Simply make sure you close down your page after receiving all your sponsorship. We’ll then receive all the sponsorship and gift aid raised on your page from Just Giving directly.
If you have filled in our Fundraising Event Proposal form, a member of our ISPCA fundraising team will get in touch with you about paying in your offline fundraising.
Congratulations on your upcoming nuptials! We can create special place cards that show that a donation has been made in honor of guests in lieu of favors. You will be presenting your guests with not only really thoughtful wedding gifts for them but a life-saving gift for us. Get your personalised ISPCA Wedding Favours here.
Personal data
It’s really important to us that the information we hold about you is accurate. You can help us keep our records up to date by telling us if and when your contact details and other personal information changes. To make changes to the information we hold about you, please contact our ISPCA Fundraising team by either:
Email: [email protected]
Write: ISPCA, The Masonry, 151-156 Thomas Street, Dublin 8 D08 PY5E
It’s really important that we contact you in the ways that you prefer. Let us know how you want us to keep you informed and communicate with you. To make changes to your consent details, please contact our ISPCA Fundraising Team by either:
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 087 3572440
Write: ISPCA, The Masonry, 151-156 Thomas Street, Dublin 8 D08 PY5E
XL Bully Breed Dogs
- From 1 October 2024 – new legislation will prevent rehoming, breeding, selling or importing, XL Bully dogs in Ireland.
- From 1st February 2025, it will be illegal to own an XL Bully dog without a certificate of exemption.
Anyone who owns an XL Bully dog will need to ensure they are:
- Microchipped
- Neutered/Spayed
- Licenced
In accordance with the Control of Dogs Regulations 1998, while in a public place, restricted breeds must:
- Be kept on a short strong lead (under 2m)
- Wear a muzzle
- Be over the age of 16, who can control the dog
- Be wearing a dog collar with ID (name and address of their owner)
The following dogs are still classed as restricted breeds:
- American Pit Bull Terrier
- Bull Mastiff
- Dobermann Pinscher
- English Bull Terrier
- German Shepherd
- Japanese Akita
- Japanese Tosa
- Rhodesian Ridgeback
- Rottweiler
- Staffordshire Bull Terrier
Including any crossbreed of the above listed dogs
For more information, please visit our dedicated XL Bully Breed Advice page. For latest information on this legislation, please visit Gov.ie