On Monday 11th March 2024, ISPCA Senior Inspector Karen Lyons received a call made to the ISPCA’s National Animal Cruelty Helpline, about alleged sighting of several pointer puppies running loose in various locations in the Longford area.
Three of the puppies, about four months old, had been contained by kind-hearted members of the public, and the immediate search began through numerous fields to locate the other puppies.
Inspector Lyons discovered one puppy hiding deep in a hedge; she crawled through and got him to safety. The puppy, later called Stefan, was shaking so much, he was that terrified. Although there were sightings of a fifth puppy, after continuing to comb the area for hours, it took two days of searching before he was located, cowering and distressed.
Karen commented: “There was such a vast distance where the puppies were first spotted, that it would appear someone went along the road and periodically let the pups out, one-by-one and drove off. The puppies, later called Bonnie, Hope, Stefan, Klaus and Samon were terrified and starving when rescued, but they are settling in well at the ISPCA’s National Animal Centre. This illegal dumping of dogs and puppies must stop, it’s cruel, inhumane, and extremely cowardly, said Karen”.
Inspector Lyons said: “I had great help from people in the locality, who had a WhatsApp group set up, and they were keeping watch for sightings of the pups. I don’t understand why the owner didn’t reach out and ask for help. Although every Centre is full of dogs, they could have been put on a wait list or help given to arrange rehoming directly from the owner, and more effort from the owner could have been made, to find them new homes. It’s evident to me that the puppies were surplus to requirement, and it is symptomatic of the situation with dogs throughout Ireland at present. Although our National Animal Centre is over capacity with over 100 dogs, we are always there to help and work with owners to help find solutions. I would like to thank the local community so much for their vigilance in helping us locate the puppies. Once they are recovered from their ordeal, we will go about finding them loving new homes”.
The ISPCA is urgently calling on pet owners to please neuter or spay their dogs and puppies as soon as they are of age to help reduce the dog over population in Ireland.
If anyone has any information in relation to the origin of these puppies, please contact the ISPCA’s National Animal Cruelty Helpline in confidence on 0818 515 515 or email [email protected].
