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Rescued Greyhounds Walk through Dublin City Centre “Greyhounds make wonderful pets” says Sharon Shannon. Greyhounds walked alongside dogs of all breeds and their owners through Dublin City centre on Sunday 17th June to Walk for Greyhounds. The walk was organised by Greyhound Rescue Association Ireland (GRAI), to show that greyhounds make great family pets and to draw attention to the need to improve the welfare of racing greyhounds in Ireland. Several hundred walkers gathered from all over Ireland and beyond, including representatives of greyhound rescue organisations in Europe and the USA. Internationally famous Irish artists turned out to support the walk: best selling Irish musician Sharon Shannon, Irish artist Luka Bloom, singer songwriter Cathy Davey, and Neil Hannon from the Divine Comedy accompanied the walkers and their hounds, while acclaimed film director Lenny Abrahamson sent a message of support. Sharon Shannon: said: “All over the world people know that greyhounds make wonderful pets, yet here in Ireland, the historical home of the greyhound, too many people still think they are only racing dogs. Today has shown greyhounds as they really are: gentle, affectionate dogs who make ideal companions”. Around 20,000 greyhounds are bred in Ireland every year, at least 3,700* never make it to the track and simply ''disappear'' because they are not suitable or fast enough for racing, while many of those that do go onto race are either abandoned or destroyed when they are no longer able to compete, usually between 3-4 years of age. GRAI was set up to relay a clear message that in 21st century Ireland, it is no longer acceptable to treat greyhounds as disposable items. These are intelligent, sensitive, affectionate dogs, who deserve a future after racing. The Walk called upon the people of Dublin to open their hearts and minds to greyhounds and to think of adopting a retired greyhound as a pet. For more information on Walk for Greyhounds and GRAI, please go to GRAI's website: grai.ie, and facebook page: facebook.com/grai.ie *3271 greyhound litters were registered in 2011. A conservative estimate of six puppies per litter therefore suggests that about 19,600 greyhound puppies are born each year. However just 15,908 greyhounds were named and obtained identity cards at 12 months old. This means that about 3700 young greyhounds “disappear” each year. Walk For Greyhounds  
 
 
To Provide Shelter, Treatment and Rehabilitation for Rescued Marine Wildlife Found in Difficulty Around Ireland's Coast'Irish Seal Sanctuary
Dublin Office
Unit 12
The Beat Centre
Stephenstown
Balbriggan
County Dublin
Ireland http://www.irishsealsanctuary.ieTelephone:00 353 1 835 4370
email
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Victory in the campaign to ban circus animals http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/nature/victory-in-the-campaign-to-ban-circus-animals-2302073.html
 CLOSE SMITHFIELD HORSE MARKET
The Petition Smithfield market in Dublin 7 is held the first Sunday of every month. The Fair is responsible for blatent suffering being inflicted on Horses with many unwanted and neglected horses selling for as little as 8euro each to whoever wants to ride them home.Horses can be seen with gangs of kids whipping and beating them and many are rode terrified through the streets of Dublin. These horses have been found set on fire, starved, mutilated and abandoned on waste ground with some being driven into the canal and drowned just for the fun of it.
This source of Animal abuse must be closed down, not moved.SIGN THE PETITION HERE
Assurances on export of greyhounds to China THE IRISH Greyhound Board may repatriate retired Irish greyhounds from China to Europe in an effort to appease concerns by animal welfare activists over a multimillion-euro proposal to develop a racing industry in China. http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2011/0503/1224295913043.html ALSO below Sport: celebration and disquiet http://www.irishpost.co.uk/tabId/69/itemId/9620/IP-Comment-Sport-celebration-and-disquiet.aspx
 THE CAPTIVE ANIMALS' PROTECTION SOCIETY (CAPS) IS A UK-BASED CHARITY (NUMBER 1124436) LEADING THE CAMPAIGN TO END THE USE OF ANIMALS IN ENTERTAINMENT, PARTICULARLY IN CIRCUSES, ZOOS AND THE EXOTIC PET TRADE. Government rejects wild animal circus ban: Your support is more vital than ever http://www.captiveanimals.org/
RIGAL – finding loving homes for unwanted sighthounds in Ireland. Raising awareness about what wonderful pets pointy dogs make.This site is dedicated to raising awareness about sighthounds in need of homes in Ireland. It aims to highlight the wonderful greyhounds and lurchers (and whippets, deerhounds, salukis…) currently in pounds and rescues across Ireland. http://rigalireland.wordpress.com/2011/03/04/beautiful-tara/
 The Mulranny / Old Irish Goats
The Mulranny / Old Irish Goats will feature in Ml Vineys column in the Times on Saturday 12th, they will feature in the Lifestyle section of the Mayo News on Tuesday 15th, and are making their debut appearance on Nationwide on Monday 21st around 7pm. The nationwide show will then be on RTE Player for three weeks thereafter. For a closer look at the Mulranny Old Irish Goats see them on Face Book at
The Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government has decided that a temporary closure of the hunting season for wild birds will start on Wednesday 8th December 2010 due to the severe recent and continuing freezing weather conditions across the State. The Department consulted with the National Association of Regional Game Councils (NARGC), other representative hunting organisations, farming organisations and Birdwatch Ireland, all of whom support the initiation of a temporary hunting ban. The temporary closure is to protect wild ducks, geese and waders and other wild game birds during this cold weather. The National Parks and Wildlife Service urges all hunters to respect this measure which clearly has a conservation benefit for the long-term populations of these wild game species. The species concerned are Mallard, Teal, Gadwall, Wigeon, Pintail, Shoveler, Scaup, Tufted Duck, Pochard, Goldeneye, Golden Plover, Snipe, Jack Snipe, Red-legged Partridge, Cock Pheasant, Woodcock, Woodpigeon, Canada Goose, Greylag Goose and Ruddy Duck. This temporary closure of the hunting season will allow for the hunting of pen-reared birds, but this will require a licence Posted on 07 December 2010. Tags: conservation, temporary hunting ban, wild birds
The Department consulted with the National Association of Regional Game Councils (NARGC), other representative hunting organisations, farming organisations and Birdwatch Ireland, all of whom support the initiation of a temporary hunting ban. The temporary closure is to protect wild ducks, geese and waders and other wild game birds during this cold weather. The National Parks and Wildlife Service urges all hunters to respect this measure which clearly has a conservation benefit for the long-term populations of these wild game species. The species concerned are Mallard, Teal, Gadwall, Wigeon, Pintail, Shoveler, Scaup, Tufted Duck, Pochard, Goldeneye, Golden Plover, Snipe, Jack Snipe, Red-legged Partridge, Cock Pheasant, Woodcock, Woodpigeon, Canada Goose, Greylag Goose and Ruddy Duck. This temporary closure of the hunting season will allow for the hunting of pen-reared birds, but this will require a licence
Dog breeding establishments must now be registered and licenced. The Minister said: “I am very pleased to publish the Dog Breeding Establishments Bill 2009. The Bill will provide safeguards for dogs in such establishments and provide assurances to customers that pups and their mothers were well treated in these establishments. This legislation has been in gestation for a long time and I am pleased to announce its publication. We all have all seen some of the appalling images of illegal puppy farms and this legislation will put an end to those who would run backstreet operations.”
Wildlife First Aid Information ‘Irish Wildlife Matters’ was created to address the lack of easily
accessible information on Irish wildlife rescue and first aid. - To give useful and easy to follow information and instruction to members of the public who find a wildlife casualty
- To provide detailed information to the rehabilitator who will take responsibility for long term rehabilitation of the casualty
- To provide a reference tool for veterinary surgeons for the treatment of wildlife casualties
IWM is intended as a reference tool not a comprehensive guide to wildlife rehabilitation. Anyone undertaking wildlife rehabilitation must seek professional guidance as soon as possible. Consult the CONTACTS page for relevant organisations
BEFORE HANDLING, IT IS IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER THAT ALL WILD ANIMALS CAN POTENTIALLY TRANSMIT DISEASE AND INFLICT SERIOUS INJURIES SO NEVER ATTEMPT A RESCUE IF YOU DO NOT FEEL SAFE TO DO SO http://www.irishwildlifematters.ie/
IRISH WILDLIFE REHABILITATION CONFERENCE 2010
Mayo dogs pay ultimate price
BY KEITH BOURKE
ALMOST half of all dogs seized by dog wardens in Mayo last year had to be put down.
A total of 88 dogs were captured in the county in 2009 and a further 23 were surrendered or collected. Forty-three dogs had to be put to sleep in Mayo County Council's pounds while 68 were re-homed or reclaimed.
The Department of the Environment released the figures to the Fine Gael Spokesperson on Community, Equality and Gaeltacht Affairs, Deputy Michael Ring, . Nationally it was revealed that 6,500 dogs were put to sleep in local authority dog pounds last year.
The statistics also revealed that a total of 5,302 dog licences were issued to pet owners in Mayo – a drop of 2,488 from the previous year's figure which were at a ten-year high of 7,790.
A total of 23 on-the-spot fines were issued for unlicensed dogs in 2009 and 15 of these were paid. There was one prosecution where a fine of 350 was imposed.
Deputy Ring said there was an obligation on all dog owners to take out a licence for their pets.
“The fact the number of licences taken out has dropped dramatically suggests, with recessionary difficulties, the purchasing of a dog licence is no longer a priority,” Deputy Ring said.
“If you are taking on a dog you are taking him on for a lifetime. There's people just letting them go wild when they get fed up of them and the State has to pick them up,” he added.
 http://www.greyhoundaction.org.uk/greyhound.html
 Irish Council Against Blood SportsStag Hunt Ban As you know, the government has promised to bring forward legislation in the near future to ban the cruel practise of carted stag hunting. The ban was agreed between the Green Party and Fianna Fail in the re-negotiated Programme for Government last October. However, some TDs in the larger government party may seek to delay or frustrate the passing of this humane legislation owing to their personal sympathy for blood sports. This potential threat to the Bill came to light yet again today (Sunday); when some politicians indicated on an RTE radio programme their intention to use any tactic they can devise to prevent the ban from seeing the light of day. We therefore appeal to you to contact your local TD, and if possible all TDs, and ask them to give their full backing to the proposed stag hunting ban. If you wish to lobby TDs, I recommend an Irish website called Contact.ie which enables you to send messages to all members of the Oireachtas...TDs, Senators, MEPs etc. The site can be found at www.contact.ie You will need to register, which is free, and the site is then easy to use any time you wish, at no cost whatsoever, to contact your public representatives. Many voluntary groups and individuals already avail of the site. The success of the Bill to ban stag hunting will depend on the measure of support it receives from the public, especially from animal protection groups.
Online Petition Protesting Animal Experiments / Vivisection at Trinity College Dublin Medical School Hi, David Murray here. I would greatly appreciate if you could sign the online petiton protesting animal experiments and vivisection at Trinity College Dublin Medical School. I've been campaigning against animal vivisection for several years and while great progress is being made in America by pursuading medical schools to use more reliable and more ethical methods including computer modelling and artificial trauma treatment devices instead of life animals my medical colleges and the US military, unfortunately Irish medical colleges remain fixed in their perceptions that animal vivisection is both necessary and of geunine benefit to the development of human medicine.
Sign the Petiton at: PETITION
David Murray
It's better to light a single candle than to curse the darkness! - Chinese adage.
DECLAWING OF CATS Cats claws are really part of, and grow from, the bone. Some cats have suffered dreadfully; some have lost their paws, their limbs and even their lives through infection following declawing. Some cats turn aggressive, losing all trust in their owner and other humans, some hide away, some become depressed following the trauma and pain of declawing, all declawed cats are forever afterwards special-needs cats. Some develop litter box aversion because the pain of first using the litter box after declawing stays in their minds, this leads to cystitis, inappropriate soiling and often surrender or euthanasia. Declawed cats statistically do not have a better chance of keeping their homes than fully clawed cats. THE PETITION
The declawing of domestic cats is a cruel mutilating operation and people are having this procedure done in the United States of America, without considering the full implication of the physical and mental effect on their cats. It is banned already in 24 countries. Declawing is banned in West Hollywood, California. We petition that it should be also banned in all the rest of the United States of America.
Not only does this major operation cause physical pain and mental distress, cats use their claws for balance, to jump, and to climb. Cats walk on their toes, not the pads of their feet, and declawing forces them to walk in an unnatural way. The claws play an important role in grooming, and that grooming is the way a cat helps to control its body temperature, its scent signals, and more. CLICK HERE TO SIGN THE PETITION
Dog Breeding Establishments Bill 2009 published Issued: 23 December 2010 Statement by John Gormley Spokesperson on Environment, Heritage and Local Government; Northern Ireland Dog breeding establishments must now be registered and licenced The Minister said: “I am very pleased to publish the Dog Breeding Establishments Bill 2009. The Bill will provide safeguards for dogs in such establishments and provide assurances to customers that pups and their mothers were well treated in these establishments. This legislation has been in gestation for a long time and I am pleased to announce its publication. We all have all seen some of the appalling images of illegal puppy farms and this legislation will put an end to those who would run backstreet operations.” Matters in relation to dog control are governed by the Control of Dogs Acts 1986 to 1992, as amended. The Minister said that this legislation is, in general, working satisfactorily since enactment but needs updating in certain areas, particularly in relation to regulations dealing with dog breeding establishments. The Minister added “The preparation of the Bill has involved significant ongoing consultation with a variety of interested parties, including Government Departments, voluntary bodies and interest groups such as the Hunting Association of Ireland and the Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. The provisions of the draft Bill have been informed by these consultations and I wish to thank all for their participation.” “I am confident that the Bill is stronger for their input”, the Minister concluded. The Minister stressed his intention to have the Bill introduced to the Houses of the Oireachtas early in the New Year and enacted at the earliest possible date. “I would like to take this opportunity to remind people and I know it is a cliché but a dog is not just for Christmas it is for life. Every year when Christmas is over we see a large increase in the numbers of dogs abandoned. I would appeal to people to think long and hard before acquiring a dog for Christmas. Already because of the economic downturn we are seeing more animals who have been mistreated abandoned on our streets. If you are committed to getting a family pet for Christmas and are happy to look after its needs long-term them perhaps you might consider giving a dog from a pound a happy home.” Note for Editors
• The main part of the Bill will cover the regulation of dog breeding establishments. Each local authority will be required to have a register of dog breeding establishments and will require operators of such establishments to register and pay an annual fee. The Bill provides that existing dog breeding establishments can continue to operate for three months after the commencement of the Act. The Bill proposes that a local authority shall not register a premises if the application is not in order, the applicant is in breach of the Act or if the local authority is of the opinion that the premises is not suitable for the operation of a dog breeding establishment. Each premises will receive a ‘registration certificate’ which must be prominently displayed. • It is proposed that hunt clubs, commercial boarding kennels and charitable dog operations (e.g. mountain rescue) would be exempt from paying fees but must register and be subject to possible inspection. • It is proposed that an establishment can be removed from the Register by order of the District Court or be subject to conditions which the District Court may impose. • There is provision for fines for summary offences not exceeding €5,000 or imprisonment for up to 6 months. These offences include providing false information, non display of a registration certificate or obstruction of authorised personnel. Fines shall be paid to the relevant local authority. • The relevant local authority will be able to serve an improvement notice on the establishment if the establishment is believed to be in breach of the Act or there is a threat to public health or animal welfare. • A local authority will be empowered to issue a closure notice requiring a dog breeding establishment to cease breeding or keeping dogs at the establishment on the basis of stated grounds. • It will be an offence to operate an unregistered dog breeding establishment except in specified circumstances where there is an application submitted or where it is subject to appeal.
COMMUNITY
COMMUNITY RADIO CASTLEBAR CRC FM broadcasts from its studios in Market Sq Castlebar to the area around Castlebar, Co Mayo, and around the world on the internet. To listen live, click on CRC FM
 www.huntsabsireland.org
NEWS ARTICLE Preventing animal cruelty is a life’s work for Mayo SPCA’s campaigner
IRISHANIMALS.IE - NEWSLETTER
ARTICLES 
http://www.aran.ie/ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cAP5qHHyY74
END STAG HUNTING 
This is the place to find that hard-to-find information. There are fact sheets on various aspects of canine health, behaviour and nutrition which you can download or read on-line.
ANIMAL VOICEIrish Council Against Blood Sports Animal Voice Newsletter - January 2009 Animal Voice Newsletter - February 2009
Animal circuses start their 2009 tours
It's that time of year when the animal circuses hit the road again, and so starts the cycle of constant transportation from town to town for the next eight months and confinement for long periods.
This year the 'Not So Great British Circus', owned by Martin Lacey, have added three elephants and a white tiger to their act.
CAPS monitors animal circuses and where they move to, so if you see any posters, adverts or flyers advertising animal circuses please let us know straight away with the details of dates and venue. E-mail us
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
or phone us on 0845 330 3911.
NEWS ARTICLE Recently I have heard from one owner whose dog had to have his tongue amputated after it became trapped in a dog toy, the Pimple Ball with Bell made by Four Paws ( http://www.fourpaws.com/products/pimple-ball-with-bell.htm). You can see his story here: http://thechaistory.blogspot.com/2008/08/chai-story.html and read about an update that Chai's owner got from a dog owner whose dog died as a result of his injuries from the same toy in 2005 - http://thechaistory.blogspot.com/. The owner notified Four Paws of the fact that their toy caused this, and they promised her they would recall the toy and redesign it. Clearly, they didn't do this.
The problem with the ball is that it has one hole. The company claims that there is supposed to be another hole, pin hole sized, but due to a problem with manufacturing, the second hole was not created properly, and remained closed so that air cannot pass through it. This can cause suction to trap a dog's tongue inside the toy and constrict around the tonge. The tongue then swells and is trapped. If the dog does not get to the vet in time, they can die. Chai's story is heartbreaking. He had to have his tongue amputated, a feeding tube put in, and his dedicated owner lost a great deal of business due to the fact that Chai was wailing in pain and required so much care. He had to be taught to eat and drink without his tongue, and could hardly be left alone for a long time after his recovery. Four Paws told Chai's owner that this had not happened before, it was a fluke, and that there was no reason to change the toy. Once Chai's owner found references to other dogs injured by this toy, the company then promised to assist Chai's owner with his vet bills and said they would do a voluntary recall of the toy and redesign it. They have not done this. Friends of mine all over the country have visited local pet supply stores and found this toy on the shelves. Upon speaking with the manager, they were told that no recall had been issues. lease give coverage to this important story.  
Throwing a Stick for a Dog Throwing a stick for a pet dog is dangerous says Dan Brockman, a professor of small animal surgery at the Royal Veterinary College, has advised owners to use rubber toys or balls instead.In a new report, Prof Brockman catalogued serious injuries caused by dogs being stabbed by sticks they have rushed to collect for their masters."When I see people throwing sticks for their dogs in the park I just get so frustrated," he said. "I want to go and tell them to stop." Prof Brockman's report, which was co-authored by Zoe Halfacree, another expert in small animals from the Royal Veterinary College, details cases of dogs being paralysed after a stick stabbed their spinal cord. It also recorded incidences of dogs having their internal organs damaged by sticks stabbing their bodies. Some have also died after an infection caused by splintered sticks spread around the body, the report added.Prof Brockman said that dog-owners, who may be surprised by the report's warning, should be aware of the potential costs of an incident involving a stick. He said: "I have seen injuries that have cost up to £5,000 in treatment fees, but where the dog has still died in the end." However, Prof Brockman cautioned that even owners who use balls for their dogs' toys must take care. He added: "You must make sure the size of ball is right for the dog. I have had to operate on dogs that have swallowed tennis balls too."
DISTEMPER WARNING ALERT
This young fox was rescued today 13.1.09 from the Manulla area of Castlebar. It had collapsed on the doorstep of a house and was unable to move. There were no visible injuries to be seen. Marian & Joe took the poor creature to the vet, it didn't even have the strength to struggle very much and they used a grasper. The vet said it was running a very high temperature and suspected DISTEMPER. We wish to advise pet owners that Distemper is a highly contagious disease and that people living in the area should ensure their pets are fully vaccinated against this disease. It is normally fatal after a lot of suffering.
Department of Agriculture MAYO SPCA wish to thank the Department of Agriculture for their grant of 8,000 euro awarded to us December, '08. Whilst it is very much appreciated during difficult times it will cover just a very small fraction of our costs until the end of February. We wish to advise members of the public that although we are affiliated to the ISPCA we do NOT receive any financial funding from them and rely heavily on fund raising and kindly donations from members of the public.
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