WORLD ANIMAL WEEK 2006! October 4-10th.
Tomorrow marks the start of World Animal Week, and the World Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals tell us "it’s all about celebrating the diverse roles that animals play in our lives; the triumphs that are achieved every day; and why it’s so important to make the world a safer, more compassionate place for all animals." Events are taking place across the world to celebrate and commemorate this week. Here at Kitten Adoption we have decided to take a look at some events happening around Ireland during World Animal Week.
October 10th
Dublin
Four little kittens were thrown into a canal. A man walking his dog heard a splash and saw a man walking away calmly after throwing a bag into the canal. The dog walker bravely went into the canal to rescue these four soaked, frozen and traumatised kittens. These kittens are in rescue but it is not clear if they will make it. Attempted drowning is not easy to bounce back from when you are only twenty five days old.
October 9th
Dublin
A cat was hit by a car and a school caretaker picked up the injured but alive cat and threw it into a bin. Two children rescued the cat, called the number on his collar and the cat's owners were able to get a nearby vet to rush to the cat's aid. The cat was given extensive medical treatment but the decision was eventually made to let him go and he was peacefully put to sleep. If it had been up to the school caretaker, this poor cat would have died a lingering agonising death in a rubbish bin, while his owners scoured the area trying to find out their cat's fate. Is this all much loved pets are in Ireland - disposable rubbish?
October 7th.
Laois
A 4 to 5 week old kitten was found being tortured by a group of boys. The kitten had had string tied around it's neck and was being punched in the head. The kitten is now safe in rescue care. How far would the boys have gone if the kitten hadn't been saved?
October 6th.
Limerick
A pit bull dog has been tortured to death in Limerick.
October 5th - Day Two of World Animal Week.
Laois
A dog has been found in Laois tied to a concrete block with her 8 little puppies tied in a sack beside her. One of the aims of World Animal Week is to make the world a safer, more compassionate place for animals. Could this be needed any more desperately in Ireland?
Dublin
A pregnant cat owner was persuaded by friends and family that it was impossible and unsafe to have a baby in a home with cats. This strange fallacy is shockingly widespread in Ireland. As a result of misinformation and peer pressure, two previously much loved pets, both healthy, neutered and happy were taken to the vet to be put to sleep. The vet practice, thankfully, is a forward thinking caring establishment and contacted a cat welfare organisation about these two cats. Rescue will now give these abandoned cats a chance but their owner decided to needlessly kill her pets during World Animal Week here in Ireland.
October 4th - First day of World Animal Week!
Dublin
9 pups of 5 weeks of age are living outside 24 hours a day along with their mother whose milk has dried up. These pups are not weaned, have heavy worm infestations and no access to water. The owners are affluent and clearly have money to spare but refuse to spend any money on these poor animals that they have allowed be brought into the world. They will not hand the pups over to rescue care where they would be wormed, well fed, kept indoors and warm, socialised with people and only sent to carefully chosen homes. The owners have clearly stated their intention to keep these puppies in squalor until they are old enough to hand out to new homes. As they are 'giving away' these puppies for no money, they have refused to worm or vaccinate or take proper care of the puppies as they don't want to spend their money on it. They have however asked a rescue to arrange for the mother to be spayed but refuse to contribute to this also. Rescues will do their best to cover costs for those who cannot afford to do so but exploitation from affluent people who willfully neglect their animals hampers rescues' ability to assist the genuinely needy. Happy World Animal Week for these 9 puppies and their mother - how many will live until the end of this week?Dublin
A responsible cat owner who took her cat to the vets to be spayed was informed (completely inaccurately) by the vet that cats must be allowed to have a litter of kittens before they can be spayed. The vet refused to spay this healthy 9 month old cat who is permitted to roam outside and the cat and owner were turned away from the practice. With 300,000 kittens born in Ireland each year, there is certainly no need for additional litters and it is frankly frightening to hear of vets still backing such ignorant and outdated ideas. How many kittens has this one vet alone allowed to be born unneccessarily?
Connaught
An established animal rescue organisation in the province has suddenly come under the threat of enforced closure. Despite operating successfully in the current location for almost seven years, the rescue has now been branded a health hazard and a nuisance. Interestingly, this coincides with land development and the building of houses in the area. Perhaps rescues bring property prices down, even during World Animal Week.