Homeless animals in Galway

Discodog

21 European Countries signed the European Convention for the Protection of Pet Animals including Romania, Azerbaijan & Turkey in 1989/1990. Ireland has still not signed it.

Per population we kill 10 times more dogs than the UK.

We have ineffectual legislation because we don't consider it important enough for political groups to put it on their manifestos. So I will paint the majority with the same brush.

"Dog Control" is considered as waste disposal. Local Councillors do not make law & it is the law that needs to change. Like the Greens the proposed Animal Welfare Bill is now history so we will remain one of the very few countries in Europe that have not introduced such a Bill or are planning to do so.

It's the owners that need controlling not the dogs.

When the Greens introduced the Dog Breeding Bill they were roundly criticised for putting Puppy Farming ahead of more pressing matters. Brian Cowen even represented the biggest Puppy Farmer in Ireland.

I spent two hours of my Christmas Day trying to reunite a Christmas Puppy, that was left to roam on a main road, with it's owner. They had bought him a fancy collar but couldn't be bothered with a name tag or microchip. The man who's car went into a spectacular skid, terrifying his family, to avoid the dog desperately wanted to meet the owner - luckily he didn't especially as the owners thought that it was all "a fuss about nothing".

The leaflet with license idea ignores the point that thousands don't buy licenses. Galway Coucil issued 8000 licenses in 2009 as opposed to 11000 in 2004. They only issued 9 on the spot fines in 2009 & didn't prosecute anyone - so why would anyone bother with a license especially when it is clear that the money does not go to dog welfare. Most dog owners that I know would rather give money to rescues.

The first time that I went to buy a license the Post Mistress had to blow the dust off of a shoebox that contained the licenses. Mine was the first one that she had issued in three years !.

I wonder if some Irish people equate neutering with human birth control as our neutering figures are very low. My own Vet has told me many times that she has a real problem in persuading people to neuter. The biggest neutering campaign here to date has been by Pedigree Petfoods, any English company & the Dog's Trust, an English charity.

So I won't paint millions but I will paint the majority until they prove me otherwise.

Amhran Nua

Discodog wrote: »

"Dog Control" is considered as waste disposal. Local Councillors do not make law & it is the law that needs to change.

The leaflet with license idea ignores the point that thousands don't buy licenses. Galway Coucil issued 8000 licenses in 2009 as opposed to 11000 in 2004. They only issued 9 on the spot fines in 2009 & didn't prosecute anyone - so why would anyone bother with a license especially when it is clear that the money does not go to dog welfare. Most dog owners that I know would rather give money to rescues.

The first time that I went to buy a license the Post Mistress had to blow the dust off of a shoebox that contained the licenses. Mine was the first one that she had issued in three years !.

As far as that goes, it would seem the legislation is in place, its just laxly enforced. Since the local authorities are in charge of enforcing them, its your local authorities that need to be pressured; the usual route to do so is through your councillor.

Under the Control of Dogs Act 1986 as amended by the Control of Dogs (Amendment) Act 1992 all local authorities in Ireland are responsible for the control of dogs. Local authorities have the power to appoint dog wardens, provide dog shelters, seize dogs, impose on-the-spot fines and take court proceedings against owners.

Discodog wrote: »

We have ineffectual legislation because we don't consider it important enough for political groups to put it on their manifestos. So I will paint the majority with the same brush.

So I won't paint millions but I will paint the majority until they prove me otherwise.

The majority are millions. You can't paint the majority with a broad brush because the majority have no idea about any of this stuff, and the majority don't own any sort of animal at all. Raising political awareness of any kind of national level issues is very difficult in Ireland because the single transferable vote system encourages a hyper focus on the local level to the detriment of all else, and believe me I would know better than most.

However you won't get very far ranting and raving about widespread cruelty among "Irish people" - identify the places you need to put pressure, the channels through which information can be spread, and deal with it practically rather than turning people off what you're trying to say by being negative.

softmee

Discodog wrote: »

If any animal does not have access to water then you should be phoning the Guards.

Are you serious? They would be more interested if i call them and say somebody stole my socks.

glasto

dapto1 wrote: »

Plenty of other countries treat animals like crap, unfortunately it isn't specifically an Irish thing.

No, it isn't just an Irish thing. But compared to many other countries, for example the UK, we have a long way to go.

Demonique

Jordy Obnoxious Siphon wrote: »

Its not always possible to put in farm animals. Once they are well fed and have water, which involves bringing them water when the pipes are frozen they are happy enough. They are a lot tougher than humans. We have all our stock of cows and calves in the fields at the moment and also have horses out, with blankets on. Our animals are very well treated and I'd take offense to anyone who said we were being cruel by having them outside.

Its not much if any warmer in a shed either in this weather, especially slatted sheds where the animals lie on concrete.

We had to take our guinea pigs in to the study and put them in one of the 50 litre RUB boxes I use for my cornsnakes and geckos (minus the snakes and geckos of course) as it was so cold in the shed the water froze in their bottle.

Some breeds of ponies cope with harsh weather quite well. The shetland isles are located further north than Ireland and the ponies are equipped to deal with the weather, they start to resemble pony shaped versions of Cousin It from The Addams Family.

Most of the pony breeds native to the UK and Ireland would be able to much better cope with the weather than a human would. Most important thing for them would to make sure that their water supply remains unfrozen and a regular supply of hay and perhaps a supplement feed if the hay isn't providing adequate nutrition.

A walk-in shed would make a good shelter for horses and ponies but even a single tall concrete or stone wall would provide them something to hide behind

Discodog

Amhran Nua wrote: »

Since the local authorities are in charge of enforcing them, its your local authorities that need to be pressured

The majority are millions. You can't paint the majority with a broad brush because the majority have no idea about any of this stuff, and the majority don't own any sort of animal at all.

However you won't get very far ranting and raving about widespread cruelty among "Irish people" - identify the places you need to put pressure, the channels through which information can be spread, and deal with it practically rather than turning people off what you're trying to say by being negative.

We vote in our local councillors. If the majority cared about animal welfare then we would vote for Councillors who support welfare. Again you will never see the subject mentioned in election material.

"The Majority don't know about this stuff" - are you serious ?. Would the majority know that you don't allow a child to roam on a road ?. Or that being outside in -10c feels cold ?. Or that horses in Galway have to eat & drink ?. None of this is rocket science. If you think that the majority don't know don't know then you are reinforcing the unintelligent stereotype.

Most Europeans know that animal cruelty is morally wrong. They don't have to be persuaded. I am presenting the facts. Some of those who campaigned against clerical child abuse or crooked bankers were accused of ranting & raving.

softmee wrote: »

Are you serious? They would be more interested if i call them and say somebody stole my socks.

Whether they are interested is irrelevant. If you have evidence that an animal is being denied water you can report it as cruelty as per the 1911 Cruelty to Animals Act. Cruelty is defined as causing unnecessary suffering. A lack of water is so serious that the public are allowed, by law, to enter a Pound if dogs are not given water every 6 hours & food every 12 hours.

If the Guard refuses to act then report the matter to their Superintendent & the Garda Ombudsman.

Amhran Nua

Discodog wrote: »

We vote in our local councillors. If the majority cared about animal welfare then we would vote for Councillors who support welfare. Again you will never see the subject mentioned in election material.

You won't see it in the election material because most people don't know about it. Make it an election issue via education.

Discodog wrote: »

"The Majority don't know about this stuff" - are you serious ?. Would the majority know that you don't allow a child to roam on a road ?. Or that being outside in -10c feels cold ?. Or that horses in Galway have to eat & drink ?. None of this is rocket science. If you think that the majority don't know don't know then you are reinforcing the unintelligent stereotype.

What unintelligent stereotype? I'd really like clarification on that. Yes the majority don't know, since most people don't own a pet of any sort, much less a horse. Of the fifty or so houses in my immediate vicinity, there are a grand total of three with pets, and believe me those dogs are well taken care of. My only gripe is that the owners are a bit patchy about cleaning up after them.

So if less than say ten percent of Irish people own pets, beyond fish and budgies, and they are extremely unlikely to stumble across the issues at random in their day to day lives, I've no idea how you expect the remaining ~90% to magically be aware of these problems.

Discodog wrote: »

Most Europeans know that animal cruelty is morally wrong. They don't have to be persuaded. I am presenting the facts. Some of those who campaigned against clerical child abuse or crooked bankers were accused of ranting & raving.

Did you just compare animal neglect to mass child abuse by priests? To be honest you really need to rethink how you are getting your message out there, or perhaps find someone with a better understanding of the reality of the situation to do it for you.

Discodog

Amhran Nua wrote: »

You won't see it in the election material because most people don't know about it. Make it an election issue via education.

Our abuse of animals has been all over the TV news & Papers. The Star have a whole page today dedicated to it & even the New York Times & Al Jazeera have featured Irish animal neglect recently. RTE & TV3 showed the Galway horses, RTE ran a series on SPCA's. If people don't know then they must be blind. You don't have to look far to see a stray dog or feral cat. It's easy to find a donkey with overgrown feet or a dog left to sleep outside on a chain.

Amhran Nua wrote: »

What unintelligent stereotype? I'd really like clarification on that. Yes the majority don't know, since most people don't own a pet of any sort,

The "thick Irish Paddy joke" stereotype that plagued us for so long. You think that 10% own a dog ?. The real figure is 35.6% according to the Pet food suppliers & they should know. Now add on the Cat owners, Horse owners, Rabbit owners etc etc & the percentage becomes even higher

Amhran Nua wrote: »

Did you just compare animal neglect to mass child abuse by priests? To be honest you really need to rethink how you are getting your message out there, or perhaps find someone with a better understanding of the reality of the situation to do it for you.

Yes & for one simple reason. Mass abuse of any kind can only occur if the population know & accept it. I understand reality because I have been involved in Animal rescue for years. I have also spent a lot of time in the UK & Europe. It is only when you return here that you realise just how bad we are.

The appeal to find homes for the few Headford Road horses is struggling. In contrast, in the UK, hundreds of people offered homes for the 85 Spindle Farm Horses.

The simple fact is that the majority of Irish people do not view animal abuse & neglect in the same way that it is viewed in most of Europe.

doubleglaze

I have lived abroad in an affluent country and the treatment of pets was MUCH better there than here. The difference in attitudes between those people and the Irish was like night and day in those days.

However, things are improving in Ireland. More and more people are attending to the social and intellectual needs of their dogs and not just feeding and watering them. Pets get better health care than before.

We are still significantly behind the other country I'm familiar with in terms of pet care, but the gap is closing and I reckon if we continue to make progress in pet care at the rate we have in the last few years, we will have caught up in the next two decades or so.

Táim bródúil as mo thír agus as mo chultúr ar go leor bealaí - ná ceapaigí nach bhfuil meas agam ar mo mhuintir - ach caithfidh mé aontú le Madra Dioscó thuas agus - mar a déarfadh lucht an Bhéarla - "spáid a ghlaoch ar spáid".

Amhran Nua

Discodog wrote: »

Our abuse of animals has been all over the TV news & Papers. The Star have a whole page today dedicated to it & even the New York Times & Al Jazeera have featured Irish animal neglect recently. RTE & TV3 showed the Galway horses, RTE ran a series on SPCA's. If people don't know then they must be blind. You don't have to look far to see a stray dog or feral cat. It's easy to find a donkey with overgrown feet or a dog left to sleep outside on a chain.

I wouldn't know where to find either. There are other things occupying people's minds at the moment, and given the limited time most have to watch the news, stories about the collapsing economy or political scandals are naturally going to get priority.

I'll tell you one thing for a writ large in stone fact though - you won't get anywhere by insulting people.

Discodog wrote: »

The "thick Irish Paddy joke" stereotype that plagued us for so long.

Anyone that takes paddy jokes seriously or views an entire nation as being of sub par intelligence has significant mental problems all on their own, so it shouldn't plague people in the slightest. You'll always get knuckle draggers that like to blame entire ethnic identities for their problems, best just to laugh at them in my experience.

Discodog wrote: »

You think that 10% own a dog ?. The real figure is 35.6% according to the Pet food suppliers & they should know. Now add on the Cat owners, Horse owners, Rabbit owners etc etc & the percentage becomes even higher

That's complete nonsense. One person in three owns a dog? Even one household in three is rubbish. Every estate and apartment block in the country would be overrun with dogs, and this is clearly not the case.

Discodog wrote: »

Mass abuse of any kind can only occur if the population know & accept it.

Given that most people have never even owned a dog never mind a horse, there is once again no understanding of the problems among the public. Also, you're treading near to collective responsibility here, which is a dangerous route to take. Or are you saying that the Irish people as a whole are somehow responsible for the abuse of children by religious figures?

Discodog wrote: »

The simple fact is that the majority of Irish people do not view animal abuse & neglect in the same way that it is viewed in most of Europe.

If a poll was to be taken, do you think that the majority would vote to support animal abuse? Of course not. Its just not an issue that regularly if ever crosses their minds.

Discodog

I agree that it is getting better but slowly. I know of two new Vets that have opened near Galway this year. The number of dogs in our Pounds reduced considerably in 2009 - thanks in no small part to the Dogs Trust who took nearly 1000 additional dogs off of the 2008 figures.

However we still allow 10,000 Greyhounds to die every year for "sport". The "racing industry" is dying in the UK but here it receives massive government support. We also promote Hare coursing, when it is banned in most of Europe. Even the Spanish are changing - there is a big movement to ban bullfighting.

Unfortunately we do not teach Pet care in schools. My neighbours got a kitten & fed it on bread & milk. They now don't feed it as it's "job" is to catch mice. They are both school teachers !.

doubleglaze

Discodog wrote: »

I agree that it is getting better but slowly. I know of two new Vets that have opened near Galway this year. The number of dogs in our Pounds reduced considerably in 2009 - thanks in no small part to the Dogs Trust who took nearly 1000 additional dogs off of the 2008 figures.

However we still allow 10,000 Greyhounds to die every year for "sport". The "racing industry" is dying in the UK but here it receives massive government support. We also promote Hare coursing, when it is banned in most of Europe. Even the Spanish are changing - there is a big movement to ban bullfighting.

Unfortunately we do not teach Pet care in schools. My neighbours got a kitten & fed it on bread & milk. They now don't feed it as it's "job" is to catch mice. They are both school teachers !.

Unfortunately, sociopathic behaviour can be found at every level of society. :mad:

Hopefully, in the absence of conscience, good parental models and school programmes, threads such as this will play a role in educating these animal abusers. :mad:

inisboffin

Lads, I am *assuming* that all of ye on this thread calling the majority of Irish people 'worse' (in terms of animal mistreatment and cruelty), are vegans and vegetarians?

I assume this because Ireland has an agricultural tradition, and you have done research into the comparative animal farming methods and treatment versus the rest of the 'civilised' world? Then still found Ireland worse?

I assume you have done comparisons in terms of wastage from animal slaughter versus amount used for human consumption in other countries vs Ireland, and the latter was worse.

I assume that it is cruelty to *all* animals ye are concerned with, not just the ones that Disney favours?


Because if you haven't/aren't/didn't then speaking about the comparative 'mistreatment' of animals here vs elsewhere, would at very least, be misinformed.

doubleglaze

Amhran Nua wrote: »

That's complete nonsense. One person in three owns a dog? Even one household in three is rubbish. Every estate and apartment block in the country would be overrun with dogs, and this is clearly not the case.

In the estate I live in, I'd say that there is STATISTICALLY SPEAKING one dog for every three HOUSES (not people). Many of the households that own a dog (less than one in three) would have two or - less frequently - three dogs.

Very few of them are allowed roam and many are only rarely to be spotted as their owners bundle them into their cars en route to a walk in the park (or perhaps simply keep them in the back gardens or their houses all the time.:mad:)

Madame Razz

My 0.02 on this. I have a number of pets, all rescue animals bar one. Two were obtained via shelters, and two were obtained via private rescue(one of these was via Boards actually). My eldest cat I got via the GSPCA. Their home check process was nothing short of being borderline ludicrous. These people do not live in the real world, they have issue it seems, with rehoming animals to ANYBODY, yet at the same time complain that their resources are stretched and that they are overcrowded. I understand them not wishing to give rescue animals to just anyone, but their criteria is completely OTT, and really doesn't do them any favours. They turn down genuine people willing to give animals a good home(and who would give them a very good home) in preference to the dog staying a cold concrete cubicle in Killimor; sorry, but that makes no sense to me. This sort of policy actually actively discourages people from seeking to adopt rescue dogs, and compounds the problem we have in this country with the large volume of animals needing homes.

softmee

I agree 100% with above post. I know mysefl at least 2 people and myself who would make a great home for some dog and were rejected - one young couple, because they have 3 years old daughter!
Dog in a house with children is no problem if people are responsible and know they should watch -both dog and a child. Actually its very good for kids too -to learn how to treat living creature.
I have no words for this nonsens and i think i will write a letter to local newspaper about it.
Something has to be change there.

Amhran Nua

doubleglaze wrote: »

In the estate I live in, I'd say that there is STATISTICALLY SPEAKING one dog for every three HOUSES (not people). Many of the households that own a dog (less than one in three) would have two or - less frequently - three dogs.

Very few of them are allowed roam and many are only rarely to be spotted as their owners bundle them into their cars en route to a walk in the park (or perhaps simply keep them in the back gardens or their houses all the time.:mad:)

Thats geat but still an anecdote - anecdotally, the few dogs in our neighbourhood are treated very well and exactly as they should be, a (ridiculously friendly) gun dog let roam a bit more openly, a toy breed kept warm indoors. This nonsense about one third of people or households owning a large animal like a dog is clearly rubbish, and every dog owner I know is very responsible towards their pet. Of the dozens of dog owners I know, not one has more than one dog. All true, and all anecdotal.

Tranceypoo

Amhran Nua wrote: »

Thats geat but still an anecdote - anecdotally, the few dogs in our neighbourhood are treated very well and exactly as they should be, a (ridiculously friendly) gun dog let roam a bit more openly, a toy breed kept warm indoors. This nonsense about one third of people or households owning a large animal like a dog is clearly rubbish, and every dog owner I know is very responsible towards their pet. Of the dozens of dog owners I know, not one has more than one dog. All true, and all anecdotal.

Well, you must live in a happy sunny place where everyone treats their dogs really well, mate there are at least 4 families I know round here where we live (I'm ashamed and embarassed to say including my in-laws) where the dogs are left outside all day and night, never ever walked, some are tied up (again, including one of my in-laws dogs who they claim is vicious and bites people, even though he never bites me and behaves like a perfect, albeit slightly hyper, dog when I take him for walks), one neighbour got a puppy for her teenage daughter and he is left to sleep outside in a shed IN THIS WEATHER despite being less than a year and a beagle so small and short coated and despite my 'accidental' bumping into her out walking and asking after dog and suggesting as firmly as I could that perhaps, just for this cold spell, they could let the dog inside at night, last time I saw him he was wearing one of those hideous electric shock collars because they were complaining he 'kept running off' (that's what happens when you leave a dog outside, don't walk it or talk to/interact with it). I'm afraid in my 3/4 years experience of working with dog rescues in Ireland, this is the reality for a lot, if not most, of 'pet dogs' in Ireland.

Discodog

Amhran Nua wrote: »

I'll tell you one thing for a writ large in stone fact though - you won't get anywhere by insulting people.

That's complete nonsense. One person in three owns a dog? Even one household in three is rubbish. Every estate and apartment block in the country would be overrun with dogs, and this is clearly not the case.

Or are you saying that the Irish people as a whole are somehow responsible for the abuse of children by religious figures?

If a poll was to be taken, do you think that the majority would vote to support animal abuse? Of course not. Its just not an issue that regularly if ever crosses their minds.

If the presentation of fact is insulting then feel insulted. I am stating facts unlike you who state your suppositions. Where is your evidence to show that only 10% of the Irish population own a Pet. My figure comes from the people that supply pet food. Now unless the recession has forced us to eat dogfood their info should be pretty reliable. 200,000 dog licenses were issued in 2009 - even that is hardly 10% & most people don't get a license.

I am not going to move off topic with child abuse but yes I believe that elected politicians knew & so did a lot of the population.

Of course people would not vote for animal abuse but neither are they clamouring for a poll to vote against it or even offering any support to those that are.

Discodog

Madame Razz wrote: »

These people do not live in the real world, they have issue it seems, with rehoming animals to ANYBODY

I may not their biggest fan but the GSPCA do rehome over 1000 dogs per year which is impressive. So they cannot be turning down everybody.

My gripe is that they investigated 5000 cruelty cases in 2008/2009 but I suspect that very few were prosecuted.

kraggy

Discodog wrote: »

I may not their biggest fan but the GSPCA do rehome over 1000 dogs per year which is impressive. So they cannot be turning down everybody.

My gripe is that they investigated 5000 cruelty cases in 2008/2009 but I suspect that very few were prosecuted.

The Gspca are a voluntary WELFARE organisation. They have no legal power.

It's very difficult to get prosecutions in a country where the Gardai, for the most part, have no interest in animal rights/protection.

Even if a case is brought to court, a suspended sentence is the norm.

It's digusting.

Discodog

inisboffin wrote: »

Lads, I am *assuming* that all of ye on this thread calling the majority of Irish people 'worse' (in terms of animal mistreatment and cruelty), are vegans and vegetarians?

I assume that it is cruelty to *all* animals ye are concerned with, not just the ones that Disney favours?

Because if you haven't/aren't/didn't then speaking about the comparative 'mistreatment' of animals here vs elsewhere, would at very least, be misinformed.

The thread is about homeless animals which are not generally farmed. Why should someone's dietary habit prevent them for being concerned about cruelty ?. The regulations that govern the treatment of farm animals are far tougher that those that protect domestic pets.

We don't slaughter 10,000 cows for no reason in the way that we kill Greyhounds. We don't kill 6500 sheep to incinerate their bodies because they are unwanted like our Pound dogs. A farmer will feed an animal because it is worth money to him. A person will abuse a dog because, to them, it is worth nothing.

On the majority issue. The After Hours board here has a sticky listing the recommended funniest threads. One of them is a thread started by a guy claiming that he had just killed his dog with a stun gun - the majority thought it to be hilarious.

inisboffin

Discodog wrote: »

The thread is about homeless animals which are not generally farmed. Why should someone's dietary habit prevent them for being concerned about cruelty ?. The regulations that govern the treatment of farm animals are far tougher that those that protect domestic pets.

We don't slaughter 10,000 cows for no reason in the way that we kill Greyhounds. We don't kill 6500 sheep to incinerate their bodies because they are unwanted like our Pound dogs. A farmer will feed an animal because it is worth money to him. A person will abuse a dog because, to them, it is worth nothing.

On the majority issue. The After Hours board here has a sticky listing the recommended funniest threads. One of them is a thread started by a guy claiming that he had just killed his dog with a stun gun - the majority thought it to be hilarious.

I agree, the thread DID start off about homeless animals and their mistreatment, then the conversation meandered to the mistreatment of animals in general in Ireland. So killing is ok? So if someone decides they can't keep a puppy it is grand to slit its throat and eat it? I am frankly sick to death of this double standard of some animals humanlike, some animals not. Cruelty is cruelty, full stop. I am not on the side of cruelty, I just thing we are myopic if we think that Ireland is so far behind in terms of treatment to all animals. With CJD who had to slaughter MILLIONS of cattle because of their feeding practices. Not Ireland.
If everyone on here ranting about how cruel the whole of Ireland (no sorry, wait, the majority) is compared to the UK etc, if all those people are vegan / vegetarian OR raise their own meat and know it doesn't support cruel farming practice, then I would be more likely to listen to that argument.

Some people would argue, discodog, that eating meat IS cruelty to animals, in that it is unnecessary. That is not my personal opinion, but when I see these sweeping statements about the majority of Ireland, and unnecessary cruelty, I feel like people are missing the bigger picture. For the record, I do think people need more awareness and education, but you're not going to get anywhere by quoting statistics and damning 'most of Ireland. We all know that statistics are skewed, including those of pet food companies, dog licenses etc.

After hours HAS to be taken with a large grain of salt, no? People post on there to get a rise out of folks more often than any other forum imo.

Discodog

kraggy wrote: »

The Gspca are a voluntary WELFARE organisation. They have no legal power.

It's very difficult to get prosecutions in a country where the Gardai, for the most part, have no interest in animal rights/protection.

Even if a case is brought to court, a suspended sentence is the norm.

It's digusting.

I disagree. The GSPCA & all the other SPCA's are operating the way that the RSPCA did years ago. The emphasis is on welfare & advising rather than prosecuting. The RSPCA found that prosecutions were a powerful deterrent & now pursue offenders more actively.

The GSPCA need to concentrate on evidence which is always Veterinary evidence in cruelty cases. The horses are a prime example. If they are neglected & did not die of natural causes then a Vet can easily confirm this. The Guards & Prosecution Service are not going to turn down a case if there is good expert witness evidence. A Vet is a very powerful witness & in my experience their evidence is accepted by Judges & Juries. To prove cruelty you need a Vet to state that the animal was subjected to "unnecessary suffering".

Irish judges have handed out prison sentences. If you don't prosecute then the Judiciary will rarely see a cruelty case & will tend to treat it as an exception. If they see more cases they will tend to issue harsher sentences as a deterrent.

Discodog

Amhran Nua wrote: »

All true, and all anecdotal.

Great way to run a political party. I have heard that it's true so it must be !.

From your website:

"We seek to join and surpass our fellow European nations in modernity"

By killing many times more unwanted animals than they do.

softmee

Discodog wrote: »

I may not their biggest fan but the GSPCA do rehome over 1000 dogs per year which is impressive. So they cannot be turning down everybody.

My gripe is that they investigated 5000 cruelty cases in 2008/2009 but I suspect that very few were prosecuted.

I think they could rehome 3 times as many if they would be more open and flexible.
They should ask every person to sign agreement saying if they cant for some reason keep the dog or there is something wrong, this person has to return dog to them.
This way there would be much bigger chance of dogs not ending up on the streets again and they wouldnt lose opportunity of potential succesful rehoming.
This is unbelivable that they think life behind the crates is better then life without a garden or life with small kids. I just cant get over it.

Discodog

softmee wrote: »

They should ask every person to sign agreement saying if they cant for some reason keep the dog or there is something wrong, this person has to return dog to them.

I don't know about the GSPCA but every other rescue that I know already does this.

EGAR

Aaah, Christmas time, peace and goodwill to all and all that .

I have followed this thread with interest and actually sat on my hands on a number of posts.

I've done rescue in this country for the past 14 years. I've seen things that would make your toenails curl or make you p*ke your guts out.

I have seen dogs with cut off ears, doused in diesel and set alight, tied to a tree in the forest and left to starve, I've seen donkeys with curled hooves barely able to walk, I've seen horses so emaciated the only body part they could still move were their eyes. And THAT WAS IN THE GOOD TIMES!

Ireland is so far behind Animal Welfare that it isn't even funny. Yes, we have *Control of Dogs Act* and we have *Control of Horses Act*, but were are the Welfare Acts? Oh wait, that one is going to celebrate its birthday next year : it's 100th birthday which renders it, in fact, British law as it pre-dates the formation of the Irish Republic.

Lots of Control and very little Welfare!

Ireland is also the capital of Europe's puppymillers. And the legislation for it: a joke! Half-baked ideas to legislate to get more revenue, again, no mention of welfare and oh, the hunting kennels and the Greyhound Industry get a special deal on that one as well. Hmmm...

And don't get me started on foxhunting...

So, yes, Ireland is extremely backwards when it comes to the care of its animals. And I am in a good position to judge this.

Discodog

EGAR wrote: »

Ireland is also the capital of Europe's puppymillers. And the legislation for it: a joke! Half-baked ideas to legislate to get more revenue, again, no mention of welfare

From the Irish Times:

The penalties provided under the Dog Breeding Establishments Bill were criticised by Fine Gael environment spokesman Phil Hogan.


“Penalties of up to €5,000, to be imposed on people for very minor offences, are onerous,” he said.

Oh good so we can rely on our new FG government to make things better :mad:

EGAR

And as to Cowen, we have to rely on non-irish press to inform us:

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/ireland/article7107319.ece

And for those who don't know who Mr. Boland is (again - non-irish article!) :

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1050747/How-tiny-handbag-dogs-bred-conditions-horrific-cruelty.html