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page will be updated with all of our news and stories! Enjoy! |
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| Mallow Pet Expo 2008! |
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Thank
you so much to our loyal volunteers and their four-legged friends
for coming out to support DAWG on June 21st and making the day such
a success. |
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| A big THANK YOU to Declan O Connell and Tadgh Buckley who ran the Cork City Marathon and raised 650 Euro for DAWG, it was a fantastic achievement and we are extremely grateful. This money will be put to good use in continuing our effort in rescuing, rehabilitating and rehoming the dogs of Cork. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Update
on Gerry (was Charlie) the Collie who lived for
some time in the woods alone: Gerry
is one of the saddest dogs I've ever had to foster.
When I look at him I nearly cry...his eyes seem
to tell of years of suffering and I wonder what
was done to this old boy that has made him so
terrified of everything. We got Gerry last Sunday
and he was literally rigid with fear when I tried
to stroke him. He is rake thin and the only thing
that he responded to for the first few days was
food...he couldn't get enough of it! He still
can't.Having lifted him out of the car I brought
him into my kitchen and he was just overwhelmed
and lay there shaking. So I coaxed him into the
utility where the door is wide open into the kitchen
for him to come in...Yesterday, 5 days after being
with us, he made his first tentative steps into
the kitchen. 
Ellie
May the most beautiful lurcher you could ever
hope to know was found wandering in Limerick in
an almost collapsed state. She is our care now
as the local rescues in Limerick could not take
her in. She is a mere skeleton and is suffering
from a chronic skin condition. Our vet tells us
that she must have been born with this condition.
Sadly and unbelievably her owners failed to treat
her and today Ellie May is a very sick girl. The
skin conditon has meant that she constantly feels
itchy. She has scratched so much that she has
lost the hair on large areas of her body, most
notably her face, neck, legs and feet. The repetitive
scratching caused her skin to bleed. Many sores
formed on her bony body. Many of these sores have
become infected. Her skin has become swollen and
feels like leather, this is particulary noticable
on her feet. Due to malnutrition, Ellie May when
she walks, she looks like she is walking very
much down on her feet. Ellie May, when she was
found just scratched and scratched and scratched,
she could not rest, all she did was tear at her
frail body. She was so distressed rubbing her
body against anything that was near her. The heat
from her body felt like the heat you would feel
from a barbecue. Thankfully Ellie May has spent
some time in the vets and received treatment.
While this treatment has made her feel somewhat
comfortable,she is 
still
scratching, not as much though, and she has a
long way to go to regain her strength. Our vet
told us Ellie Mays immune system has been greatly
compromised so he cannot say whether or not Ellie
May will recover. Ellie May was very nervous initially
and jumped and cowered if anyone approached her,
expecting no love and cuddles but more hurt. She
is however starting to relax, you can put your
face up to her for a kiss, and she will not move,
no kisses yet though. Not surprisingly Ellie May
is very depressed and has little interest in what
is going on around her, but from time to time
her magificent hazel eyes will watch what is going
on and there is a tiny flicker of light like a
candle trying to ignite. She is in a fantastic
foster home now where she will receive all the
love and care she has never known existed. If
you can help us towards Ellie May's care, please
click 
Tia
- Born to Fight? This
is the sad scarred face of dog fighting in Ireland
today. We got a call late Saturday night about
a dog found wandering in the lashing rain outside
a pub. The people who phoned were loathe to leave
her and made numerous calls for someone to help.
The two ladies stayed with her in the rain until
one of our volunteers went to collect her. They
even named her Tia and gave us a donation towards
her care. The sight we came across broke our hearts.
Tia, about a year old is skin and bone, has deep
infected pressure sores from lying on concrete,
has ear mites, and has severe breathing problems.
Her face is quite swollen. She was in a terrible
state yet endeared herself to all who met her.
She stayed the night at a volunteers house and
at first she was so exhausted she fell asleep
standing up. Afraid and unsure to lie down. When
she was brought to the vets the next morning we
were told she has typical fighter dog scars. When
he opened her mouth the reason for her swollen
face and breathing problems were apparent, she
has broken teeth and infected gums. Today she
is being x-rayed to see if she has a broken jaw.
The condition Tia was left to get in is horrifying.
Yet, she is so grateful for the food, and warmth
she is receiving and has a wag of the tail for
all she meets. Because of Tia’s background whether
she was attacked or used for fighting we will
have to test her with other dogs and rehabilitate
her. She will not be up for rehoming until she
is assessed. But so far the reports are that she
is quiet around other dogs. 
But
we have to be sensible about how to rehome
Tia and in the meantime she will get the love
and care she never thought she deserved. The thought
that there others like her, lying on concrete,
starving and more than likely suffering from one
injury or another angers us deeply. If anyone
has any suspicions of dogs being bred and used
for fighting we beg you to please report it to
the guards and to the ISPCA. The suffering this
causes is untold. If you can help towards Tia’s
care and rehabilitation we would be very grateful.
Yesterday
we got a call from a member of the public to say
that they had found a Beagle rummaging in the
bins outside their home. They said that she was
in bad condition so we told them to bring her
in. We are full to bursting in the shelter but
could not refuse. When Hope as we called her arrived
we were all shocked at her condition. 
She
is covered in mange, what few teeth she has left
are rotten and infected. She is a mere skeleton,
her spine is protruding through her skin, and
to top it all she is very heavily in pup. We took
her in and gave her a nice bed and a good meal.
She was so thankful for the little she received
from us. 
This
type of neglect is getting all too common. It
took along time for Hope to reach this state.
Her body is so frail we don't know will she be
able to go through labour and if she will have
the streng to raise puppies. For now all we can
do is give her warmth and try to bulid her up.
We expect that she doesn't have long to go before
the puppies arrive. We are desperate to find her
a kind foster home to have her pups in. The shelter
is no place for her but at the moment its all
she has. 
This
is Daisy. Daisy was dropped to our shelter a
few days ago along with her two pups. Poor Daisy
is after a lifetime of breeding and then she
was simply discarded. We think she is about
4 yrs old but it is hard to say as she has certainly
had a very difficult life.
She is merely a skeleton and her body is worn
out from a lifetime of rearing pups. Despite
this she is an excellent Mum and her puppies
are now thriving. Daisy is a sweet. gentle dog
with the saddest eyes we have ever seen. She
does not know what its like to be loved or shown
affection. She is currently in a foster home
and is geting on great. Daisy will make a loyal,
loving dog. We have to stress the importance
of neutering/spaying. There are so many dogs
in this world that need a home and irresponsible
breeding is making matters worse. Daisy's life
of breeding pups is now over and for the first
time in her life she will be loved and looked
after. Her two boxer x puppies are in foster
care where they will soon start on their vaccinations.
We
had a wonderful day on Saturday at our Adoptation
with approx 10 dogs booked and up to 900 Euro
raised for the cause. There are so many people
to thank who helped made the day a success, first
and foremost Nanci Creedon, 
Polly
our gorgeous lurcher pup has been to the heart
specialist. The news isnt great, Polly is in heart
failure and no operation can save her. BUT it
can be managed by medication for as long as she
lives. It could be months or a year or two. Polly
is going to stay in long term foster and if you
would like to help towards her care we will be
adding her to our sponsor a dog programme shortly.
Polly is not in pain, is loving life in foster
and we are determined that in her short life she
will know nothing but love, warmth and security.
She has touched all our hearts. Today Polly is
in the vets to get some fluid drained from around
her heart. Part of the disease is that she retains
a lot of fluid. Fingers crossed for our girl.
She is a fighter thats for sure. All going well
Polly will be at the adoptathon showing off her
new valentines coat and flying the flag for the
sponsor dogs. Update - Polly is loving life. She
has small walks on the lead which she loves but
they do tire her out. So sad as as a puppy she
should be running and leaping around the woods
with her foster sisters. But she is happy and
that is the main thing.
We
are happy to say that we finally have managed to
improve our shelter and make it warmer for the winter.
Many
congratulations to the happy couple who married
on Friday August 20th. A beautiful day was had
by all. Thank you both for choosing DAWG as your
charity in lieu of wedding favours. The thought
and support is very much appreciate. Wishing you
many many happy years together. 
A
huge thank you to our supporters who walked/ran
the mini marathon for us. Thank you also to the
Sunbeam Veterinary Clinic for sponsoring the t-shirts
and to Una who put a lot of work into organisation.
A great day was had by all and we very much appreciate
that you chose Cork DAWG as your charity on the
day. The monies raised will be put to very good
use helping the vulnerable, needy, and abused dogs
of Cork. 
Rusty,
an Irish Terrier re-homed by us to Janet in West
Cork in September 2009 became Champion of Show
and Best Terrier in the Ballingeary Agricultural
Show on August 22nd 2010. 
This
was Rusty's first time at a show and he behaved
impeccably in the ring with many other beautiful
dogs. The Judge loved him, and he came home
with three rosettes, a Silver Cup plus a largy
supply of dog food. Well done Rusty, you have
done us all proud and thank you Janet for the
update!!
DANNY
We
are very proud to announce the opening of our
new charity shop, 55 Main Street, Midleton. The
opening takes place on Friday 9th April at 10.30.
Well done to Jill and her team for all the hard
work and effort it has taken to get the shop ready.
We hope it will be a huge success!!
Thank
you so much to Susan Dawson who held a fundraiser
for DAWG in the UK and raised 100 pounds sterling.
Susan adopted Dillon from us last year. (see our
We
would like to express our gratitude to Adam Greaves
(
After
a nervous couple of slices of toast, I had a really
entertaining briefing (the instructor took his
time as we had to wait for the weather to clear)
and felt much more relaxed. As it turned into
the most glorious of days, I got kitted out and
went up in the plane, not nearly as nervous as
I thought I would be. Then the fun really began
as the adrenaline started pumping and I jumped
out. I loved every moment of it; the sensation
of freefall is unlike anything I have ever experienced!
Unfortunately it was over far too fast but it
was well worth it. I had the most amazing time
and would seriously consider doing it again. It
was a fantastic day!' Thanks so much Adam, it
is very much appreciated. There are mutterings
that some some of our own volunteers hope to follow
your example!! Watch this space........
Dillon
our gorgeous greyhound pup who went to a home
in the UK has been chosen by greyhounds galore
to be their "May Dog" in their 2010 calander.
His mum Susan entered Dillons photo in a competition
held by "Greyhounds Galore .This group rescue and
rehome greyhounds in the North East of England.
We are very proud of Dillon and so is his mum.
She told us "Dillon is a lovely lad, runs like
the wind - he has these mad moments sometimes
when he just runs from one side of the garden
to the other at an incredible speed just for the
sheer joy of it. Peggy and Alfie my other greyhounds
just stand looking at him as though he is mad
with their heads going from side to side as though
watching tennis! Peggy and Alfie are both getting
on but will play with him sometimes. He loves
going to dog class weekly and it really stimulates
him, I take a bag of cheese cubes for his treats,
he loves these. He is such a different dog from
when he first arrived, he is very confident now,
especially when out for a walk. He wants to play
with every dog that he passes. Dillon is proof
of just what wonderful pets greyhounds make".
We can't wait for May to come around when we can
look at Dillon all day long! .jpg)
who
came into our care last November with her siblings.
Poppy was severely malnourished and at one stage
we feared she would lose her fight for life. However
Poppy like her siblings recovered and was adopted
by a wonderful family in Leicester in the UK.
Poppy's family are so proud of her as she recently
won three rossettes in three different dog shows.
Many dogs entered so it was a huge achievement
for poppy to win. She won 2nd in 'Best greyhound
bitch under 2 years', 1st in prettiest bitch and
3rd in best pedigree. Poppy recently went on
her first summer holidays. She spend a most glorious
week by the seaside and by all account adored
running on the beach and splashing in the sea.
Everyone here at D.A.W.G are so very proud of
you too Poppy.
Last
December Beanie our little lurcher puppy,went
to his new home in Upstate New York. Beanie was
found wandering the roads in very poor physical
shape, so to go to such a wonderful home was a
real fairy tale ending. Beanie settled in very
quickly and is now a fully fledged New Yorker.
However Beanie hasn't forgotten his Irish roots
as he recently went to a show and was honoured
to tell everyone he was an Irish lurcher rescued
by dawg.His mum Debs told us that " Each year
we have a greyhound/sighthound gathering in the
Finger Lakes region of New York. This is our wine
growing country, hence the name Grapehounds. I
had the opportunity to introduce my Irish Lurcher
Lad to many people who had heard of lurchers but
never seen one. He was an excellent ambassador
and got passed from hand to hand. The photo shows
Beanie with his brother Tiger (they are known
as the dynamic duo) and two new friends he met
at the show. Well done Beanie, we are so very
proud of you. 
I
want to say a big hello to all my fans and admirers, (I
believe there's many out there), I'm not surprised though
the volunteers here at the sanctuary tell me I was a very
sick boy. See my story below. To be honest I felt so weak
and so poorly that I can't really remember too much. I
do remember though thinking how lovely my warm bed was
and how kind everyone was to me. Nobody was ever nice
to me before I came to the sanctuary and I didn't know
what a bed was. Today I feel a lot better, my itching
has almost stopped and my belly is no longer swollen.
My skin is feeling and looking a lot better.I don't have
as many hotspots anymore. My hair hasn't grown back much
yet but I know when it does I will be even more beautiful
than I am now (if that's possible). I have lots of energy
now and love to play in the garden. I like to hang out
with the big boys, pups are only for kids. Bertie is my
best pal, he's the main man around here. The volunteers
say I have lots of "spirit", they are right there, I say
life is for living! I'm looking forward to the time when
I'll be able to go to a new home. I know it will be a
few weeks yet as I have to get lots better, that's ok
though as it means I can hang out here with my pals. I
know lots of people will be thinking of offering me a
home. Just to let you know, because I am a Yorkie, doesn't
mean I'm a girlie dog. No fancy coats for me, I'm more
into biker jackets if you know what I mean. Thank you
to everyone who sent donations to help get me better.
Thank you too to all those very kind people who sent me
treats and biscuits, but Bertie said to tell you they
are all gone, hint hint! Love Sprite 
Dog Action Welfare Group.
P.O. Box 558, Togher Sorting Office, Cork
Telephone: 086 3457488
Email: info@dogactionwelfaregroup.ie