Hi Catriona

This is Bondi our one eyed cat that we got from Limerick Animal Welfare over 8 weeks ago. He only has one eye because when he was a kitten he was really badly neglected and when he go an eye infection nobody bothered to treat it. 

By the time he came to the attention of Limerick Animal Welfare his eye was so bad that it had to be taken out.

Now though he is living a life of luxury, eating, sleeping and chasing shadows!  Thanks to all at Limerick Animal Welfare Bondi was given a second chance in life and we are making sure he enjoys every minute of it!

Best Wishes Pauline and Tony

Paddy Murphy, one of LAW’s younger volunteers presenting Eileen Darcy with first prize of a weekend away at a recent fundraiser which raised over 3,500 euro and was kindly supported by local vets, pet shops and grooming parlours.

WITH the credit crunch affecting everyone these days, it’s not suprising to learn this week that according to the ‘Irish Society of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals’ they and animal welfare organisations nationwide are being hit even harder right now. The sad reality is that voluntary organsiations like these are in fact facing double the problems as cases of neglect seem to increase during hard times while donations unfortunately tend to decrease causing a serious dilemma for animal charities. So it is at times like this that organisations like the ISPCA and Limerick Animal Welfare need our help more than ever as their already over stretched workloads increase and they continue to struggle to find additional funding to keep them afloat doing crucial work in combating animal cruelty and rescuing neglecting animals all over Ireland.According to the ISPCA, figures for donations nationwide are also significantly down on last year’s figures and they are urging the public to help in any way they can, if not financially then perhaps by helping out in person.  Simple acts like donating clothes, books and bric a brac to animal welfare charity shops or helping organise fundraisers from coffee mornings and sponsored walks to table quizzes or fashion shows can help these organisations enormously. Volunteering at collection days or bag packing or giving your time to an animal shelter are other ways we the public can help out animal charities in these difficult times. Also worth noting is that organisations like Limerick Animal Welfare and the ISPCA have a standing order option on their websites at www.limerickanimalwelfare.com and www.ispca.ie and they welcome any amount per month no matter how small as it all makes a difference.

THIS year’s ‘Happy Dog Sunday’ has been hailed a huge success as crowds of pet owners descended on the People’s Park last Sunday afternoon. The heavy rain failed to dampen spirits especially as the organisers had a special secret weapon in the form of two large marquees! The marquees were kindly donated by the Army who offered to help this year after last year’s downpour (I can still vividly remember trying to judge last year’s Pup Idol contest with rain pouring down my face!)

However this year, there were no such problems as scores of dog owners made their way to the event, which turned out to be a delightful occasion for all the family.

According to one of the event organisers Marie Quirke everyone at Limerick Animal Welfare was thrilled at the turnout on the day; “We were delighted to see so many people this year and particularly so many rescue dogs who returned happy and healthy to see us” she said.

There were also plenty of familiar faces from the LAW community enjoying the day with volunteers and supporters alike enjoying the atmosphere and Minister for Defence Willie O’Dea even dropped by for a visit as a special guest of honour to present the Best Fancy Dress prize to Molly the Collie!

Other proud winners included Oz the Collie cross who won the Golden Oldie title, Oz is an incredible 20 years of age and his owner Breda Kelliher adopted him from Ann Kelly from LAW back in the day! Other winners included Frostie the Japanese Spritz who was deemed the Best Groomed thanks to the efforts of owner Rachel Clayton, Cassie the Best Rescue dog and Misty the adorable Border Terrier who took away the Pup Idol prize with her owner Saidbh while Holly wagged her way to success in the waggiest tail and best in show much to the delight of her owner Olivia Shanahan. Other highlights on the day were the various stands dotted around the show where those attended could sample home cooking and purchase pet products in aid of Limerick Animal Welfare.

MC for the day John Prendergast from Limerick’s Live 95fm once again did a superb job hosting the popular event as did everyone involved from the judges to the organisers and everyone who supported the day. So congratulations once again to everyone involved and to check out more photographs from the day why not check out www.limerickanimalwelfare.com where you’ll find a link to the organisations Flickr page where Aishling O’Donoghue from LAW has loaded some fantastic photographs from the day!

WELL IT’S that time of year again pet lovers, when one of the most enjoyable events on the animal calendar takes place with the return of the annual ‘Happy Dog Sunday’. Always guaranteed to be a great fun event for all the family the Limerick Animal Welfare event appeals to everyone with this year’s event taking place once again in the People’s Park, Pery Square on Sunday May 17 at 1.30pm. 

The popular event is always great fun with LAW supporters and animal lovers flocking to the park every year to enjoy all the activities. The highlight of the day is always the Dog Show featuring all the usual categories from Best Groomed, Waggiest Tail, Pup Idol (puppies under 1 year and over 3 months) Best Fancy Dress, Pup Idol, Golden Oldie (dogs over 8 years), Best Limerick Animal Welfare Rescue Dog and Best in Show) Entries cost only 2 euro per category).

John Prendergast from Live 95 FM will return as M.C. for the day and remember, you don’t have to own a Limerick Animal Welfare dog to attend,  all dogs are very welcome to enter the show. Other great aspects to the day include various stalls and raffles but don’t forget to keep your dogs on a lead and bring your poop and scoopers! According to organisers this year’s event will also not be affected any adverse weather conditions as the army have very kindly provided a marqee so it’s bound to be a superb day out for everyone who attends so why not bring along all the family and enjoy a day out in the Park!

Animal lover and model agent Hilary Thompson is once again doing her bit for charity as she hosts a special coffee morning at Sinatras at the Hi-Way in Dooradoyle next Wednesday morning May 20. The event which takes place between 11.00 am – 12.30 pm  (Admission just e5) will raise much needed funds to help build Phase 2 of the LAW Field of Dreams Sanctuary at Kilfinnane. 

As you may know phase one has already been built and has proved a vital tool in tending to sick and unwanted animals who get plenty of TLC from the volunteers there. However it’s crucial that the second phase is completed so that this great work can continue. 

So why not drop by with your friends for coffee to Sinatras at the Hi-Way bar in Dooradoyle (next to the Regional Hospital and enjoy a catch up while raising funds for a great cause!

CONGRATULATIONS to Jane Somers from O2 and everyone who organised and supported the recent sponsored walk in aid of Limerick Animal Welfare at Curragh Chase. 

According to the staff at LAW Jane did a superb job organising the fundraiser ”Jane was so professional and really went out of her way to make all the walkers feel appreciated and she also raised almost e4,000 which is just fantastic!” Aishling from Limerick Animal Welfare said.

Those who attended were blessed with beautiful weather and all the dogs and pet owners thoroughly enjoyed the walk through the picturesque Curragh Chase woods while raising money for a great cause! Don’t forget another great fundraiser taking place soon is Happy Dog Sunday on May 17 at the People’s park. I’ll have all the details of this exciting event for you next week!