The number of dogs euthanised in Westmeath fell from 317 in 2011 to 45 in 2015, thanks to the efforts of staff and volunteers in the county dog pound in Mullingar.
A stray dog called Duke who was in the the county dog pound in Mullingar is the centrefold in the ‘All for Animals’ calendar for the month of May 2017.
Duke was a stray dog who was in the pound before being reclaimed by his owner; however, he was later returned to the pound as his owner no longer wanted him. This may sound like a sad story, but Duke was rescued by a local welfare group and went into foster care. When all the paperwork was complete Duke went to a new home in Sweden and is living a wonderful healthy life there with his new adoptive family.
Westmeath County Council’s veterinary officer, Seán O’Laoide, credits this good news story to pound volunteer Maeve O’Donoghue.
“It’s because of her dedication and hard work that there has been a dramatic increase in dogs finding homes. Maeve set up and manages the ‘Mullingar Dog Shelter’ Facebook page and it is through this and her fantastic network of contacts in the canine world that the number of dogs euthanised has gone from 317 in 2011 to 45 in 2015, with a further 175 dogs being transferred to dog welfare groups,” says Sean.
Maeve updates the Facebook page on a weekly basis with all dogs coming through the pound and assists to re-home as many as is feasible, bearing in mind the circumstances of each particular case.
While this is a happy story for this time of the year, Mr O’Laoide advised people to remember the old saying ‘A dog is not just for Christmas’.
“Many people get a puppy for Christmas and together with all the joy, love, and fun a puppy brings come the responsibilities to care for the animal, while also taking on the responsibilities of licensing, microchipping, and cleaning up after your dog.”
The pound is located in Zone B, Mullingar Business Park and is open Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 10am-12 noon. For more information see www.facebook.com/Mullingardogshelter
