Local dog rescue group MADRA saved 474 dogs from pounds in 2014 - representing eight per cent of all dogs transferred to rescue organisations across the country.
The recently released Department of the Environment dog welfare statistics for 2014 show that 6,238 dogs were transferred to welfare groups. This figure represents over 43 per cent of the 14,559 dogs that came into the pound system during that period.
A total of 2,896 dogs were put to sleep nationally - down 620 dogs from the 2013 figures. The number of stray and unwanted dogs coming into the pound system was also down by just under 1,000 dogs in 2014.
MADRA Chairperson Edel Comerford stated, “we are happy to see that the number of dogs being euthanised has come down further this year.”Such amazing work is being carried out by animal welfare organisations nationwide.
“In Galway county, the put to sleep rate has been reduced to seven per cent. When we first started working with Galway County Council this figure was 83 per cent, and that was only eight years ago. We also work exclusively with County Mayo and are working hard to formalise an arrangement with Galway City Council.
“There is still a lot of work to be done in order to reduce the number of stray and abandoned dogs in Ireland. The euthanasia figure was under 3,000 in 2014, but without the hard work of rescues this would have been over 9,000 or 63 per cent of Ireland’s stray and abandoned dogs”, she added.
MADRA is a volunteer-led dog rescue charity based in Connemara but re-homing nationally. In 2014, MADRA rescued a total of 777 dogs from pounds and members of the general public For more information on MADRA and the dogs looking for new homes go to www.madra.ie or visit the MADRA Facebook page.
