Mayo SPCA has taken delivery of what is believed to be Ireland’s first specialised dog trap. Bought following a donation of €250 from the Abbey Pattern Committee, the trap came from an English supplier and will help Mayo SPCA volunteers to catch abandoned dogs much more quickly and safely.
“The idea is that you put food inside the trap, which is a cage, and get the dog used to being fed there. Instead of taking up to a month to catch a dog, which happened recently in Ballinrobe, we can do it in an hour or two,” said Mayo SPCA volunteer Marian Biesty. “It’s also a great thing because it means we don’t have to use sedation. Sometimes this is needed to catch a dog, but can be very, very stressful to the animal,” she added.
The dog trap now joins the Mayo SPCA’s cat trap, which arrived from the USA last year and has been very successful.
Last year the Mayo SPCA re-homed 500 animals, mostly dogs and cats. However, roosters, two horses and a goat also added to the workload. If you would like to help, the organisation is always on the lookout for new volunteers and Marian can be contacted on 086 803 2592.
