‘Come meet our doggies,’ as The Haven Rescue host adoption day in Nenagh

The Haven Rescue held its first adoption day of 2023 last weekend.

The event was held in Muddy Paws pet shop in Nenagh last Saturday.

The public were invited to come and chat with the volunteers and meet the wonderful dogs looking for their forever homes.

On the day, the Tipperary Star caught up with rescue Co-founder Rosie Dowling to talk about all things rescue and adopting.

WELCOME PARTY
Greyhounds and lurchers Eve, Finn, Gabby and Gem, along with terrier Millie were on duty at Saturday’s adoption day.

And as wonderful as these dogs are, some of them have a long road ahead of them.

Rosie told us that misconceptions about greyhounds and lurchers make them hard to rehome. People assume they require a lot of exercise.

But, really they are quite lazy.

Rosie said they can be homed in apartments and only require about 15 minutes in the morning and evening. After that they sleep.

“They are not active dogs. What people see is a 30 second sprint once a week. The rest of the time they are in kennels. They are used to being lazy couch potatoes; that’s what they are, and that’s what they love,” said Rosie.

Gabby, a black greyhound, spent most of the day snoozing in her crate.

As lovely as she is, Rosie said Gabby will have a particularly hard time finding a home.

Black dogs, she said, with their connotations with superstition are often avoided.

“So, Gabby is a black greyhound and as I was saying black dogs are statistically harder to rehome, but black, male dogs are four times harder to rehome than any other dog, especially if they are a greyhound.”

“We have a couple of black greyhounds, and they have been with us since last September. They typically spend six to eight months more in rescue than any of the other dogs,” said Rosie.

NOT JUST DOGS

The Haven specialise in dogs but have cats and kittens too. Rosie said although quiet right now, February is usually kitten season.

Apart from adopting, The Haven runs a TNR scheme for cats - which is a Trap, neuter and release programme. They say this can help prevent animals needing homes by neutering the feral colonies.

“If you have a colony of feral cats, come on to us. We can lend you a trap. You can catch them, get them into our vets and get them neutered. We will cover the cost of it, but you have to take back the cats.”

If you would like to adopt a cat, The Haven takes enquiries through their Facebook or Instagram page or you can email them on thehavenrescuetipperary@gmail.com.

ADOPTING

The dogs at the adoption day have all been assessed, Microchipped, neutered, treated for internal and external parasites and are ready for new homes.

For those who think they might want to adopt, Rosie has some advice. She said when choosing a breed, think about the future.

If your lifestyle doesn't suit an active dog, then you might need to rethink an energetic type. Rosie said some people think rescue dogs are damaged dogs, and this is not true.

“Come down and meet our doggies. None of them have problems, and if they do they are from lack of training.

“Our motto is that every behaviour can be modified, if and I stress, if you want it.”

Rosie said many people surrender their dogs for minor behaviour issues that can be resolved.

The Haven has two behaviourists on the team. If you are considering surrendering your dog, why not have a chat with Rosie’s team about training first.

Their hope is that this will keep dogs in their homes with their families and prevent the need for rescue.

“Our ideal outcome is that the dog stays in the home,” said Rosie.

THE HAVEN

The Haven are a small group of volunteers based in north Tipperary.

The rescue is foster based, which means that the animals live in a volunteer’s home rather than a kennel. Saturday’s event, while a lot of fun, was for a serious cause.

As we reported at Christmas, animal rescues in Tipperary and nationwide are under enormous strain.

“The rescue world is flooded at the minute, and it doesn’t seem to be stopping. There doesn’t seem to be any help coming.

“It’s puppies puppies puppies, and people not thinking about the next 15 years,” said Rosie.

Over breeding, lack of enforcement of laws and lack of planning are overwhelming organisations.

She said the pounds are ‘chock a block’ and have no space left.

“At the moment, we are taking 20 calls a day from people wanting to surrender animals. Those people are expecting us to take their dog now, and when we can’t, the attitude we get is uncalled for. There isn’t enough space.”

She said rescues like The Haven are run by volunteers who are doing their best.

“There isn’t a day off in rescue. You don’t get a Christmas day or a birthday. It's 365 days because there are so many dogs coming in.

“It’s a very disposable world now, and if something isn’t working out, instead of trying to sort it, it is get rid of it. But where does it stop?

“We can only take a certain amount. Mo Chara can only take a certain amount. Paws can only take a certain amount, but when you are full you are full,” said Rosie.

Which is why adoption days like this are so important for The Haven.

SUPPORT

If you cannot provide a home for a dog from The Haven but want to support their work, there is plenty for you to do.

Vet bills run into the thousands. You can pay toward vet bills at either vets Julian O’ Connors in Cashel or A Country Practice in Nenagh.

“There is a €7,000 bill in one and €4,000 bills in the other.

“People don’t like handing over money so they can go straight to the vets and pay off the bill,” said Rosie.

Rosie said you can support the sponsored walk or adoption days.

The Haven also take donations of crates, collars, duvets and dog coats.

But according to Rosie the most helpful thing you can do is educate your friends.

She said many people who decide to breed their dogs, think it's just one litter.

But those pups grow up and have more pups, adding to the problem.

“Talk to your friend who wants to breed their chihuahua because they want a litter of pups. Neuter neuter neuter,” said Rosie.

If you can provide a home for a dog but missed last weekend’s event, don’t worry. You can get in touch with Rosie and her team on Facebook and Instagram @thehavenrescue.

Click the purple arrow to see some pictures from the day