Write a commentLocal Charity Louth SPCA have reached just over half of their target of £10,000 after starting a GoFundMe fundraising campaign following the closure of a petting farm at Fitzpatricks, Jenkinstown last week.
Louth SPCA have now found themselves in charge of looking after over 100 animals from the petting farm and will cover the costs of veterinary treatments, feeding and housing for those who have kindly taken them into foster homes. Some animals still remain at the property (ponies and donkeys) but will be moved as soon as they are well enough to move and once foster or permanent homes have been found for them.
The animal rescue was organised by Louth SPCA Inspector Fiona Squibb, alongside volunteers from the rescue and staff from Pet Connection in Newry, who were also on hand to help.
Inspector Squibb commented, “After the closure of the petting farm, it would appear that the animals lacked access to sufficient food or fresh drinking water – despite the hot weather. When we did gain access, many of the animals were severely dehydrated and in desperate need of treatment for heavy parasite burdens. We have managed to oversee the removal of most of the animals from the site and will continue to provide the animals with the specialist lifelong care that many require. Unfortunately, as we are a small charity, we are finding that our resources have been stretched to their limit due to the size and scale of this operation, which we believe is one of the largest of its kind ever in Ireland. We also still have our regular intake of dogs, cats and other animals, many of whom have suffered from heartbreaking cruelty, and every penny that we can raise with this fundraiser goes directly to helping these animals.”
Although it is possible that in time, some of the rescued animals will be rehomed, the costs of caring for them are expected to run into thousands of Euro.
It's planned that the online fundraiser will cover Veterinary, housing and feeding costs for the animals rescued from the petting farm, including treatment for malnutrition, parasites and any other ongoing medical conditions.The everyday running costs of Louth SPCA, as the charity receives little government funding towards expenses like electricity, cleaning of enclosures and upkeep of the premises.The costs of caring for Louth SPCA’s other animals, which are especially high at this time of year due to the annual explosion of unwanted kittens born to un-neutered cats, as many of these kittens end up dumped or surrendered.
If members of the public wish to donate to Louth SPCA’s online fundraiser, they can do so at www.gofundme.com/louth-spca
Alternatively, donations can be made through Paypal (details available at www.louthspca.ie) or through Louth SPCA’s Wishlist (www.petconnection.ie).
Louth Society for the Protection of Animals is a registered charity in the Republic of Ireland, based in County Louth. Current Inspector Fiona Squibb has been working to improve animal welfare across the county in her current role for over ten years.
Fitzpatricks Facebook
On Fitzpatricks Bar and Restaurant Facebook page a post added at the weekend states that the animals "were looked after on a daily basis and feed and watered twice a day" and that following the sudden closure of the bar and restaurant last Monday, the people who took charge of the restaurant also took responsibility of the animals. The statement also added "We had regular checks from an animal department and they were always happy with the set up we had and they were always happy with the petting farm."
