Education Programme
Most of the problems that exist for the animals are caused by irresponsible owners. To improve things for the animals it is vital to teach people about the needs of animals.
Our education programme is comprehensive, but the key issues are:
* Choosing a suitable pet
* Caring for your dog
* Caring for your cat
* Neutering
* Vaccination
We give advice daily on our helpline and distribute information leaflets. Radio interviews and articles in local newspapers are also helpful. We visit schools and youth groups, often bringing animals with us. If you would like to arrange a visit, please contact the helpline: 086 8566626, Monday - Friday, 12.00 - 14.00
Choosing a suitable pet
Too often, no thought is given before getting a pet as to who will look after it, how big it will grow, how much it will cost, where it will go during holidays etc. There is no better companion than a well-trained dog, but a cute puppy does not turn into a house-trained, well-behaved dog without a lot of time and effort on your part. So often dogs are unwanted because they develop behaviour problems which can be easily prevented by proper training at an early stage. People often say they want a dog "for the children". Children promise anything to get the dog they want, but as a parent you know that their enthusiasm doesn't always last. School, hobbies, friends or football may become more important and besides that, children do not have the discipline, time or experience required to train a very active, fast-growing animal. It is you, the adult, who will be responsible for it.. you who sees it's fed, and you who takes it for walks regularly, so unless you want a dog yourself and the responsibility and liability that goes with it, maybe a cat, rabbit or guinea pig might be a better option. Will the dog be left for long periods on its own? If you are working, this may be inevitable and boredom is often the cause of a troublesome dog. Cats and small pets cope better with being left on their own, but all pets need some time and attention every day. Never give a pet as a surprise gift. Finally, find out how to look after your pet before getting it.
Caring for your dog
Basic Requirements
Your dog will need a licence, a collar and lead and an identity disc. It needs to be contained in a secure area be it a house, garden or back yard, otherwise there is a risk of it wandering, causing mischief or getting run over. It also needs a corner and a bed of its own.
Costs
This needs to be considered. Your dog will need to be properly fed, not just given scraps. It will need to be vaccinated as a pup, neutered when old enough and will need regular worming, flea treatment and annual booster vaccinations. It may need other veterinary attention from time to time. Licences have to be renewed annually. Some breeds need regular professional grooming. Your dog may need to go to a boarding kennel when you are on holiday.
Basic Training
Dogs have the same instincts as wolves from whom they are descended. In the wild, wolves live in packs and in those packs there is always a pecking order and a leader. Woe betide the wolf which steps out of line. The same situation arises in a household. At home you are the pack leader and, right from the start, you need to establish this. It is you who lays down the rules. In the wild, a pack leader always eats first and so it should be with you too. Don't feed the dog until you have eaten first.
House-training
All dogs are clean by nature. If you have a puppy, take it outside regularly and give lots of praise when it performs outside. When it wakes or sniffs about, drop everything immediately to take it out. Don't finish what you are doing or it may be too late! If you catch it in the act, say NO quietly and take it outside. It it has already had an accident, don't rub its nose in the mess or chastise it, because the puppy won't have any idea why you are treating it so harshly. It's always a good idea to keep the puppy confined in a small, safe area when you are not able to supervise it. That way it doesn't develop bad habits such as chewing and it speeds up house-training too.
Basic Commands
"Come here"
To begin with, only call him when he's running towards you. Say "Rover here" when he's on his way to you. When he gets to you, reward him with a piece of food no bigger than your fingernail ( dried complete food is ideal) and pet him. Don't call him when he's distracted (eg.sniffing at something particularly interesting ). If it's an older, more willful dog the use of an extending lead can be helpful. Let him out to the full length, then call him once. Don't keep repeating the command as an oft repeated word loses its significance. Do this a few times a day and he will soon learn to come when called.
"Sit"
This is an extremely useful command. If the dog should sit naturally, say "Good boy, Sit" the second you see him do it. Give him a treat, quietly, to let him know that you approve. Don't make a big fuss as he will get excited and jump up immediately again. If he doesn't sit naturally. then hold a treat in your closed hand. Let him smell it so he knows it's there, then keep it close to his nose and move your hand slowly up towards the top of his head (so he has to look up at your hand) and wait until his bottom goes all the way to the floor naturally. Don't try to rush it ( or encourage the dog to go faster). When he's fully in the "Sit" position, then give him the treat and praise him quietly. NB. When you feed your dog, always make him sit before putting his bowl down. Keep him sitting until you give a signal to eat. The command "Sit" often concentrates the mind of the dog and he will look to you for further instruction.
Jumping Up
Right from the start, do not allow the dog to jump up....no matter how tiny he is. Should he do so, say "NO" or "Get Off". When his four feet are all back on the ground, praise him. He doesn't have to be sitting or lying down. Don't ever say "Get Down" when a dog jumps up as this will confuse him when you go on to teach him how to "Lie Down" on command. Dogs don't speak English so there should be only one "Down". If he persists with the jumping then spray him with water. This is usually very effective. Always praise the dog as soon as he does the right thing. "Good Boy" is sufficient as he will know by now that those sounds mean you approve of what he's doing.
Caring for your cat
Your cat or kitten will need a bed, a litter tray and a diet of tinned or dried food. Kittens are very playful and enjoy simple toys. If you are out working all day two kittens might be best, as they can amuse each other. Your kitten will need to be vaccinated, wormed and treated for fleas. Male and female kittens should be neutered at around 6 months old.
Neutering
Donegal Pet Rescue recommends neutering dogs and cats, male and female, once they reach maturity at around 6 months old. If all owners had their pet neutered, the problem of stray and unwanted dogs and cats would be dramatically reduced. There is no benefit to your pet in having a litter before neutering. Your pet will not become overweight after neutering, unless overfed and under-exercised.
As well as preventing unwanted litters, neutering your pet has health benefits. Spayed bitches and spayed female cats will not develop womb infections and are less likely to get mammary cancer. Castrated male dogs are less likely to develop prostate problems. Castrated tom cats live on average twice as long as entire male cats. Neutered animals are also less likely to wander, so are less likely to be run over, fight etc. Neutering should be the natural choice for pet owners.
Unwanted dog problem starts here!
Is your dog in heat? Many people don’t know when their dog is in heat and, sadly for the poor dog, the first thing that the owner does notice is that their dog is in pup, or has just had pups. These pups are doomed (irresponsible accidents) with seriously little potential for a decent life. Many dogs die giving birth to pups because their owners don’t know the first thing about them or are unwilling to pay the vet to help the helpless dog at this time. If the pups survive then they are often “kept” until they are at that “cute” stage. If homes are not found by the time they are barely able to eat and drink by themselves, then many of them are left into the dog pound or are dumped. Why put your poor dog, its pups and yourself through all this hassle and torture, when it could have all been avoided in the first place? If anyone is thinking of buying a pup or breeding from their dog then please think twice. Know what you are doing. Winter puppies should be avoided. Summer pups get a better start in life. Dogs that come in heat from April until November should not be bred from as this will produce a winter pup. By the time the pup goes to its new owner then the days will be shorter and the weather colder (people don’t take well to having to stand outside waiting for a young pup to go to the toilet in conditions like this). This is not a good start for a pup and may leave lasting problems (including aggression) due to lack of socialising etc, throughout its life. Please do your bit to help with animal welfare in the county. The dogs depend on us for their safety and sanity. It is really important that people know when their dog is in heat. If a dog lives indoors then the owner will see tiny blood spots on the floor. If you see this then you know that the dog is in heat. If the dog gets out during this time (21 days) to run around freely, then other dogs will be attracted to the scent that it will be leaving, all over the neighbourhood, and come around to wreck your garden, eat through your fence or garage door, and fight aggressively all day and night with other dogs that are also there to mate with your dog. A dog that lives outdoors needs to be watched and kept in its own yard or garden at all times. It will be harder to spot the “signs”, and by the time you notice other dogs hanging about, it may well be too late. There are vouchers available to anyone that wants to have their dog neutered. Dogs are old enough to be neutered at 6 months. A dog cannot be neutered while it is in heat. Your (female) dog will come in heat when it is 6 months old and then every 6 months after this for the rest of its reproductive life. Male dogs can tell when a female dog is in heat up to 4 miles away. Neuter males also, as they will pine, become very heedless, unruly, destructive, go off their food and want to break out and run off. Put him out of his misery by neutering him; he will be much happier. There are far too many dogs already (pedigree dogs included) that are “given up” by their owners so easily or that live unbelievably miserable lives at home. Please neuter your dog so you don’t add to the needless cruelty that already exists.
Vaccination - dogs
Vaccination is essential to protect your dog or pup against Distemper, Parvovirus, Infectious Hepatitis, Leptospirosis and Parainfluenzavirus. Puppies get a course of 2 or 3 vaccinations starting as young as 6 weeks and being complete at 12 weeks, to allow early socialisation of your puppy.
While Distemper is rare nowadays, Parvovirus is still very common in Donegal. It is highly contagious and causes acute vomiting and diarrhoea, resulting in dehydration and often death. Pups and weaker animals are most vulnerable. The virus is spread by direct contact with an infected dog and also by indirect contact eg. sniffing where an infected dog has been or from infected shoes or tyres.
Leptospirosis is an infection associated with rat urine. It causes jaudice, septicaemia and/or kidney damage. Weil's disease in man is caused by the same bacteria, so protecting your dog is also important for public health. An annual booster will maintain a high level of protection and is necessary if your dog is entering a boarding kennel. A popular myth is that a dog is safe because it lives in a rural area with little or no contact with other dogs and should therefore not need an annual booster. In fact, these dogs have no opportunity to boost their immunity by contact with natural infections, so will be among the most vulnerable in an outbreak situation.
"Kennel cough" or Infectious Bronchitis This causes a dry, choky cough and is picked up when dogs mix eg. at shows, in kennels - hence the name "kennel cough". An intranasal vaccine will protect your dog against kennel cough and is required by most boarding kennels.
Vaccination - cats
Cats and kittens should be vaccinated against cat 'flu and enteritis and also feline leucaemia. A course of 2 kitten vaccinations should be followed up by annual boosters. As with dog kennels, boarding catteries will require vaccination certificates.
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Pet Care 
