Welcome to the Cork Animal Care Society. Charity Reg. CHY14199

The Animal Care Society (Cork), a registered charity, was formed in October 2000. The aim of the Animal Care Society is stated in its name, to try and provide care to all animals in Cork City and County that require it. We are almost entirely made up of volunteers who give their time and effort to help animals.

Through our network of dedicated dog, cat and wildlife fosterers we have rehomed over 8000 animals since our foundation. We also operate a help line service dealing with animal welfare matters.

For 2007 our vets bills were almost €90,000, courtesy of our veterinary guided non-euthanasia policy.
We need your support to continue our vital work.

Please support us by clicking on the donate online now button.
It will save a life.

Read More »

The Cork ACS Thanks Minister John Gormley

Due to the support of Minister Gormley (Green Party) and his deputies the Wildlife Amendment Act 2010 was passed last week in the Dail (Parliament for our readers outside Ireland). We applaud Minister Gormley for being a politician who stands by and fights for his beliefs, as do his deputies. His party is worthy of YOUR SUPPORT. Politicians who stand by their promises are rare and in Minister Gormley and his deputies all of us involved in animal welfare have someone who had the courage to stand firm. The vote was close, very close, but the ACT was passed. Well done John Gormley, we are proud of you.

Readers in Ireland , PLEASE note, this week the Dog Breeding establishments bill is being debated. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE make your views know to your TD’s. Ireland is known as the Dog Breeding capital of Europe and we should hang our heads in shame. MAKE YOUR VOICES HEARD ! The established organisations who want this Bill to fail, or at  least to be “watered down” so as to make it useless are doing all they can to sabotage this Bill. Remember this: The animals cannot vote. The cannot write, they cannot telephone,  BUT YOU CAN. Write and call and make your views known!

In the words of one of our own great writers ( George Bernard Shaw) : REMEMBER THIS:

 “ Our worst sin towards our fellow creatures is not to hate them but to be indifferent to them, that is the essence of inhumanity”

Are YOU indifferent to their fate ? If so, what are you doing on this website ? Now is YOUR CHANCE: Make your voice heard ! Please do not think: “someone else will do it” No, they won’t. YOU are needed. Please do not fail our companion animals.

For a list of all our TD’s and their email addresses please login to:  www.contact.ie  Do note: this website requires  registration which will only take a minute or so.

Safe, at last!

Look at them. To be handed in to a vet to be destroyed. Simple as that... oh.... these kittens, just kill 'em off will ye, too much trouble. It makes you wonder doesn't it? Disposable items, just discard them. Living, breathing, loving beings? Are you kidding ? There "only" kittens what are you ACS'ers concerned about ? There is plenty more where these came from. The Mum?, I don't know.. probably run over by a car by now, serves her right.

That is the stuff which hits us day in day out and we sometimes think that there isn't a single decent human being left alive on this planet. "They" would take more care of a soiled nappy. But...as luck would have it...we got a call from the vet who did not want to kill these babies. So, their story does not end in death. On the contrary, these little ones are now safe in the UK. We ran a dog transport 2 weeks ago to our friends in the Dog Trust and the Blue Cross and these babies came along, to be given into the care of a lovely lady in the UK who supports us to the hilt. These 3, together with another set of 3 are now loved and cared for.

Day in day out we get these calls, or emails, asking for help. At this point in time, even we can no longer rob Peter to pay Paul, we've no places to go anymore. 12 cats with an elderly lady, she well into her eighties and she needs help badly, the lot needs to be neutered before the 12 becomes 120 and as female cats having no menopause, that's only a matter of time. We cannot take them but we will help this Lady with the neutering. That's where we spend your donations, trying to stop the kitten explosion(s). The Dogs Trust runs a means tested scheme for dogs, if you qualify, 25 euro will get your dog done, instead of 150-200 Euro. But for cats ? Are you kidding ? NOTHING, they are left to go to hell.

Because of people like YOU we can help her. If you care, please click here and donate a few Euro, every cent helps. It is people like YOU who can mean the difference between Life and Death. Please help us.

Say Hello to our Princess

Remember Princess?, the paralysed Mum cat who gave birth to 4 of the most beautiful kittens ? To this day, no Vet we have ever spoken to has figured out how she did this, but she managed it. As our regular readers know, Princess features in our sponsorship program and you can read her story by clicking here. Well, we thought you'd like to see an update on her. Just look at her photo, if that isn't a beautiful content Princess we don't know what is.

Princess has been so extremely lucky, Pauline and her Husband absolutely adore her and it is true to say that she has that one in a million home. Because of her condition Princess requires extra care and Pauline and her husband are her Mum and Dad, Guardians and Protectors. Princess snuggles up with Pauline in the morning for an extra cuddle and purrs to her heart's content to show her happiness. By looking at the photo you would never ever know that she is fully paralysed from the waist down. When she was at the Gilabbey Veterinary clinic recently for her check-up Shane Guerin the Vet remarked on what excellent condition she was in. High praise indeed and a true tribute to Pauline and Russell who left no stone unturned for her.

It is stories like this who give us hope, hope that maybe one day all animals can find the happiness our Princess found. Pauline and Russell, adequate words to thank you fail us but one look at her face says it all.

WHY, in GOD'S NAME, WHY DO PEOPLE DO THIS ?

We just received the following email from Clare Mead at the Cat Hospital in Glanmire, after she had called us.

To Albert and the ACS Team.  Please see the attached photos  of ittybittykitty - the most gentle and friendly cat ever!

She was thrown out of a moving van in Mayfield and rescued by a lady in the car behind who saw everything! Luckily she brought the cat straight down here.

We need to neuter her asap as she looks in early pregnancy although she is but a babe herself

Looking forward to hearing from you about that possible home.

Clare Meade.

(Editor’s Note) Yes, Someone threw this 4 month old PREGNANT kitten out of a moving van !!! What “people” like that think is beyond us. A living, breathing and loving kitten. Discarded like a used coffee cup. To the “human” who did this we say: May be done unto you as you did unto her. To the Lady who rescued her we say: Words cannot express our gratitude. Her life became your passion in true ACS spirit.

Can you please help ?

The call came in last Friday night. Please ? the voice said, I’ve tried ringing absolutely everyone but no one is answering. There is a heavily pregnant cat panting on my lawn and trying to give birth. Giving the fact that the nights have been bitter bitter cold and giving birth at below zero temps would be an instant death warrant for mum and kittens,  our A team volunteers burst into action.

Easier said than done since Anne, our lead coordinator, does not drive and has no car! But, yet again “ Tony” came to the rescue and of they went to Passage West. The cat was collected and moved to Anne’s. Once there it did not look good. This beautiful ginger/white cat was rounder than a new football and panting far too much to our liking, something which could have several reasons, Pyometra being one of them.  So... Clare Meade,  Our wonderful vet from the Glanmire Cat hospital was drummed out of her warm bed and our A team came knocking on her door with Puss. And a good thing it was that they did. The heavily pregnant female turned out to be a male ! Wait a minute I hear you say.. you guys nuts ? Can’t you tell the difference between a male and female ???  Rest assured, we can, after a great many years in Animal Welfare we usually have a fair idea. So, what happened ? The poor cat had the worst case of FIP. ( Feline Infectious Peritonitis ) that Clare had ever seen.  Click here for more info.

One of the dreadful symptoms of this decease is that in its advanced stages the animals abdomen fills with fluid and starts pressing on the lungs thus causing extreme distress. FIP is utterly deadly and no cure exists. The suffering this cat would have endured beggars belief, but that was prevented. No power on earth can save a cat in this final stage and puss died peacefully in the arms of our Anne, with Anne’s tears on her coat. Animal Welfare means that at times we cannot save them, but we can prevent the most awful and horrific suffering and that is exactly what our people did.

When he needed us most we did not fail this unknown cat. That is what we mean when we say: The ACS lives or dies by its credo: Their Lives...Our Passion. We would not want it any other way.

Dog Breeding Update

For all of you who are disgusted with the appalling Dog Breeding situation in Ireland ( after all, we are known as the dog breeding capital of Europe ) here is an update on what is happening. The Draft of the “Dog Breeding Establishments Bill 2009” is now available from the internet by going to: www.environ.ie and you can see proposed amendments at www.oireachtas.ie

Some of the amendments are good, some we consider detrimental. There is one amendment in particular which upsets us. The original text contained a clause forcing dog breeders to have their breeding bitches mircochipped. That clause has been removed and substituted by a clause saying that the minister may require such to be done at an undisclosed date in the future ( if he so decides ). Rest assured, the Cork ACS will continue to keep an eye on matters but this yet again proves one thing: The established breeders have influence in Dublin and we need to remain ever vigilant. Do note: To the best of our knowledge, the Act is working its way through the Dail ( parliament for those of you outside Ireland) and we have as yet no idea when it will finally become law.

Editors note: Do not confuse this ACT with the much waited for replacement of the 1911 “Protection of Animals Act”. The very second we have any updates on this shockingly overdue replacement you will find them here