Ark angels rescue Bonnie and Clyde

It’s a fairytale end to a nightmare story of cruelty that touched the hearts of the nation.

Just a week after being rescued, Bonnie the cat and Clyde the dog have found a loving home — surrounded by eight dogs, five cats, a horse, and two parrots in a modern day Noah’s Ark.

The animals were rescued after being scalded with boiling water and left for dead on the outskirts of Tralee, Co Kerry.

Now, after massive public support, the pair were officially handed over by Animal Heaven Animal Rescue to their new owners, Ruth and Andrew Collings from Killarney.

The animal-mad pair, who have converted their one-acre home into a animal shelter, had been fostering Bonnie and Clyde since last weekend and were more than delighted to make the arrangement permanent.

Ruth has a lifelong love of animals. She has always fostered animals and nursed Bonnie and Clyde over the worst of their third-degree burns.

“I have been animal mad all my life. We call our house the ark — after Noah’s Ark,” said Ms Collings.

No sooner had she moved to Killarney 13 years ago than a stray kitten befriended her, she said.

Her heart has also gone out to Bonnie and Clyde, and she has been shocked by the deliberate mistreatment of the pair.

Musician Sharon Shannon, who is a patron of Animal Heaven Animal Rescue, yesterday made a heartfelt appeal to the public to adopt animals from pounds and shelters.

“Adopt, don’t buy,” she said. “I am involved in that campaign too. People need to realise they don’t always have to buy a new dog or a new cat. It’s better to adopt from the local pound. That way you save a life.”

She said animals all over the country are in need of help. “Not just Animal Heaven Animal Rescue, of which I am patron, but animal rescue centres all over the country need support. They do such amazing voluntary work. And they need funds. Even €2 a month would make a difference,” Ms Shannon urged.

Suzanne Gibbons, founder of Animal Heaven Animal Rescue, said the shelter will be able to buy a transporter thanks to the interest and the donations generated by the story of Bonnie and Clyde.

“After their plight made the headlines, donations started pouring in,” said Ms Gibbons.

“When we finally get the transporter, it will have a picture of Bonnie and Clyde on the side and say ‘sponsored by Bonnie and Clyde’.”