In a country where animal cruelty is widespread, have your say on animal welfare before it's too late

As Ireland drafts a new animal welfare strategy, Irish Examiner reporter Alison O'Reilly’s experience reveals the human cost behind abandoned pets

Fri, 02 Jan, 2026 - 14:46

Alison O'Reilly

Eight of the saddest eyes I have ever seen stared out at me from my laptop screen and underneath their faces were the words "we would love if they were not separated".

It was the word "separated" that drew me in even more as I scrolled through the “dogs available for adoption” section on the former Collon Sanctuary’s Facebook page in Co Louth.

It was January 2019, and I was not looking to adopt another animal at the time; I already had my beautiful rescue dog Leo — a Jack Russell/terrier/pug cross whom I adopted in 2016.

As with 3,000 dogs in Ireland every year, Leo had been dumped out in the cold night air as the Halloween fireworks were exploding around Drogheda. He and his brother were only about 10 weeks old and, thankfully, whoever found them handed them to the Collon Sanctuary.

After reading about him online, I went to the sanctuary to apply to adopt him. When I got there, his jet-black brother had already been rescued. But my gorgeous auburn Leo was still there, and I left with him that day.

Poha, Mitzy, Peanut, Millie, Minnie and Leo.

Maybe he was born on a puppy farm, I will never know, but whatever happened to him, he was and still is an extremely nervous dog, who will be 10 this year.

I swore I would never own any pets because the heartbreak of losing them when I was a child was too much, but Leo changed all of that.

His rescue then led me to adopt five more dogs along the way, and it’s been a journey I will never regret as I continue to watch and read about every rescue shelter in Ireland becoming increasingly overrun with not just dogs, but all sorts of animals — cats, horses, pigs.

Covid escalated the situation, as hundreds of families stuck at home during the pandemic opted to adopt a dog but did not factor in returning to work and no longer being available for the animal during the day.

Landlords who do not allow tenants to have a pet — including the local councils — are also at fault.

Meanwhile, the Government continues to hand out licences for puppy farmers — and we the public continue to pay for these dogs instead of rescuing the thousands of abandoned ones. Therefore, the cycle of abuse and neglect keeps going and nobody is leading the charge.

As the deadline for submissions for Ireland's animal welfare strategy closes today, the public are being asked to make submissions on a national framework, which is currently being developed for 2026-2030 led by the Department of Agriculture.

It will focus on a "One Health, One Welfare" approach, partnership, evidence-based policy, education, and enhanced regulation, with key initiatives including increased funding for charities, establishing dedicated advisory councils, and supporting veterinary ethics research, all aimed at improving animal wellbeing alongside human and environmental health.

All sorts of concerns and ideas can be submitted to the department including:

Restricted breeds and breed-specific rules;
Dog breeding and puppy supply;
Dog traceability, microchipping, and licensing;
Cats, feral populations, and uncontrolled breeding;
Education, training, and responsible ownership;
Veterinary care and affordability;
Equine welfare;
Farmed animals, transport, and slaughter;
Wildlife and conservation.

I wanted to share my own story of my six rescues — not to encourage others to adopt a large amount of unwanted animals, but to at least consider rescuing rather than shopping for these creatures. I feel incredibly grateful I am in a position both at home as well as financially to have taken them on.

After adopting Leo, I met the next four girls four years later — Mitzy, Millie, Minnie and Peanut — who were reared together but surrendered “under the saddest circumstances".

I understand there was an accommodation issue that led to them being handed over.

At the time, I could not imagine myself with five dogs, but after reading about the girls — who were all older dogs, I decided to adopt them all. My mother said I had lost the plot, but I knew in my heart I was doing the right thing. I was very drawn to them, and I always feel they have given me so much more than I could ever give them. I absolutely adore them all.

Alison with her six rescue dogs, Poha, Mitzy, Millie, Minnie, Peanut and Leo.

Mitzy is the leader and the girls just follow her orders. She is a small terrier cross who is about 11 or 12 now. Millie is a dachshund terrier cross with a large brown spot on her white back. She is about nine or 10. Minnie is a tiny, wiry miniature dachshund, she has a fiery sassy side and rubs Mitzy, who is possibly her sister (best friends one minute, tearing each other apart the next) up the wrong way and she is about 10.

Then there is Peanut, the wild barker, who is the baby, she is possibly about seven years old now. Peanut barks at nothing, and my friend Karen always jokes that “she sees ghosts".

I am lucky because I work from home most of the time. I have two sons who help, and I have been lucky to be able to go on a couple of holidays as friends come to stay and mind them all for me when we are away. I have a large back garden, and as they are tiny dogs, they all fit into one basket when sleeping.

You would think by now five dogs were enough, right? But after all that, I decided in 2022 to adopt one more. Yes, I know you think I am mad, but Poha, my chihuahua pomeranian cross really is my last dog. She was taken in by the DSPCA after having litters of dogs who were all malnourished.

The poor girl was so terrified, she had licked herself so much for such a long time that she was pink in colour from her own saliva. It took months for her coat to turn back to its natural white and auburn shades, but she settled with the other dogs and has really done well by becoming part of the pack.

Poha is about eight years old with poor vision, but loves cuddles and shows off her fiery snappy side too, which is healthy.

I have rescued as many as I can manage and they all have a good life. There will be no more. However, I do help my local gardaí with rehoming and I am also a licensed wildlife rehabber since 2024, so I rescue birds and rehab them, and try to do my bit for wildlife too.

Dogs are an absolute joy to have, and they will adore you no matter what mood you are in. They are like part of your family, and they give back so much. However, there is no point in pretending dogs don’t cost money — I had all the dogs spayed and neutered, and then there are their annual dentals, as well as good food, which I buy from my local vet. They get their flea and worm dose every three to four months. I am on a pet plan — my dogs were too old to get insurance.

There are also unexpected sicknesses. Millie developed pancreatitis and we nearly lost her, just three weeks into adopting her, but for great care from my local vet. She was also treated for a hernia and issues with her nose.

Mitzi had lots of fatty lumps and a hernia, and Minnie was attacked by another dog in the park and nearly died — because of a dog off a lead.

Dogs need to be walked every day. When I first started walking them around the streets where I live, people were shouting over, “Alison are you a dog walker? Will you take mine on?”

Sometimes, people stop their cars to ask me about them, while others have videoed me with them — they do draw a lot of attention.

But there is a lot a big responsibility with owning pets, and people need to factor that in when deciding to adopt. A dog can live until they are 18 or more.

This is where a lot of the problems arise, and you only have to take a look at animal welfare groups such as My Lovely Horse, Dog Advocacy Ireland and Rabbit Rescue Ireland — they don’t receive much funding if any and are volunteering to try and manage the animal crisis we have in this country.

There are also dozens of rescue shelters on every corner of the country, with volunteers who are doing extraordinary work you may never even hear about.

I can’t understand the level of animal cruelty in this country, and why puppy farms are still being licensed when we have so many rescue dogs looking for homes.

There is also no dedicated animal welfare unit, and there are not enough tough sentences being handed down in the courts to deter people from animal cruelty. Although, some judges have become more robust in this area in recent years.

Older dogs are also being abandoned and left in shelters for long periods of time — there is a common misconception puppies are easier to train, that is not always the case. I have found my older dogs very easy to manage with consistency and plenty of love and care.

If you give a rescued animal a chance, they will do more for you than you will ever do for them. They become part of the family, and will be loyal to you forever no matter what mood you’re in. Of course, my children are my priority, but there is a special quality in a pet that you can't get anywhere else.

My dogs have brought a different kind of love into our house, and it’s a 24-7 comfort. I have never tired of them, I never will. When they do leave me someday, that will be another step in my life I will have to face, but what they have given me up to now has been worth it all. Animal lovers everywhere will understand exactly what I mean, but it is all our responsibility to speak up for them.

Submissions for the animal welfare consultation process should be relayed as follows: