On Friday 26 April 2013.  Doors open at 7pm.  Quiz starts at 8:30.  €10 per person: Teams of 4

 Lots of Raffle Prizes.

 For further information contact Catherine Woodes at 086 273 0399

One afternoon last week we received a call from a very distressed lady about a cat that had been stuck up a tree in her garden. The caller was very concerned and understandable worried for the cat as it had been up there for nearly two days. The poor cat was frozen at the very top and would not budge no matter what they tried to coax her down with. After making several phone calls and with no one able to help her, they called us. We sent our volunteers Michael and Evan to the scene immediately to see if they could help.  After assessing the situation it was clear that the cat was not going to come down on her own. Michael bravely made the decision to climb up into the tree. After spending fifteen minutes in the tree he climbed safely back down with the very frightened and hungry cat. She must have known that he was helping as she never once bit or scratched him as she was being carried down to solid ground. As the cat was wet, cold, hungry and very shaken up, she was brought back to the shelter so she could recover from her ordeal.

The next morning we got call from a lady who was missing a cat fitting the description of the cat that had arrived the evening before. The cat was also missing from the very same area that our cat had been rescued just 24 hours beforehand. After looking at a picture she had posted on our Facebook page, I made the call back to her and broke the news that indeed it was her cat. The very excited and emotional lady couldn’t believe it and could not have been happier to learn that her pet was safe and sound at the shelter. She had searched everywhere for her much loved pet and was going out of her mind with worry. That afternoon both relieved owner and cat were reunited. It was a very joyous reuniting and everyone is happy that Tali is back where she belongs. Her owner is now going to get her micro chipped in case she gets into any more trouble in the future and can be identified and reunited with her family much sooner. Well Done Michael and Evan for such a great rescue. We love happy endings.

Christmas is a time for us to give thanks and to remember. I remember Christmas here in the nineties. We had no form of heat for the animals so every winter evening we buttered up loads of “Yellow Pack” sliced pans to give the dogs to protect them from the cold. Some of you will remember the furious pace of this operation and the many ways we improvised during these times to make up for the lack of resources.

From my heart I absolutely want to thank each and everyone of you who believed in us and moved us on. You helped us grow in every way. Every evening when the animals are sleeping, I feel grateful that I am so blessed to live and work here.

Real people doing real things helped us to stabilise back then and it is that same honest and decent kindness you have shown is what keeps us growing now.

I hope none of you ever feel ordinary, because you have caused extraordinary gentleness to take place.

I wish you love and peace in your homes this Christmas

Geraldine O Hanlon

Plus our All for Animal calendars will be available, only €6 each. All kindly donated by our wonderful loyal supporters. Please come along and say hello!! More events coming soon

Catherine and her family have made a very generous offer!

She will attend any group in the Dublin Area who organise a
fund raiser on behalf of the foundation e.g Coffee morning, cake sale etc. She
will attend to help out and represent the foundation.

Further to this Catherine will perform healing on any animal
present in return for a donation to the Animal Foundation to help through the
difficult winter months.

Catherine has been supporting us for just under seventeen
years. Catherine is highly skilled and very sociable so it would be a totally pleasant
experience. Any ideas you have, please contact Catherine on the  following
-  01 8552799/086 273 0399

Silas

Last Thursday a lady called to our gate in a very distressed state. For seven days previous,
a dog had been visiting her garden, he was emaciated and very frightened, so much so that
when he saw anyone he would just run away and hide. For the seven days, she put
food out every evening at the same time and he would come to eat. After a few
days she started to put food near the outhouse at the end of her garden, hoping
that she would get encourage him to go inside so he would be warm and safe. Finally,
last Wednesday night she managed to coax him inside. The next morning when it
was bright enough, she went to check on him and to her horror could see the severe
injury he had to his neck; she knew then that he was in serious trouble.  Michael and I
responded to her plea of help and drove to her home. He was lying there shaking with fear
and not wanting to be touched. Michael bravely went inside and tried to befriend him with
some food. After ten minutes Michael emerged with the poor abused lurcher in his arms.

Once safely in the van we rushed him straight to our vet. It
was there that the full horror of his injury was revealed. He had a rope similar
to that used for washing lines embedded deeply into his neck. The wound was
badly infected and alive with maggots. The odour coming from the wound was
stomach churning. The vets sedated him slightly as he was so nervous and in
pain that the poor mite was trying to bite anyone who tried to help him. They
flushed out the wound, cleaning it as best as they could and made sure all the
maggots were removed. Having receiving strong pain killers and antibiotics he
was bandaged up and placed on a drip to help save his life.

As the wound was so badly infected, and he was so thin and unwell,
they were unable to operate on him until yesterday (Wednesday 19th
Sept). He has now returned home to the shelter, where our small team of volunteers
will take care of him. They have the skills and commitment to nurse him back to health.
It will take him several weeks if not months to recover both physically and mentally
from his ordeal.

This is where we need your help, as our next big fundraiser
is not till our winter raffle; we are on very limited funds, in a financial no
man’s land. We are asking if you can spare even just a few euros towards our
boy Silas’ vet bill and care. We understand that times are hard for everyone
but just a small donation will help Silas and others in a similar situation,
that will need on-going veterinary care and attention in the next few months…

We would be extremely grateful if you would be willing to
help, by making a donation. Please see our details below:

You can donate directly to our vet bill if you wish –
Hawkfield Veterinary Clinic, Hawkfield, Newbridge 045 436643 or to Kildare
Animal Foundation, South Green Road, Kildare Town. 045 522929 or email
info@animalfoundation

We appreciate all your help and support and we thank you in
advance for your kindness.

We will bring you regular updates on Silas’ progress.