Animal charity launches spay initiative in Galway

Local dog rescue charity MADRA has launched a campaign to encourage owners of female dogs to have them spayed. The charity has pledged almost €30,000 in funding towards the initiative.

The campaign – which has been named ‘Millie’s Fund’ – was established in memory of one of four pups found locked in a crate at Ros a’ Mhíl pier last month. Eating stones to survive, little Millie was too weak after her ordeal and died shortly after being rescued.

Millie’s fund has an ambitious target of spaying almost 200 female dogs – collies, terriers, lurchers or cross breeds of these – in a bid to potentially prevent thousands of unwanted pups being born.

Marina Fiddler, co-founder of MADRA said: “Prevention and education have always been part of MADRA’s constitution, but due to epidemic levels of dog abandonment since the pandemic all our resources have been stretched to the limit trying to save as many dogs as we can.

“After Millie’s death, we knew that we had to do something radical. Setting aside such a large amount of our precious funds to neuter dogs shows our commitment to stemming the tide of accidental and unwanted litters.

“An unneutered female dog can have anything up to 30 litters during her lifetime, with an average litter of seven pups. And when there are too many dogs being bred, it is the rescues like us who have to pick up the pieces. Finding Millie with a belly full of stones was just the last straw,” she said.

MADRA has partnered with Galway County Council and will be offering free spays for eligible female dogs across Galway.  Applications will open on madra.ie at midday on Mother’s Day, Sunday, March 19. Vets across the county are also being asked to participate in the scheme.

The charity has pledged their entire Department of Agriculture, Food & the Marine (DAFM) grant of €28,871 to the campaign.

In the past 13 months, MADRA has rescued 200 unwanted or abandoned pups, including pups left in a box at the Galway city market, and Millie and her siblings found in Ros a Mhíl. The charity sees Millie’s fund as offering a spay for every one of these pups.

To be eligible for a free spay, dogs must be female; microchipped; licensed and resident in Galway (proof of address will be required).

The dogs must be collies, terriers, lurchers or cross breeds of these. However the scheme may be expanded to include other breeds at a later date.

(Photo: Millie’s Fund is called after one of these four pups found locked in a crate at Ros a’ Mhíl pier last month).