SAVE OUR SHELTER please help with essential kennel repairs.

After 30 years of saving Irish Dogs, almost 7,000 to date, we are on the verge of closure. If we do, who will step up to help those who cannot help themselves? Please read our current story below, and visit www.paws.ie

A lot of supporters been asking about our absence the last few weeks on social media, plus our reluctance to take dogs into the shelter. So, here’s what’s been happening behind the scenes.

In October of 2024. Following a “Serious” complaint, the county vet from Tipperary County Council paid us a visit. He, in turn, brought in the County Council environment section as he had concerns about our drainage.

They did an inspection, and they have come back and served a section 12 on us, which means that we have to submit plans by May 30th, to put two tanks into the kennel yard to contain the wash off water from the kennels and the rain water. This will require the re routing of all the current pipework. This situation is the result of one vindictive person who vowed to close the rescue centre.

So, as a result we have a situation on our hands where we have four weeks to comply with their section 12 or close the shelter. Meanwhile, we have reduced the figures, as a shelter who normally had 60 to 80 dogs on site. We now have 24 dogs.

The original builder who built the property in 2006 didn’t put a tank on site that was supposed to be installed, instead he routed a lot of the pipe work underneath the kennels going out onto the land and this pipe work is too narrow and it’s getting blocked with hair and paper.

So, this is the situation that we’re in. We have €16,000. in the bank, but that is to keep the place going, pay running costs, vets, bills, etc. We had a medical company in Dublin who had pledged to give us €5000 euros a month for a year, last October, but they have reneged without explanation, we had also been contacted last year by a large pharmaceutical company in Clonmel who actually requested a proposal for any project that we wished to undertake, and the night before we were to give our presentation they told us that they didn’t accept any applications from animal charities...We are constantly let down.

During the last 20 years in Tipperary, alone, we have rehomed over 5,000 unwanted dogs. These dogs are dogs that would have ended up in the County Council pound system, which is ironic. So, over the years, we have saved the County Council a fortune, but anyway, we are where we are.

Our kennels were built on land that is being constantly flooded by a blockage in the River Anner, which is at the rear of the property. As a result, we will need major drainage work completed in order to comply with the council directive, or close the shelter.

So that’s where we’re at and that is why we have been dodging phone calls to be honest with you, because it is not within our heart’s to say no or to refer dogs to the pound, because we know the other two rescues in the county are absolutely bulging at the seams and the pound is in a situation where the destruction figures are going to go through the roof when they are published next year because quite frankly dogs that we were taking out of pounds, which we did in Waterford , Tipperary, and occasionally Westmeath and Kilkenny when they were stuck, these dogs now have nowhere to go.

Personally, I had decided last year that when I turned 65 this January that I was going to retire and let somebody else manage the kennels and the charity. Looks like that's on hold for now.

So if by some miracle, we can save PAWS and continue to be the life force we have always been for Irelands forgotten dogs, especially the sighthounds, tick every box that is required to satisfy the powers that be, who know that we are already struggling, like every other rescue in Ireland, to even try keep our doors open for the dogs we all love, but we continue to plough on as they have nobody else, Then we need your help.

We need to raise up to 60k to complete drainage work and update the kennels. or relocate. We don’t have to prove our worth to you, because you have followed us for 20 years, some longer than that, but this is where we’re at.

The future of PAWS is now in the hands of you, our supporters. As a team, we have hit rock bottom and are feeling deflated. Thank you for reading this far. Gina x

PS There is a lovely boarding kennels up the road for sale for €500,000 if anybody has a few bob tucked away somewhere.