Scoil Bhríde pupils and staff alike had the pleasure of welcoming the beautiful whippet/greyhound cross, Magic to our school.  Magic is 8 years old and was one of the lucky dogs to have been rescued, fostered and then adopted through Dog’s Trust.  Her human is now working for Dog’s Trust and brings Magic to schools to teach children how to approach and care for dogs.  

Dog’s Trust are inundated with calls, especially in January, when the reality of owning and caring for a dog sets in after the household returns to normal after the Christmas festivities.  Dog’s Trust centres and foster homes are always full and there are always beautiful dogs looking for their forever homes.  The beauty of adopting a dog is that you will understand the personality, likes, dislikes, habits and any health issues of the dog before you adopt him/her into your family.  

Magic’s human taught the children that people need to prepare properly before bringing a dog into their family.  Money, time and space are the three main reasons people later give up their dogs, as well as not planning for the fact that puppies grow into adult dogs.  

Ireland is one of the worst countries for puppy farms, which are unfortunately thriving as people continue to buy dogs from them.  There is a desperate call for people to stop buying dogs and instead, adopt.  Not only are the dogs in these farms badly neglected but they are also mistreated and over-bred, which is very dangerous and painful for the dog.  Many of the puppies bought from these farms develop severe and expensive health problems and often have shorter life spans than a healthy dog of the same breed.  In order to care for these beautiful animals who can’t ask for help themselves, we need to be their voices and do what we can to care for and protect them. 

The message to help the dogs in our little country is simple:

Don’t buy.  Adopt.