IN January of this year, Dogs Trust took in a littler of defenseless four-week-old puppies who were abandoned in Dublin. A shocked member of the public spotted one of the tiny puppies in the middle of the road and, when he got out to help, he discovered a plastic bag containing the puppy’s six siblings nearby. The pups were soaking wet and, distressingly, two of them were already dead.

The veterinary team at Dogs Trust did their utmost to treat the puppies, but given their age and the condition they arrived in, despite their best efforts, only two survived.

Heavily dependent

Veterinary and welfare manager at Dogs Trust Ireland, Niamh Curran-Kelly, explained: “Cases like this are incredibly upsetting for everyone involved. At just four-weeks-old, puppies are still heavily dependent on their mother and wouldn’t be fully weaned yet.

“They were far too young to be separated from her, let alone to have been left outside in the cold and rain. Despite receiving the very best care, we were saddened that only two of the puppies survived this ordeal.”

The surviving puppies, named Hope and Faith by the charity, went from strength to strength. They put-on weight, and grew into playful, fun-loving dogs. It didn’t take long for them to each find a wonderful forever home, where they are now thriving.

Doggie pals

Hope, who has been renamed Bella by her new family, was initially fostered by them, but they couldn’t bare to part with her. She’s grown into an active dog and has made lots of doggie pals.

Bella’s adopter, Alan, said: “Bella loves playing with the Frisbee and the ball. She adores running around with the other dogs and has now got used to horses too. She loves walks and the beach, and she is always following us around and just wants to be involved in things.”

Faith, now called Blue, has also landed on all four paws with her new family. She loves her big brother, another past resident of Dogs Trust, and just wants to be everybody’s friend according to her adopter. Blue loves going on adventures and has even been on a hiking holiday to Scotland with her new family!

Bella and Blue are just two of the 956 dogs that have come through the charity’s doors so far this year. Ireland is still in the grip of what can only be described as a canine crisis, with Dogs Trust receiving over 2,800 requests from people looking to relinquish their dog into the charities care in 2024. Dogs Trust is calling on the dog-loving public to give what they can this Christmas, so that they can continue their life-saving work.

Go to DogsTrust.ie/Donate to make a donation today.