6 Dublin Animal Shelters to Donate to or Adopt From this Holiday Season

As the weather gets colder and things start to slow down, this could be the perfect time to adopt a furry friend. There are animals in need of homes, and homes in need of animals, so why not visit one of Dublin’s animal shelters?

Even if you are not interested in adopting, you could give these shelters the gift of giving this year by donating. Animal shelters rely on donations for food, vet bills, power bills, etc. Any amount helps.

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1. Dogs Aid Animal Sanctuary: Dogs Aid is a no-kill animal shelter that was set up in 1987 by three women who wanted to help abandoned and unwanted dogs in Dublin. Since they first opened, Dogs Aid has rehomed hundreds of dogs and cats. Their website displays dogs and cats that are up for adoption, and gives visitors an option to set up one time and monthly donations.

2. Dogs Trust Ireland: Dogs Trust was established in November of 2009 and is now Ireland’s largest dog welfare charity. They have many dogs in need of rehoming and long term homes. Dogs Trust has a sponsor program and donation option set up if you want to help but are unable to adopt. Due to COVID-19, Dogs Trust in person training classes are no longer being held, but they offer online training courses for people from all over Ireland.

3. DSPCA: The DSPCA is a registered charity that was established in 1840 to prevent animal cruelty. It is now Ireland’s largest animal welfare organization. They work to rehabilitate and rehome sick, injured, and cruelly treated animals. The DSPCA rescues, rehabilitates, and rehomes 2,500 animals each year. Due to an influx in applications, dog adoption has been closed, but the DSPCA has cats, equine, and small furries available for adoption. If you do not want to adopt you can foster, donate, and sponsor animals through DSPCA.

4. Phibsboro Cat Rescue: Phibsboro Cat Rescue is a no-kill rescue and charity located in Dublin’s north inner city. They work to help stray, homeless, and feral cats through their rehoming programs, fostering, and their Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) rescue. They do not have any cats available for adoption at the moment, but are always accepting donations to make their furry residents as comfortable as possible.

5. Dogs in Distress: Dogs in Distress is a registered charity that was set up 15 years ago to help abandoned, unclaimed and unwanted dogs. The majority of dogs they take in are those that were at risk of euthanasia in pounds. On average they help 600 – 700 dogs a year, including those that are pregnant, injured, and traumatized. They currently have dogs and one rabbit available for adoption, as well as foster care and donation options.

6. The Cat & Dog Protection Association of Ireland: The Cat & Dog Protection Association of Ireland (CDPA) began in Dublin in 1946 and was originally known as The Feline Club. They have since expanded their work to include dogs as well. They have been a registered charity since 1988 and work to TNR feral cats, distribute pet food to low income cat and dog owners, provide neutering services for low income cat and dog owners, and search for homes for animals in need. CDPA does not have their own shelter, so animals in need of homes are either fostered or boarded. They welcome fosters for both cats and dogs, fundraisers, and donations.

Stray animals can be found all around the world, including Spain. There are thousands of stray animals in Spain looking for homes. There are many animal rescues in Spain that happily transport animals to Ireland and other countries in order to get them to their forever families, here are just a few of them:

• New Start Rescue Spain (NSRS)
• S.A.T. Animal Rescue
• Last Chance Animal Rescue