In the list below, we’ve featured 15 of the best dog rescues in Ireland. Read on to learn about them.
1. DSPCA
For over 180 years, the Dublin Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals has helped rescue, rehabilitate, and re-home thousands of pets. The organisation is one of the leading animal welfare charities in Ireland and is widely recognised for its work.
DSPCA was founded in 1840 under the name The Dogs and Cats Home or The Dublin Home for Starving and Forsaken Cats. The pet rescue is passionate about animals and offers a variety of services including mobile vet services.
The charity was founded to prevent cruelty to animals but has since evolved to promote the welfare and protection of all pets. DSPCA values animals and their welfare and adheres to the highest standards of ethics and transparency. Some of their services include animal welfare inspection, providing critical care, surgery, neutering, spaying, vaccination, and ongoing care and support.
You can support this charity by donating or adopting a pet. Get in touch with DSPCA to find out more about their services or volunteer.
2. Dogs Trust
Dogs Trust started in Ireland in 2005 and is one of the country’s largest dog welfare charities. The organisation offers nationwide education programs through an extensively experienced team of six who provide education services to primary schools around the country.
The charity welfare currently operates a puppy wing which accommodates over 500 puppies a year. Dogs Trust also offers a variety of services to pet rescues including neutering, vaccinations, temperament assessments, behaviour modification, and microchipping. The organisation also offers lifetime training and behavioural support for all pets adopted from their centre.
The facility also conducts thorough inspections before rehoming pets. You can help Dogs Trust by fundraising, volunteering, donating items, tax-efficient giving, and corporate sponsorships among others. Get in touch with the friendly professionals at Dogs Trust to find out how you can sponsor a pet, adopt a pet, or make a donation.
3. Limerick Animal Welfare
This pet rescue organisation in Limerick offers its services to all dogs, cats, horses, rabbits, and other homeless animals. The charity welfare has a no-kill policy and offers lots of love and care to rescued pets.
Limerick Animal Welfare was started in 1983. In 2007, the organisation acquired a purpose-built sanctuary where up to 200 pets receive professional veterinary care. The facility also accommodates pets of all breeds and sizes and allows the professionals to offer other services including spaying, neutering, and vaccinations.
This charity welfare also offers re-homing services using a simple 4-step process to help you and your adopted pet enjoy a lifetime companionship. You can also help the organisation through volunteering and fundraising.
Get in touch with Limerick Animal Welfare to find out more about their services as you make a donation or inquire about adopting a pet.
4. Sera Husky Animal Rescue
This not-for-profit organisation in County Kerry is dedicated to rescuing wolf type breeds, huskies, and other dogs who are in need. The facility understands that even pet parents with the best will might find themselves having to give up their beloved pets. Sera Husky offers these parents advice and help in a non-judgemental environment.
Sera Husky Animal Rescue was founded in 2014 by Maurice Enright. Although the organisation was founded to help and rescue huskies, their friendly dog-loving team will not hesitate to help and rescue cats, reptiles, birds, and other animals.
This charity welfare offers a variety of services including educational school events, fundraising, charity shop, animal rescue, re-homing, animal licensing, spaying and neutering, vaccinations, and adoption services.
You can help this organisation by volunteering, fundraising, buying the charity’s merchandise, and more. Get in touch with Maurice and his team at Sera Husky Animal Rescue to find out more about their services and inquire about how to adopt a pet or make a donation.
5. West Cork Animals
This registered charity in Cork promotes and encourages the protection of animals. The organisation helps unwanted, neglected, abused, and abandoned pets in West Cork and neighbouring areas.
This animal rescue charity was founded in 1999 and is currently operated by a few animal-loving individuals. The facility can accommodate 50 dogs and helps re-home over 360 dogs annually. The facility also takes in cats under foster parents.
West Cork Animals offers a variety of services including treatment for unwanted animals, neutering and spaying, investigating animal cruelty, providing medical care with the help of veterinary surgeons and other welfare organisations, educating and advising pet owners, flea and worm treatments and vaccination among others.
The organisation has a no-kill policy to ensure all pets receive the necessary treatment and shelter until they are fit enough to be adopted or re-homed. You can support West Cork Animals through fundraising, sponsoring a dog, adopting a pet, or making a donation.
West Cork Animals also helps reunite parents with their lost pets. Get in touch with the friendly team at this facility to find out more about their services.
6. ASH Animal Rescue
This animal rescue facility is a non-profit organisation in Rathdangan. The rescue organization was founded in 1990 to help care for pets, rehabilitate them, and provide them with loving forever homes.
ASH has re-homed hundreds of dogs and offers sanctuary to any pets who cannot be re-homed for any reason. The registered non-profit charity has a strict no-kill policy and offers permanent residence to abandoned and unwanted pets, caring for them until they can be adopted.
This animal rescue offers a variety of services including rescuing pets from cruel and unfavourable conditions, vaccination, spaying, neutering, flea and worm treatments, professional medical care, and more.
You can help the team at ASH Animal Rescue by sponsoring an animal, fundraising, adopting a pet, or making a donation. Contact this charity organisation to make further inquiries and find out other ways through which you can get involved.
7. MADRA
MADRA is dedicated to ensuring all pets receive the love and care they deserve as well as finding rescued pets permanent loving homes. The animal-loving team at this charity rescue in Galway are working hard to promote responsible pet ownership and create a world where pet rescues are no longer needed.
This registered charity operates on integrity and compassion. The small team includes ambassadors such as award-winning musician Sharon Shannon and Ireland Rugby player Ultan Dillane.
MADRA offers a variety of services including rescuing pets in poor conditions, vaccinating, spaying and neutering dog and flea and tick treatments. The organisation also ensures all rescues are attended to by professional veterinarians.
You can support MADRA by offering your time as a volunteer, fundraising, sponsoring a dog, fostering a dog, leaving a legacy, and making a donation. Get in touch with the friendly team at this charity rescue to find out more about their services and inquire about adopting a pet.
8. ISPCA
The Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals is one of the leading animal welfare organisations in the country. The facility was founded to promote animal welfare and prevent and relieve the suffering of animals. ISPCA has various centres throughout Ireland including Longford, Mallow, and Donegal.
This animal welfare society offers a variety of services including inspectorate services, public education, advising pet parents and the public, facilitating the care of pets owned by elderly parents, legislation for animal welfare, reuniting lost pets and their parents, and re-homing of ill-treated, abused, and neglected animals among others.
You can support the ISPCA by volunteering, donating, leaving a legacy, shopping, corporate involvement, fundraising, reporting found strays, and campaigns. Get in touch with the friendly professionals at any of the ISPCA centres to make further inquiries and find out how you can adopt a pet.
9. Inistioge Puppy Rescue
This non-profit organization in Inistioge, Co. Kilkenny offers temporary care for unwanted, abandoned, and pound animals before they can be sent to their forever homes. Inistioge Puppy Rescue was started to protect and prevent animal cruelty and promote responsible animal ownership.
The facility has a strict no-kill policy and offers support and medical care to all animals under their care. Inistioge Puppy Rescue welcomes pets of all breeds and sizes. The charity animal rescue also offers advice to pet parents on how to manage their pets while they are away.
This animal welfare organisation offers various services to all its rescues including vaccinations, spaying, neutering, feeding, deworming, and medical treatment. All pets taken in at this animal rescue centre also receive plenty of love and care to help them overcome traumatic experiences and prepare them to live peacefully with their future families.
Inistioge welcomes all donations including monetary and items such as wormers, blankets, dog food, and chew toys. You can also support the organisation volunteering your time or your pet for the calendar dog sessions.
Get in touch with the friendly team at Inistioge Pet Rescue to find out more about their services and inquire about how you can adopt a pet.
10. Husky Rescue Ireland
Husky Rescue Ireland helps to reduce the social impact that unneutered Akitas and huskies leave on the communities in the country. The animal rescue organisation in Co. Laois also aims to alleviate the suffering pets experience as a result of irresponsible ownership, neglect, and abuse.
The facility offers a variety of services including responsible rescue and rehabilitation of pets, providing quality healthcare to all rescues, training, re-homing abandoned pets, raising awareness on microchipping, promoting responsible animal ownership, supporting pet parents to keep their pets, and assisting other animal rescue groups.
You can support Husky Rescue Ireland by offering your time as a volunteer, donating, or adopting a pet. Get in touch with the dog-lovers at this registered charity welfare organisation to make further inquiries and find out how you can help.
11. Paws Animal Rescue
This pet rescue organisation in Mullinahone, County Tipperary is an Irish charity established in 1997. The pet welfare organisation started by Gina and Deidre Hetherington is dedicated to rescuing and re-homing abandoned and homeless animals.
Paws Animal Rescue works alongside local Veterinary surgeons, volunteers, and overseas adoptions groups to provide loving forever homes for hundreds of pets. The organisation cares for 90 pets at any one time in the facility and relies heavily on support from the public to ensure these pets remain happy and healthy.
This registered charity welfare offers a variety of services including rescuing, vaccinating, neutering, and training. The organization also carries out thorough checks before re-homing any pet to ensure they are going to a happy, safe home.
You can support the kind people at Paws by donating, fundraising, volunteering, shopping, and dog walking. The facility also accepts corporate donations and tax-efficient giving.
12. Kilkenny SPCA
The Kilkenny SPCA was founded in 1882 by the Marchioness of Ormonde. The registered charity is an affiliated member of the Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. The animal rescue facility is dedicated to the wellness of all animals domestic or wild.
This animal welfare organisation offers a variety of services including inspecting reported cases of cruelty, providing shelter for distressed animals, attending to animals involved in accidents, reuniting owners and lost pets, offering subsidized, and promoting education on animal welfare.
Kilkenny SPCA also offers advice to pet parents on how to care for exotic pets, guinea pigs, and birds, and neutering. Get in touch with the animal-lovers at this charity welfare to find out more about their services and inquire about how to make a donation or adopt a pet.
13. Galway SPCA
This animal charity in Galway offers dogs sanctuary in Killimor. The pet rescue organisation was founded to rescue, rehabilitate, and re-home abandoned, neglected, and stray pets. Galway SPCA has been involved in animal welfare for over 20 years.
The award-winning organisation was awarded the 2019 Charity of the Year by Burns Pet Nutrition. Galway SPCA aims to inspire compassionate and caring pet ownership and create an environment where society gives all animals the respect they deserve.
Galway SPCA offers a variety of services including educating pet parents how to support their pets, rescuing pets, vaccinations, neutering, spaying, and ensuring all pets receive plenty of love and care.
You can support this organisation by offering your time as a volunteer, fostering, fundraising, and donating money or items such as cat litter, tins and pouches of pet food, animal bedding, kennel disinfectants, and hygiene supplies. Get in touch with Galway SPCA to find out how you can adopt a pet.
14. KWWSPCA
This animal welfare organisation is dedicated to the rescue, rehabilitation, care, and re-homing of pets in West Wicklow and Kildare. The organisation was founded in 1940 to prevent, educate, and deal with animal cruelty in Ireland.
KWWSPCA offers a variety of services including investigation of cases of animal cruelty, providing shelter to abandoned pets, advertising lost and found pets, working with pounds and other rescue organisations in Ireland to help re-home pets, and more.
You can help this registered charity by making a donation, fundraising, fostering pets, volunteering, and more. Get in touch with the animal-loving team at KWWSPCA to find out more about their services and inquire about adopting a pet.
15. Waterford SPCA
This registered pet rescue organisation was founded in 1870 and is an affiliate of the Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. The organisation strongly encourages the neutering of pets to prevent unwanted breeding of pets where the parents cannot afford it.
Waterford SPCA offers a variety of services including vaccination, neutering, spaying, providing shelter for abused, neglected and distressed animals among others. The facility also provides education and advice to promote responsible pet ownership.
The facility also helps reunite lost pets with their parents. Get in touch with the Waterford SPCA to find out how you can support the organisation, adopt a pet, or make a donation.
