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Madra: Loving homes for dogs
True life: We were both pretty depressed with the state of dog welfare in Ireland.
Although we didn't know each other at the time; myself and Marina (Madra founder) both started our 'dog rescue' life by walking dogs for dog rescue groups in Galway. We both went on to get in deeper and deeper in the dog rescue world, but in different ways. When we met up in 2006 we realised that we had similar ideals, yet different skills, that we could bring together to form Madra.
We were both pretty depressed at the state of dog welfare in Ireland, the appalling treatment of animals here and the fact that Ireland puts down more dogs every year than most other countries in Europe. We had similar views on how we could try and help solve this problem.
We realise we're only a tiny drop in a huge ocean, but we also know that we're pretty important drops to the dogs we take in. We get a bit lost sometimes with the enormity of what we've taken on, but mostly we just do the day to day work and try and build our corner of the dog rescue world.
As well as the daily care of the animals we have here, we are trying to tackle the bigger picture. We train new puppy owners on how to handle their dogs so they don't give them up in the future. We train adult dogs that have developed 'issues' - usually through no fault of their own. We run an education programme through local schools, where we try to educate the younger crowd about responsible dog ownership and safety around dogs. We run an ambulance service for the elderly, where we take them in for hospital appointments and look after their dogs if they have to stay in. We are trying to be community based. We're trying to be part of preventing the problem of unwanted dogs, as well as saving the ones who don't make it.
This year we are trying to concentrate on fundraising, as we are in dire straits financially and cannot continue this work without some more money! Neither of us would ever stop rescuing dogs, but we're currently trying to look at the bigger picture and our long term future.
Someone asked me the other day why we do this work. The only simple reason that we could come up with is that someone has to...
By: Tara
Further Information:
Madra
Web: www.madra.ie
Email: www.madra.ie/en/contact-us.html
MADRA is a volunteer-run organisation under the management of registered dog trainers Marina Fiddler and Tara Nic Dhiarmada. They are dedicated to finding new homes for unwanted, neglected, abused and abandoned dogs.
