When we finished our house we knew we needed a Dog. Large gated yard & access to acres of rolling fields right behind us, my husband & I knew it was perfect! We varied on what breed, but both agreed rescuing was the way to go. The "system" in Ireland is not well developed. It's run by a small group of extremely caring & dedicated individuals. They have no funds or resources & there are no no-kill shelters, just willing foster homes & hope. We found Casey, a black lab/collie mix puppy in county Offaly about 2 hours away, staying with a wonderful foster mom. Casey had been found abandoned & roaming the streets. Unfortunately "puppy dumping" is an accepted practice here. Thank goodness for her & us she was taken in by the Offaly SPCA & a foster, other wise she would have been given only 5 days in a pound. Now, 9 months on Casey is healthy & happy. Favourite past-times include hogging the sofa (as you can see by her photos), chasing birds & watching sheep on our evening walks in those back, rolling fields. Nothing lifts the human sprit like watching a dog frolic! It hasn't always been easy - the beginning puppy stages with Casey were trying to say the least - but she's got a big brain and an even bigger heart and we found quickly it's nearly impossible to not give in to those big brown eyes. We thank our lucky stars every day for Casey & especially thank the wonderful people of the under funded, under resourced & under appreciated Irish SPCA! True hearts of gold!

Jennifer
Carlow, Ireland