Paws Animal Rescue is facing a crisis - Kilkenny Live

After more than 30 years in rescue, you’d hope things might ease up. But right now, the pressure is immense. Dogs are being surrendered and abandoned at a heartbreaking rate — and we are rapidly running out of options, not because we want to stop helping, but because we physically can’t.

PAWS urgently needs to lease suitable kennel space. We are still operating, but our main facility — where we’ve housed and rehabilitated hundreds of dogs — is under threat.

Tipperary County Council has advised that significant drainage works are required. But the land we’re on is not ours, and as a small charity relying entirely on public support, we simply can’t pour funds into major infrastructure on a property we don’t own.
READ MORE KILKENNY OPINION/EDITORIAL HERE

It’s a devastating situation, and it’s restricting our ability to take in dogs who desperately need us.
That’s why we’re putting out this public appeal. We’re actively seeking a property to lease — ideally a former boarding kennels, dog breeding kennels, or greyhound breeding facility — in Kilkenny, Carlow, or any bordering counties.

What we need are 15 to 20 indoor kennels, with secure outside access, on-site security, and parking for up to four vehicles. The site must comply with Department of Agriculture standards — warm, safe, secure. That’s non-negotiable. We owe our dogs that dignity.

We have our own experienced staff, so no physical involvement would be required by the landowner. What we’re offering is a chance to breathe life back into an unused facility — to turn it into a place of healing, safety, and second chances.

To those who support us already — thank you. Truly. Your kindness keeps us going when things feel impossible. You keep the lights on, the dogs fed, the wheels turning. But now, more than ever, we need help — the kind of help that could change the future of our entire rescue.

If you have such a facility, or you know someone who might, please get in touch. Even if it’s not a perfect fit, we’d like to see it.

Email info@paws.ie, phone 052-9153507, or contact us via our social media. Time is not on our side, but we believe — as we always have — that the right people are out there.

Please share this appeal far and wide. Together, we can find a safe place for the ones who have nowhere else to go.