Irish dog charity issues plea to stop breeding collies to help end dumping crisis

An Irish dog charity is calling on people to stop breeding collies. 

The plea from Mutts Anonymous Dog Rescue and Adoption (MADRA) comes following World Collie Day, when they revealed that "the majority of unwanted dumped or abandoned puppies" taken in are collies or collie crosses. 

According to MADRA, 427 dogs were taken into their care in the last 12 months, 88% of whom were collies/collie crosses. 

In a Facebook statement, they said, "We are overwhelmed and we are struggling. We are determined to do something proactive because something HAS to change to end this collie crisis." 

The charity revealed they are offering free spays for female collies in Galway in an effort to help end the crisis. 

They stated, "Please start the conversation with family members, with neighbours, with friends and let them know we're here to cover that cost. Please get them spayed. Please stop breeding collies. 

"The suffering needs to stop and the collie crisis must come to an end. Rescues like ourselves can't keep picking up the pieces, dealing with one traumatised collie after another and all the while the requests for help with collies keep piling in, one after the other." 

MADRA highlighted several "devastating" collie cases from the past year, including the dumping of four young puppies near their charity just after Christmas, and the dumping of young collie puppies in a basket at a city market. 

They also took in a pregnant, emaciated collie from a cruelty situation, and two adult collies who were found tied together and abandoned in a forest. 

They cited the "constant stream" of matted collies and "bewildered pregnant females" as further reasons for issuing their plea. 

They continued: "There was a large litter of collie puppies who had ringworm and as result spent the first crucial months of their lives growing up in our shelter, their contact with humans hindered by protective clothing. There was sweet collie Fraoch who was found alone on the side of the road, with a cable tie wrapped around her neck, scared and hungry....having just given birth to five puppies.

"We took in Callie whose family packed up and moved away leaving her and their other dog alone to fend for themselves. The other dog was sadly hit by a car before he could be rescued..Callie now lives happily in Germany, thanks to IHIN. We took in Max, a sweet but terrified boy who spent his life tied up to a rusting old car. His only bed, a hole dug-out he made for himself underneath the car." 

According to MADRA, dog pounds and dog rescue shelters around Ireland are packed to capacity, with collies "suffering needlessly". 

They stated: "Adoptions for border collies are slow, very slow and we know that even more collies await us in the pound. We regularly reach out to trusted rescues in the UK and Germany for help.

"We're so grateful for the support of Border Collie Trust GB and IHIN - Irische Hunde in Not e.V. They rehome so many discarded Irish collies... without their help, we truly don't know how we would help so many border collies and collie mixes in desperate need of a lifeline." 

Image: MADRA