CSPCA: 24 hours at Cork city's original animal rescue centre

Irish Examiner

5 days ago

It is Monday morning at the Cork Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (CSPCA), the county's original animal rescue centre, which has been offering a haven to all creatures great and small since 1870.
Many of you will recall the previous generation of the charity, located opposite the city's bus station at Parnell Place, where the occasional peering through the street-side hatch invariably made for grim viewing.
Today's facility, located next to Mahon Point Retail Centre, is a brighter, modern affair, not dissimilar to a children's hospital, with its brightly coloured reception area and welcome lobby.
Leading operations here is the facility's manager, Vincent Cashman, who, after earning his stripes as a wildlife warden at Fota Wildlife Park, moved here when the centre opened in 2007.
He's just one of a team of seven full-time and two part-time staff, as well as up to a dozen volunteers, who will pass through the doors here today.
'We provide bed, breakfast, dinner — everything short of Netflix — to our animals,' Vincent tells me, as we do the morning rounds.
'We also look after dog warden services and provide kennel services for Cork County Council, dealing with the eastern half of both the city and county.'
That all means an expansive facility; one which can typically house up to 70 or 80 animals at one time.
Malcolm, the newest paddock resident at the CSPCA animal rescue centre, tucks into a hay feeder in his secure new home alongside ponies and goats. Picture: Chani Anderson.
And not just dogs — the daily head count at the CSPCA can include every pet from cats, rabbits, hamsters and guinea pigs to birds, goats and ponies.
Exotic pets like chinchillas, raccoons, and iguanas are not irregular features on the resident list here.
Outside, the kennels area is filled with longing eyes, including two breeding King Charles bitches, Rori and Lorelli, rescued by the centre.
There's a generous paddock that's now home to a small herd of goats picked up in the city, along with a white pony who was found tied to a church door.
'That's Christian,' says Vincent. 'He's been here a couple of years. Ponies can be difficult to re-home.'
No more long faces for Christian the miniature pony, who now enjoys a safe and permanent home at the CSPCA animal rescue centre. Picture: Chani Anderson.
A WIDER PROBLEM
Every animal's arrival has a back story. 'We experience a mixture of everything,' Vincent tells me.
'We have cruelty cases, situations where there have been unforeseen circumstances in a household's dynamics — not being able to keep up with the cost of pet ownership, for example — plus we'll also have the scenario where pets might end up here due to bereavements. All those budgies you see here in our aviary — their owner died, and now they'll live out their life here, as it's unlikely they'll find a better home than this.'
Dozens of birds, from budgies and parakeets to pheasants live together in harmony in the large, purpose built aviary at the CSPCA animal rescue centre. Rehoming is rare, as the birds are accustomed to this generous space. Picture: Chani Anderson.
For canines, it's often a more depressing tale.
'You have what are often called strays, but in reality they are dumping cases. And unfortunately, we're still dumping an awful lot of dogs,' Vincent explains.
A beautiful close-up of Shrew, the long-term lurcher resident at the CSPCA animal rescue centre. She came in pregnant earlier this year and is now ready to begin her next chapter. Picture: Chani Anderson.
In one of the kennels, a small litter of lurcher puppies peep out curiously — they were rescued after being found along a pathway.
These insidious dumping numbers perhaps reflect a wider societal problem when it comes to pet ownership.
Post-covid culture and what you could term the Instagram effect have had a huge influence on pet ownership and animal trends. And that influence unleashes itself at the CSPCA in myriad ways too.
'Those trends impact our own operations,' explains Vincent.
'If you take the rise in the likes of French bulldogs or any snub-nosed breeds, they can experience serious breathing difficulties, which means significant vet bills — and some people just aren't willing or able to take on the expense.'
The Frenchie fad has even seen the CSPCA make branding changes.
'We've changed all our signage here. We used to have a boxer breed on our main signs — they've been removed so as not to encourage snub-nosed dogs as pets.'
This unusual white-bodied, red-headed pheasant is among the more exotic rescue birds being cared for in the aviary at the CSPCA animal rescue centre. Picture: Chani Anderson.
Another issue, according to Vincent, is owners not being equipped to handle certain dogs.
'We've a beautiful Mali right now (Malinois or Belgian Shepherd), Anora. She's super bright — probably more intelligent than nine out of 10 people. But people have started to buy this breed as they're cheaper to get than German Shepherds, and they're also not on the restricted breed list. Yet, they're five times more agile than a German Shepherd and require seriously experienced handlers. She's going to need a home that's really suitable.'
Adoptions are never guaranteed for either party, in fact. 'We have to vet applicants too,' Vincent explains. 'Even though the centre is full, we don't want to see the same dog back on Wednesday that we re-homed today. If someone's looking for a Great Dane and they live in an apartment in Cork City, we have to ask: why do you want it? Are your reasons selfish? Some people put no thought into the breed — and then there's the aftermath to deal with.'
Audrey the lurcher stands proudly with her ears pricked, Cassie Toomey pictured in the background at the CSPCA animal rescue centre. Audrey's gentle nature and bright eyes have made her a favourite with the team. Picture: Chani Anderson.
MAKING TIME
By 10am, the centre is open to the public, but post-covid culture means people making appointments now to meet specific dogs is more the norm than drop-ins.
'If anyone wants to meet a dog they're interested in, they can arrange a time, come in for a meet-and-greet and a walk, and then we ask them to take 24 hours before making any knee-jerk decisions,' says Vincent.
'Someone might want a lurcher, for example, but if it's too big or jumpy, we'll pair them with something else.' Lurchers are indeed among the most common breeds at the centre, often dumped as hunting dogs.
The good news is that almost all dogs at the pound receive a happy ending, with very few staying longer than a year.
'I'd say 80% of interested applicants find a match,' Vincent adds. 'If we post online that a dog's been here for six months, people will respond. Or often, people will call up and ask how our longest-term resident is, and hopefully there'll be a match.'
Home checks are also part of the deal. 'We don't care what kind of crockery people have, but a secure garden is a must,' he explains.
Sadly, it's not always a happy ending. The CSPCA does euthanise dogs who are deemed by vets to be too high risk for rehoming.
'Not every single dog is suitable,' says Vincent. 'We get dogs who may have been aggressive or been involved in an attack, and the kindest thing we can do is put them to sleep.'
Vincent Cashman, manager of the CSPCA, pictured in the paddock at the rear of the animal rescue centre — home to long-term residents including goats, ponies and a mountain sheep. The area has been fortified to prevent further break-ins. Picture: Chani Anderson.
For Vincent, the biggest challenge remains educating people on how to care for their dogs and other pets.
'You'll have people saying they returned home to find their dog has redesigned — to put it mildly — the furniture. But people need to ask themselves why the dog was left in those circumstances. Dog training takes time, and dogs need time.'
Come early evening, Vincent and his staff leave for the night, and the dogs and animals will spend another evening in anticipation of their forever home. And the next morning, the work will continue again.
'At the end of the day, we're a business that doesn't want to have product,' says Vincent.
'We've been here a long time, through thick and thin, following in the footsteps of some very dedicated people. For their legacy — and ours — we want to help as many owners and animals as possible and to keep our message out for people to take care of their pets.'
Note: Since Thom's visit to the CSPCA, Anora and many of the other dogs mentioned have been adopted.
For details on adoptions, see cspca.ie