Jerome O'Connell, 28 Sep
WITH a dog bowl set up in her sitting room and a basket filled to the
brim with chew toys, it's clear that the home of Martina Quinn in south
Limerick is as much for the dogs and cats in her care as it is for her
and her husband.
Martina, who is originally from Westmeath, founded Deel Sighthound
Rescue with Suzanne Collins Hurrell in 2016 after discovering a group
of women who were fostering and rescuing dogs on their own all over
Limerick and further afield.
They realised that the rescue would be a way to bring all of the
volunteers together under one umbrella, which would give them access to
funding, a central administration system and a vet.
They had their first meeting in the Rathkeale House Hotel and now have
rescues and dog foster homes all over the country.
Deel Sighthound Rescue have foster homes in Limerick, Cork, Waterford,
Dublin, Galway and Kildare.
Most of the animals in their care are lurchers and greyhounds. These
are sighthounds - a group of dogs who hunt by sight rather than scent
and they are generally similar to greyhounds and would include
whippets, greyhounds, Irish wolfhound, lurchers, saluki and others.
Martina said: “In Ireland, these kind of dogs are seen as commercial
entities and are not seen as pets. Once their usefulness ends, they are
no longer wanted by their owners.”
Martina went on to explain that contrary to some opinions, these dogs
make the best pets, for many reasons.
“They are easy dogs, they don't need to be walked a lot, they like to
stay in the house and sleep and be with the family,” she said.
Martina stressed that dogs are not meant to be kept outside, in sheds
or tied up to a post.
“Lots of dogs are left outside in the cold and when their owners see
them, the dog is excited and they jump around and bark, then the owner
yells at them to get down and be quiet and that might be the only
interaction they get.
“A dog who is locked outside will experience backyard loneliness,” she
said.
Martina said that dogs, just like people, need interaction, love and
company.
“There is a huge cohort of people in Ireland who still believe in the
'outside dog' and the dog is outside in the cold and wet while the
family is inside in front of the fire - it's the cruellest thing.
“They need their humans - they need their pack.
“They are such sociable creatures and so affectionate and gentle, great
with children, they get on with other dogs and are very biddable.
“Dog owners who keep their dogs inside understand that dogs do feel
loneliness. When the owners go away, the dogs suffer from separation
anxiety.”
When the dogs are being moved from foster homes to adoptive homes,
there is a rigorous process to go through to ensure that the dog and
the people gel and fit together - just like a real family.
Before a dog is given to a family, Deel Sighthound Rescue will meet
with them and ask them questions about who lives in the house, whether
or not there are children or elderly people, if they are at home much,
if they live rurally or in the countryside and whether or not the
outside space is secure.
They will also do a home check and sometimes people will need to make
adjustments before getting to take a dog into their care.
For the volunteers, a big part of this process is reading people well
and judging the character of someone to see if the dog and owner will
be a good match.
“The dog is part of the family, it's a furry brother, sister, daughter
or son.
“We look for homes where the people are as passionate about dogs as we
are. Dogs can feel empathy from people.”
Martina said that the volunteers are incredible, kind people who give
up so much of their time, resources and sleep to help these animals in
need.
Anyone who takes in an animal to foster or adopt, will get full support
from Deel Sighthound Rescue in terms of 24-hour support, equipment and
toys and the charity will cover all vet bill costs, as well as
neutering and fully vaccinating the animal before it is rehomed or
fostered.
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They are always looking for foster homes all over the country.
In 2023, the Department of Agriculture gave Deel Sighthound Rescue a
grant of €15,000 while it cost about €100,000 to run the rescue for the
year, including vet bills and kennell boarding fees.
The rescue do have ambitions of having their own kennells to house up
to ten dogs, and while they have a site, it will still take up to
€250,000 to kit out with glass doors so that the dogs can see out,
rather than bars like cages, as well as clean, dry ventilated spaces,
which will act as a home away from home with a sensory garden for play.
As well as fundraising for their running costs, they want to get this
kennell up and running and are particularly looking for an engineer who
would work pro bono to help with the site survey, and site planning.
Anyone who would like to help Deel Sighthound Rescue can do a
fundraiser or nominate them as the charity of choice for a workplace or
school charity event.
To learn more or to sign up as a foster or adoption home, visit their
website www.deelsighthoundrescue.ie or their pages on Facebook or
Instagram.