1996/99
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Feline friendly women launch Mayo Cat Rescue mission
1 April 1998
CAT lovers in Mayo will be pleased to hear that four feline-friendly women in the county have joined together to form a voluntary organisation called Mayo Cat Rescue.
Devoted Cat lovers Maureen O'Malley-Gibbons, Westport, Michelle Gattings, Sue Deasy and Pauline Davis, Castlebar, have formed the organisation to ensure that unwanted and homeless kittens and cats are not destined to a life of hunger, disease and misery because no one wants or cares for them. Says Chairperson, Maureen O'Malley-Gibbons: 'Our aim is to rescue unwanted, abandoned and stray cats and kittens and rehome as many of them as possible. For the moment we will be taking them into our own homes where we will be feeding and caring for them while looking for new homes for them. We would ask people to contact us if they are looking for a cat or a kitten either now or in the future.'
According to the organisation, unwanted and abandoned cats and also dogs are a huge problem in Co. Mayo, indeed all over Ireland. The main reason for this is that most are neither spayed or neutered and are allowed breed uncontrollably. 'It will be our policy to spay all female cats and neuter all male cats over the age of six months before rehoming them. This will go someway towards cutting down the large volume of unwanted litters being born every year.' Obviously money will be needed to pay Vets bills for spay and neutering operations as well as vaccinations, worming , medicine for sick cats and the committee will be launching a heavy schedule of fundraising events in the near future. A bank account has been opened to receive donations. Account No: 19917184 AIB, Castlebar.
Not content with this, the women are thinking ahead and are also launching the Mayo Animal Sanctuary Appeal. They point out that there is no centre or sanctuary in Mayo for rescued animals to stay in while homes are being found for them. 'The reality is that there is only so much the people in Mayo Cat Rescue can do. We desperately need an Animal Sanctuary with a spacious cattery, kennels, exercise runs and quarantine area. Over the last few years the volume of animals rescued in Co. Mayo has risen dramatically, so much so that a sanctuary is a vital necessity. We can't have a situation where healthy cats and dogs are being put to sleep simply because there is nowhere they can stay for a little while until a new home is found for them.'
'A site is available to us, what we need now is the money to actually build a sanctuary. It is up to the people of Mayo. We are throwing down a challenge to them! And we know they'll rise to it. They have done so before with human charities, now it's time to prove they care for their four-legged friends. Over the next couple of years we are hoping to raise in the region of £100,000 and we would ask people, not just in Mayo but throughout the country and abroad to support us and be as generous as possible. We have opened a bank account for the appeal in AIB, Castlebar. Account No: 19918075. Please donate what you can. 'We would be interested in hearing from anyone willing to help with fundraising events and if anyone wants to do a sponsored walk, a parachute jump or hold a coffee morning for the Sanctuary Appeal, we would welcome hearing from them. Tel: Maureen 098-27752, Michelle 094-26474 or Susan on 094-24018.'
Fundraising will kick off for both the appeal and Mayo Cat Rescue with the raffling of beautiful Easter hampers containing a bottle of wine, Easter Egg, and cuddly toy rabbit on Friday, April 3rd in the SuperValu Shopping Centre, Castlebar. Holy Thursday, April 9th in O'Connors SuperValu, Westport. A hamper will also be raffled in Archway Stores, Castlebar in the days leading up to Easter. Tickets £1 each. Any store or shop willing to raffle a hamper is asked to contact Maureen at the above telephone number.
Connaught Telegraph - News & Sport - April 1998
