Animal shelters expecting surge in abandoned pets

Animal shelters have reported a significant rise in the numbers of pets that were abandoned in the run-up to Christmas – and are now braced for another surge in the coming months as households struggle to cope with new animals as they get bigger.

Dublin Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (DSPCA) spokeswoman Gillian Bird said the group’s shelter in Rathfarnham, Dublin, is “full of animals” of an age which would indicate they were bred for Christmas 2012 but were subsequently discarded.

She said the DSPCA has already taken in five abandoned puppies – but that this trend does not normally begin until a month or two has passed after Christmas.

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Video: ‘Devil cat’ tells woman to ‘go away’

A woman has warned Dublin residents to keep their doors and windows closed at all times to protect against a ‘devil cat’ invasion.

The woman, known only as Caroline H, filmed the feline ‘invader’ hiding behind a curtain in her kitchen after apparently being tempted in by the smell of cookies.

The mewling black and white cat sounds suspiciously like he is saying ‘go away’, and after his green eyes flash white in the glare of the camera, Caroline’s off-screen companion can be heard to shout ‘He’ll jump on you, Caroline, he’ll jump on you!’.

The footage ends with the cat knocking over a pile of dishes and hanging precariously off a window frame trying to escape.

‘No cat was harmed in the filming of this video,’ she wrote on YouTube. ‘The cat safely left the house after I stopped filming. This cat was an invader after our cookies. Please keep all doors and windows closed to protect yourself against rogue angry cats.’

After the video was publicised in Ireland, a local resident came forward to claim the cat was hers, and certainly wasn’t a ‘devil cat’ as described.

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Cat and tiny kittens dumped in bird cage

SEAN NOONE – 31 JULY 2013 02:30 PM

Tiny kittens were left dumped in a cage in Dublin city centre.

The six kittens and their mother were left abandoned in the rain in a cage better suited to a budgie or other household bird.

The cage was full of water having been left in the torrential rain when a DSPCA worker arrived following a call from a member of the public.

The DSCPA believe that the animals had been left in the cage for several hours judging by the amount of faeces present in the cage.

DSPCA's head of education and media, Gillian Bird, told the Herald that the kittens are recovering in their care.

"The kittens seem to be doing grand now. They were probably a bit shaken by the whole incident, the mother especially," she said.

Shield

"When we found them she was almost on top of the six kittens trying to shield them from the weather."

Ms Bird did warn that this incident is not unique.

"This type of illegal and cruel dumping is common at this time of year because people are going away or can't be bothered looking for an alternative," she said.

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Four rhino heads stolen from museum in Dublin

Rhino horns stolen from museum storage

April 2013. Four rhinoceros heads were stolen from premises of the National Museum of Ireland late in the evening of Wednesday 17 April 2013. A security guard was overpowered by a number of raiders and tied up but has not been injured. He managed to free himself and notify Gardaí who are investigating the robbery.

The stolen rhinoceros heads have a total of eight horns that have probably been taken to supply the illegal trade in powdered horn that is used in traditional medicines in the Far East. Their price is based on weight and the total amount stolen could have a street value in the region of €500,000. 

Not on display

Rhinoceros horns have been taken from rhinos poached in the wild for many years and several species of rhino have been brought to the edge of extinction because of this. In recent years, thieves have turned to museums and private collections that include rhino taxidermy and artworks that include rhino horn. Many museums have taken rhinoceros horn off display as a result. The National Museum of Ireland took the decision to remove all rhinoceros horn from display and the stolen specimens were placed in storage over a year ago. Currently there are no rhinoceros horns on display in the National Museum of Ireland - Natural History. 

Irish gang

The theft of rhino horn shows how organised criminals are always on the lookout for new and creative crime opportunities. Significant players within this area of crime have been identified as an Irish and ethnically-Irish organised criminal group, who are known to use intimidation and violence to achieve their ends. To source and acquire rhino horns, the group has targeted antique dealers, auction houses, art galleries, museums, private collections and zoos, resorting to theft and aggravated burglary where necessary. To sell specimens, they have exploited international auction houses in the UK, France, USA and China.

Elements of this group are also involved in a variety of other serious crimes across the European Union such as drugs trafficking, organised robbery, distribution of counterfeit products, tarmac fraud and money laundering. Outside the EU, they have been active in North and South America, South Africa, China and Australia. 

http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/dublin-rhino.html