RESPONSIBLE OWNERSHIP

Before you bring your new friend home, you will need to have purchased a cosy bed, good quality food, food bowls, drinking bowls a collar (and lead if a dog), an ID tag and some toys! 

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Then you are ready to spend some quality time together! Your new pet will need you to do some things to make sure they stay fit and healthy. Below is a list of the things you will need to do to help!

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Keeping Your Pet Healthy

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Spaying/Neutering: If you adopt a young cat or dog  from Limerick Animal Welfare, it will need to be spayed/neutered at the earliest opportunity. Your vet will be able to advise you, but we generally recommend spaying/neutering as early as possible, and generally at four and a half months to six months of age. 

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Checkups: Every cat or dog should attend a vet at least annually for a general check-up and to have their booster vaccinations.

Worming: A dog also needs to be wormed approximately every three to four months and to be flea-treated as necessary. Your vet will be able to advise you.

Kennelling: If your dog needs to stay in boarding kennels while you are on holidays, it will need to be up-to-date on all its vaccinations, including kennel cough. Limerick Animal Welfare can  recommend reputable boarding kennels in your area.

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Pet Insurance: Treating a dog for injury or illness can be very expensive and we therefore strongly recommend that you purchase pet insurance. This costs approximately  €10 to €15 per month.  Application forms are available from your vet or you can purchase  online.

Microchipping:  We urge all adopters to microchip their pets. This involves a quick and relatively painless injection of a very small chip under the animal's skin. In the event that your pet is lost or stolen, a dog warden or vet can read the chip using a scanner. This brings up all of your contact details so that you can be immediately contacted to reclaim your pet. Microchipping involves a once-off cost of approximately €20 to €50

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Food: We recommend that you feed your pet a high-quality food. The better brands are mostly available through petshops or vets rather than the supermarket, and may cost more than supermarket brands. Limerick Animal Welfare are happy to recommend a quality food for your pet. Expect to pay €50 to €70 for a 15kg bag of high-quality dry dog food. As a rough guide, a 15kg bag would feed a medium-sized dog for approximately eight weeks.

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Grooming: Dogs need regular grooming to keep them looking and feeling their best. If you adopt a dog with a non-shedding coat or a coat that requires stripping.

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Dog Licence: By law, you must have a licence for your dog. These are available from post offices and cost €12.70 per year per dog. Your local dog warden can issue you with an on-the-spot fine if you do not have an up-to-date licence for your dog.