Dogs Of Dublin, Searching For Their Forever Humans

We are lucky dogs. We have always had our forever home. Mom adopted us from a very nice lady in Tipperary when we were pups. The lady had wanted to keep us but couldn't because her other dogs didn't really like us. We were very small and delicate and she worried that something might happen to us. But she didn't want to separate us because she could see how close we were.

We were so afraid that we would be separated and never see each other again. Some people offered to adopt us, but not together. Then...mom came along. When she saw our faces and heard how much we wanted to stay together, she didn't hesitate.

We've been a family ever since.

Some dogs spend months or even years looking for their forever home. And some of these dogs have been through a lot.

Thinking of all the hardships these dogs have to go through, we decided to team up with Humans of Dublin and the DSPCA to see if we could raise awareness around adopting dogs and maybe even help some of these dogs find their forever homes!

The DSPCA are an incredible organisation. They save and re-home furballs in Dublin. Dogs, cats, horses, goats, pigs, chickens and all kinds of animals come to the DSPCA looking for a kind human hand to reassure them that the world is a beautiful place. Some animals arrive in their mothers tummies and are born at the DSPCA. Others have had to overcome a lot of hardships to get to the DSPCA for a second chance at happiness.

When we visited the DSPCA in Rathfarnham we thought we'd arrived in doggy paradise. The grounds are huge. Plenty of places to run around in the open air, right in the Dublin mountains. And the staff? Wow. Every single one of them has a heart of gold and is dedicated to making all the animals feel safe and loved.

We got the chance to work with Humans Of Dublin and talk to some of the dogs at the DSPCA and hear their stories.

"This is Shane. He used to be a busy chef but he got a hip injury so he had to look for another career, this is how he ended up in DSPCA. I met him here and we became best friends. I would do anything for this guy! My life didn’t have an easy start. I was found chained to a brick under a trailer somewhere in the country. I was in pretty rough condition. I was dirty, I had almost no fur to protect me and most of my teeth were missing. I was on the edge of giving up to be honest… I was so weak that I couldn’t even get up anymore, so this guy took me with him and rang DSPCA. I always thought that humans were the scariest creatures in this world. I very scared of them all. When they took me here I didn’t realize that they actually saved me. I tried to bite everyone who came close to me, but there was Shane, I don’t know… Nobody was ever that gentle or patient with me. Even though I tried to bite him many times he kept coming back, offering me food and just sitting next to me. We eventually started to bond and a few weeks later he took me to his home. I have to say it was a bit crazy there. He has another six dogs and two little humans at home so eventually I had to get friendly with all of them. I remember while I was living there, I used to carry a bag of food everywhere I went. Even if I wasn’t hungry. It was just so comforting to know that I could eat at any time I wanted. Shane gave me warm baths and treated my fur which slowly grew back. I could not believe that my fur was actually white. They were supposed to put me up for adoption like they do with all the other dogs, but we became so close that he kept me. Now I work here too, we do the same shifts so we spend the whole day together"
- Casper, Dog Socialising Assistant

“My owner used to just throw food over the fence. Never enough for all of us. If you wanted to survive you had to fight for every scrap. Eating, for me, always meant new scars, not only on my skin but in my trust and hopes as well... Protecting my food from other dogs has been deeply engraved into my personality and this is why they can’t keep me together with other dogs here, even though I love to be around dogs. I find it hard to trust people and I don’t feel confident in new situations. I’m in DSPCA since March and I've only let one person close to me so far… Her name is Rachel. I love Rachel… She is a regular volunteer here. There were lots of families trying to adopt me but none of them had enough time to gain my trust… Rachel was the one who kept coming back. When she comes around I get very excited. She is the only person I trust so far in my life, but I’m eager to let someone even closer. I just want to have a home and someone who has time to take me on new adventures and help me to get more comfortable with the outside world…”

- Heath

“I was a puppy, just a few weeks old when I was found in a cardboard box on the side of the road, curled up in my own vomit – sounds terrible right? I know, but don’t worry, my story turned around pretty quick! I don’t even remember this, to be honest, I was so small. I didn’t spend much time in DSPCA back then. They said I was the most gorgeous little puppy they had ever seen. I was adopted by two amazing humans, David and Claire. I lived in their loving home for four years when things started not working out so well for them. When they separated, David left me with his parents but he came back to visit me every so often. I loved it there too but I was probably a little too clumsy and a bit too playful for his parents... so here I am! Back for a new adventure to find another amazing family. I am a very happy dog but I get very depressed being alone in the kennel. I mostly just spend my day curled up on my bed waiting for the next walk. I need to get out of here! I love everybody and everything and I promise my new owner will never be bored around me. I am very attentive, David and Claire spent a lot of time training me, and treats will always refresh my memory!"

- Figo⁠

“I don’t really know what I did… At the time, I thought I must have done something bad because he and his friends started kicking me… I was so small I didn’t understand what was going on. Someone called the DSPCA saying that they saw a small puppy being kicked around by some kids. I don’t really remember but they said my front leg was broken in so many places that the vets decided that it would be better to get rid of it. It has never stopped me though. In my new house, I trained myself to keep up with two other dogs. The only challenge was to find an effective way to stop. It’s the hardest part about having three legs. So I developed a technique… When I’m running really fast and I need to stop, just I roll and tumble until I come to a full stop and then, I change direction and run again. I mastered this technique to a level that this is now my preferred way to stop. People find it hilarious but it works! Naoise, my new mom, was just a volunteer when I arrived to DSPCA as a cruelty case. I was her first foster dog ever. She should’ve only fostered me for a few weeks but she said, as soon as she saw me, she knew she would fail to give me back. She was always joking that she thought I would be the perfect dog for her because I wouldn’t chase her cats. Boy, was she wrong! Only three days after she took me home, I jumped off the couch chasing after one of them.”⁠

- Luna

“In my first family I had three little humans to take care of, my job was to protect them. They were everything to me and I took my job very seriously, but things in the family weren’t working out. There was a lot of shouting for weeks and one day they packed everything into boxes except my bed and my toys. I knew something wasn’t right. I’ve never felt so sad in my life when they left me here and I watched them walking away… For weeks, I waited for them to come back. I’m here since June and I still feel very sad and without purpose. Protecting my family was always my number one priority. When my first foster family came around I got so excited. I wanted to make sure that they understood that I would protect their children from everyone who came close, but instead of complimenting me for doing such a great job they kept pulling me away and I eventually ended up back here. I don’t understand what I did wrong… I just know that I don’t want to be here.”⁠
- Chance

Isn't she gorgeous?!

Last Saturday we got to hang out with Humans of Dublin and take Sabrina out on the town. We wanted her to see how pawesome her life is going to be when she meets her forever family.

Sabrina had a ruff start. She was found on a site where she had been forced to hunt for live food or not eat at all. She found it all pretty traumatic. She was rescued by the DSPCA a few weeks ago and even though she is not long out of her bad situation, she couldn't be more chilled out and calm!

We took her into the city centre and showed her all our favourite cafes and bars. We visited Fonté Coffee, Street 66 and then we took her for a pizza in Aperitivo Dublin! She loved every minute of it and just took it all in her stride.

She is calm, loving and gentle. While we were having pizza she told us that she was really hoping to find her forever home soon. She said she was ready to cosy up to a human that could love her and spend the rest of her life loving them. We promised her we'd tell everyone we could that she is looking for her human.

If you have some love to give Sabrina contact the DSPCA at info@dspca.ie and let them know.

We learned a lot during this week working with the DSPCA. We learned how lucky we are to have a forever home. We learned how kind people can be, seeing all the staff at the DSPCA working so hard to help these beautiful animals feel safe and loved. We learned how brave all these animals are, to have overcome so much and still be ready and open to loving another human.

Lots of love

Roxy & Jasmine

Want To Get Monthly Highlights From Us? Subscribe Below!