We are thrilled to celebrate the incredible impact of our grantee partners through the 2024 Charity Impact Challenge. This social media contest, held on Instagram and X in May, invited all eligible partners to showcase the transformative power of their CAF America grants.
Congratulations to our partner, the Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, for being our X Winner! We’re excited to share their story and more information about the impact we’ve made together below. Our donors’ generous support has been instrumental in empowering organizations like the ISPCA to make a significant and lasting impact in their communities.
In early May 2022, the Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ISPCA) received a call to the National Animal Cruelty Helpline about an abandoned pony that had strayed onto a busy road in a rural area of Ireland.
When the ISPCA team arrived, they found a frail and trembling pony, later named May, who was in urgent need of care. Covered in wounds, May was brought to their National Animal Center for immediate treatment. She had a severe injury on her neck that had caused significant swelling and inflammation. The veterinary team worked diligently to clean and treat the wound, preventing further complications. Despite her condition, May remained calm and gentle, showing no fear and remarkable resilience.
Thanks to the support of CAF America grants, the ISPCA was able to provide May with the intensive care she needed. Her neck wound required regular treatment twice a week, which she faced bravely, as if understanding she was finally safe. May will need to stay under veterinary supervision for many more months due to her injuries. Each morning, May greets the team with a happy neigh, enjoying her breakfast while her wounds are tended to. She spends her days in the summer grass and returns to her stable at night for safety.
The ISPCA is Ireland’s leading animal welfare charity, committed to rescuing, rehabilitating, and rehoming animals in need. Their mission is to prevent cruelty, promote animal welfare, and alleviate animal suffering. Operating a network of rescue centers across Ireland, they provide sanctuary and medical care to thousands of animals annually. Through advocacy, education, and the enforcement of animal protection laws, the ISPCA aims to build a more compassionate and humane society.
Partnership with CAF America
CAF America grants have supported the ISPCA in their animal welfare activities such as rescues, rehabilitation, and rehoming cruelly treated and neglected animals. They also support ongoing training for their inspectors in health and safety, media training, and training on how to care for neglected animals.
Grants from 2021 helped the organization continue to offer vital services such as the ISPCA National Animal Cruelty Helpline. This helpline deploys nine uniformed inspectors who operate in 16 counties in Ireland. That year, the organization received 12,483 calls to their helpline and investigated 2,746 cases. Four of their animal shelters with rehabilitation centers admitted over 1,216 animals, including 714 dogs, 276 cats, 67 Equines, and 159 others.
CAF America’s donors have also enabled the ISPCA to expand their important Inspectorate Services. Due to a lack of volunteers, local animal cruelty prevention societies are closing in several counties, and the ISPCA has been asked to take over these services, including office expenses and animal care costs. The ISPCA currently employs nine Inspectors covering 17 counties, with a goal to eventually have one Inspector in each of Ireland’s 26 counties. Inspectors check on welfare cases and carry out rescue responses for abandoned, abused, or neglected animals in desperate need of help. Each Inspector costs approximately €75,000 annually to cover their salary, vehicle, equipment, and animal care costs. With additional grants, the ISPCA plans to further expand these services.
Education is paramount to furthering the ISPCA’s objectives to prevent cruelty and promote kindness to animals. CAF America funds are being put toward the hiring of an educational officer with a salary of €45,000 – equivalent to an experienced teacher in Dublin – for a full-time, permanent role crucial to their five-year plan. This officer will develop educational resources that will include tailored talks and resources for mainstream education, outreach programs, and community groups (e.g., traveling community, special educational centers). Through public education the ISPCA aims to prevent cruelty, neglect, and abuse to all animals and to promote compassion for the animals that cannot speak for themselves.
“Our partnership with CAF America has been very helpful in enabling the ISPCA to continue its mission to rescue, rehabilitate, and rehome animals in need. CAF America’s support has increased our ability to provide essential care and a second chance at life for neglected and abandoned animals across Ireland.”
—Séamus O’Conghaile, Director of Engagement & Strategic Partnerships
May’s and many other animals’ recovery is a testament to the impact of CAF America’s donors’ support. Despite her difficult past, her gentle nature shines through. The intervention she received was crucial for her healing, and with ongoing care, she is on the path to finding a loving home. The ISPCA continues to respond to numerous calls about hurt and abandoned animals. Support from CAF America helps ensure that animals like May receive the treatment and care they desperately need.
Discover the great work done by organizations we support by viewing our other Stories of Impact. Learn more about the Irish Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals’s work here.
