SAFE/In foster: little female in Kilkenny city area**

[Cathy Moon]

OMG poor little Kisses and hugs from me and the tribe. It's times like this I really do wish I was nearer to you. There's always room for one more

I wonder if she was originally stolen from someone Especially if she was found near an encampment

Donna, what is an encampment? Is this homeless people or gypsies?

[Cathy T]

I was wondering the same thing Cathy. Thanks for clarifying. Interesting.

[Karlin]

Lots of travellers (Irish and UK gypsies) are great with dogs and horses and have long traditions of working them and travelling with them. Some are very abusive and tend to give the whole group a bad name, as often happens with easily identifiable groups. I don't think travellers mistreat animals any more than people in nice settled neighbourhgoods from the reports rescue people get, but it is easier to see with travellers as they camp by the side of the road and are very visible. Whereas a lot of settled people abuse to animals happens behind closed doors and in gardens out oif sight. Lots of rescue folks here would know some great travellers who are very helpful with reporting abuse and getting animals out of bad spots out in the coutnryside in particular, where they see things others might miss.

The context in which this girl was fund *suggested* she might have been in a bad situation with some travellers or could be taken in and disappear if they were moving on. But this was wrong. Turns out this girl was not with the travellers at all, but she was not in a good situation.

She is lovely, very sweet, not overly thin at all, but very swollen and in heat. Not overly scared either; I think that was just because she was being captured and was in the midst of traffic. She is a bit shy but very friendly and easy-going. Another hour and I have no doubt she would have been dead on the road, or sold on to puppy farmers.

Brid has her and might post some pics if she takes any (she always does!!

I am thankful to all those who offered help on the board and by PM.

[Mary]

So glad she is safe with a warm bed and gentle hands upon her this eve.

[Remali]

Oh I am so relieved to hear she is safe and in such good hands! If the people who had her kept her in that condition, I hope that they don't ever get her back!

[brid kenny]

All well here. She's (Sweety) sleeping her head off for the last few hours. Phoebe is oblivious to it all!!

[Cathy Moon]

Bless you Brid for opening your home to her. Hope she's sleeping her troubles away.

[Mary]

Brid thanks for posting pics. What a beauty this little girl is! You are a gem for taking her in!!

[Karlin]

Thanks Brid for the pics -- she looks exhausted, poor little girl! I like how she is just barely acknowledging you with an eye barely opened in one pic.

Regarding travellers -- I do think the travellers get a very hard time for people who are the exception and not the rule. Lots of house dwellers keep dogs alone in gardens, chained or confined to runs for hours. Around here, the vast majority of cruelty cases, on a per capita basis, come from house or farm dwellers. All the mass breeding cases are with people in homes or farms, not travellers, so even in numbers alone, cruelty practised against, say, cavaliers is marginal amongst travellers yet a tiny number of theft cases in the UK had all the lists buzzing with indignation against travellers -- from many of the people who couldn't be bothered to even write a letter to a politician about puppy farming where there are thousands of cavaliers held in small cages, perfectly legally in many cases.

Cats in particular are often treated like vermin (indeed that is their status under Irish law still; you can bring in an exterminator for cats which you could never do for dogs). Yet every one of my four cats has as rich and complex a personality as my dogs (and are far more polite! ).

As always (and I know we can think of many other current examples and historical examples no matter where we live) the worst cases are the ones that get publicity and if you are a member of an easily identifiable group, the actions of the few are frequently transferred to the group. I just don't like to make generalisations about a group.

[Cathy T]

What a sweetie. So glad you all went through all of this today to rescue her. She looks exhausted but content.