Beau was hanging around the Castletroy Park Hotel when we got a call about him. The staff there were feeding him, but they knew he didn't look well. One of our volunteers went and picked him up (with the help of some tempting tuna!) and brought him to our vet. Poor Beau had been scratching himself all the time and tore his skin everywhere he could reach. He had a lot of hair loss from the infestation, but it will slowly grow back. He also had an old fracture to his front leg, probably from being hit by a car. The fracture didn't heal and the bone was infected. Imagine the pain of breaking your arm, without it ever having healed. That's what Beau has been through. He couldn't bear weight on that leg because of the pain and it looks like he broke his wrist too, as it's doubled back on itself. He also lost a lot of his teeth on one side of his mouth, and one tooth was split down to the root, leaving the nerve exposed. With one front leg out of action, he couldn't groom himself very well, so his eyes got dirty and infected. His coat was is brown and dry from malnutrition. Worst news of all was that he has a feline-specific virus called FIV. This means his immune system is fragile, so he will need an indoor-only home to ensure he has a long and healthy life.

Click here to see a video of Beau when he was first rescued

Beau has made terrific progress in his foster home. Tired and worn out, he slept for long periods over the first few days. We treated him for lice and put him on Metacam from the vet to manage the pain in his leg until he was well enough for surgery. Conscious of his FIV status, his foster mum put started him on health supplements to boost his immune system and fish oils to help his skin. He also needed antibiotics and eye ointment to clear up a bout of cat flu. Beau's foster mum has been grooming him daily, which Beau loves, and his coat is taking on a glossy shine. She also washes his face with warm water with a pinch of salt as his tear ducts are scarred from cat flu so tends to get tear stains down his face.

Click here for video of Beau after three weeks in his foster home

After three weeks of tender loving care he was ready for surgery with our vet John O' Dwyer. He sailed through his neutering and the amputation of his front leg, and won John's heart at the same time! In fact, Beau charms everyone he meets. He is just so friendly and placid. He loves attention and likes nothing better than to cuddle with you. His foster mum Aisling thinks he's just terrific. "He's the easiest cat I've ever cared for - he is just so laid back! He cottoned on to using the litter tray immediately and has never had an accident in the house. For the first few weeks I was worried he might spray in the house as he wasn't neutered yet, but I needn't have worried - he is immaculately clean! He's been so understanding about taking his medicines and never gets grouchy with me over it. He loves his grub and isn't a bit fussy. I just think he has a fabulous personality - always looking to have his head scritch-scratched or a nice belly rub - I love him to bits!"
This is an appeal to all the cat lovers out there to give this most unlikely of lap cats a fair chance at a very happy ending. If you think you might be able to offer Beau an indoor-only home when he's fully recovered, please do get in touch. Please consider making a donation, however small, to help us with the cost of his care to date. Poor Beau would have been lost without the help of Limerick Animal Welfare. To think of him living on the streets in the cold and wet, in such pain and discomfort is just unthinkable. But with your help, we can help more cats like Beau!

The cat and kitten unit will be a huge step forward for our work with cats as it has been designed to minimise the tranmission of viruses that the poor cats are so prone to when housed together. The rehoming centre for the dogs will be more of a home from home for the dogs than our existing kennel unit, which was designed purely for use as an intake kennel for the dogs until they are fully vaccinated, neutered and ready for rehoming. The vet clinic will allow us to hire a good vet to come and do routine operations such as spay/neuter at the sanctuary, which will cut down both on our vet bills and our transport costs.



We've had to take out a large mortgage to enable the building work on Phase 2 to go ahead. We're appealing for donations to help fund the expansion of the sanctuary. The new buildings are a huge undertaking but so badly needed. We often have to try to accommodate up to 200 animals. The staff and volunteers are so dedicated and often work late into the night to help a sick or badly injured animal. We need these new buildings to better serve the precious animals in our care. Please visit our Field of Dreams Sanctuary in Kilfinane to meet our wonderful animals, see the great work that the staff and volunteers are doing, and check on our building progress! We're open 11am-3pm Monday to Saturday and you'll find a map and directions by clicking on the link at the bottom of the page.