Choose Kindness

June 2026

Warning: this blog post includes content that some people may find distressing.

It used to be quite common (and socially acceptable, even) to drown an unwanted litter of dogs or cats. We’ve all heard those stories.

And while we might feel like giving our predecessors a pass and concede that perhaps they didn’t know any better, the fact that similar things are still happening in 2026 is deeply harrowing.

Every animal rescue can tell you true horror stories about acts of pure savagery that they have to face year in, year out.

A couple of years ago in Waterville, a family was out for a nice Sunday walk when their children spotted a plastic bag bobbing in a river. They felt it was suspicious, so they ran over and pulled it out of the water, only to discover 3 barely alive puppies in it. Those pups were lucky to have been found by that kind family but not every bobbing bag ends up rescued, unfortunately.

There’s another completely barbaric ‘method of population control’ that some people use, and that is simply dumping newborn kittens by the side of the road, or in the middle of rush-hour traffic in a town or a city. The only chance of survival those innocent creatures have is the kindness of people who notice them and stop to help. But that’s never a guarantee, unfortunately.

The following is a story that happened this month near Tralee.

It’s a story of Lil Champion, told here by his finder (a KLAWS volunteer):

‘I was driving home from Killarney, when I noticed a little black kitten dead on the road and as I turned the corner there was another one. I looked at the side of the road, and a little ginger kitten poked his head up, and behind him there was another dead kitten. Like they had been dropped one by one...

I went back for the little ginger kitten; he was still alive and struggling on the road trying to get up. I picked him up and his hind leg was fractured and hanging off him. I didn't even know if he'd make the walk back to the car as he was struggling to breathe.

But he kept breathing the whole way to the emergency vets in Tralee. I spoke to him the whole drive there calling him a little champion.

The vets in Tralee took him in and cared for him. Even though he had a rough next day, he survived and kept fighting, but a surgery was needed to amputate his leg.

Unfortunately, despite the vets’ best efforts, Lil Champion did not survive the surgery. May he rest in peace.

Thank you to the vets at Cú Chulainn, and KLAWS, for giving him his best shot at life and taking such great care of him in his last few days. He died, being loved and cared for by the veterinary team.

This completely unnecessary death and suffering could have been avoided if Lil Champion and his siblings had been handed into a local rescue instead of being dumped like garbage on the roadside.'

Let’s stop this savagery and choose kindness over cruelty.

There are things we all can do to prevent unnecessary suffering and needless deaths:

• Get our cats and dogs neutered;

• Help our local animal rescues and vets to conduct trap, neuter, release (TNR) operations in the community by contacting them if you know of or notice a feral cat colony in your locality;

• If your cat or dog produces an unexpected litter, please contact your local vet or animal rescue who will find loving homes for those ‘unwanted’ little pups or kitties. And please remember: just because they were an 'accident' doesn't mean that they have to pay for it with their life.

Let’s make drowning, dumping or any other kind of cruelty a thing of the past!

To contact KLAWS about a litter of puppies or kittens, please click here:

CONTACT US

You can also find us on Facebook (KLAWSofficial) and Instagram (@klawskenmare), or give us a call on 087 970 4480

If we are not your nearest animal rescue, please find one near you - it's the kindest thing you could do. And don't worry - there's no judgement, just thanks:)