THE GALWAY SOCIETY for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals is calling for the return of five dogs who were stolen from its animal sanctuary in Heathlawn.

The shelter was ransacked by thieves on Saturday night/Sunday morning last. A post on the GSPCA website says that some of those dogs which were stolen had just undergone serious surgery and were in dire need of follow-up veterinary care and medication. The facility’s supply of leads, collars and other items were also taken in the break-in, windows were shattered and property damaged.

In a plea to the public, the GSPCA said:

Such a horrific thing to happen to these poor animals who have already been through so much in their lives… PLEASE don’t be silent, we need to get these animals back. These animals will be no use to anyone, as sadly they stole the ones that need immediate care.

Gardai at Portumna told TheJournal.ie that they are in the early stages of investigating the robbery and had no definite leads on the motive behind taking the dogs. The dogs are microchipped and anyone with information is asked to call Portumna Garda station on 0909 741 004 or any Garda station. The Garda Confidential line is 1800 666 111.

These are photos of four of the five dogs taken in the robbery. The fifth was a white male wire-haired terrier called Rascal – he’s 18 months old with two stitches on his nose and two very faint brown spots on his ears.