No good deed goes unpunished.

That Oscar Wilde quote is ringing true for the volunteer staff of a Cork animal rescue charity, who have been on the receiving end of some nasty behaviour from people eager to offload their unwanted pets.

The staff of Cork Dog Action Welfare (DAWG) took to Facebook this week to appeal to the public for some understanding and patience, with a spokesperson saying “the rudeness and disrespect we have been met with lately is downright disheartening.”

The charity has been inundated with calls from pet owners who need help having their unwanted dogs rehomed, which they are dealing with on top of their busy rota of emergency cases involving sick, injured or abandoned animals.

“Today we even asked ourselves if we can deal with surrenders anymore as its a very very frustrating job. Especially if the owner expects to snap their fingers and for us to magic up a home or an instant space for the dog they don’t have the time for anymore. And if we can’t take the dog warden is threatened.”

Most DAWG staff work full-time jobs and spend all their spare time finding foster homes and rehabilitating dogs so they can be rehomed.

“Some families are so genuine and upset about surrendering that they do everything in their power to make the transition as painless as possible for their dog but there are others who simply do not get it.” the spokesperson continued.

“Please appreciate the job that we do. Please do not ignore our calls and texts, tell us to come and get the dog if we want it, leave a fosterer waiting outside your home for 30 mins and don’t show up or give any explanation, threaten the pound, rehome the dog without telling us or change your mind after a home is found and a family is so excited to adopt. The rudeness and disrespect we have been met with lately is downright disheartening.”

Ready to meet your new best friend? You can download the Cork DAWG app for Android here or for Apple/IOS here.