Cork charity receives €2,000 to support dogs in Pay It Forward Campaign

Cork-based charity, Dog Action Welfare Group (DAWG), has been named as the final Irish recipient in the Pay It Forward campaign, marking the close of the pilot scheme.

The initiative, delivered by the Benefact Group and supported in Ireland by Ecclesiastical Insurance, was designed to empower charities to take the lead in giving, with each recipient nominating another to receive €2,000 in support.

In total, 25 charities across Ireland and the UK have received funding as part of the €50,000 initiative, three of which are in Cork.

Over three months, the campaign travelled across Cork, Dublin and Clare, spotlighting a diverse mix of community-led organisations, with Cork-based charities Autism Assistance Dogs Ireland, Bear's Paw It Forward and Cork DAWG chosen as funding recipients.

Cathriona O’Leary, who is the fundraiser at Cork DAWG said that the charity plays a “vital role” in protecting animals: “Without the existence of Cork DAWG, thousands of unwanted and neglected dogs in Cork and Munster would have little or no hope, many of them would not survive without our intervention.”

“We believe we play a vital role in placing dogs with families where the lives of both humans and dogs are enriched by the presence of each other. We are so grateful to the Benefact Group for this very generous donation and to Rhona Luca from An Cat Dubh [in Co. Clare] for your kind nomination.” 

Cork DAWG, founded in 2007, is a volunteer-run charity dedicated to rescuing and rehoming abused, neglected and abandoned dogs across Cork and Munster.

David Lane, who is the managing director at Ecclesiastical Insurance, said the company’s involvement in the initiative has been very rewarding: “I am delighted by the uptake and receptiveness of our pilot Pay It Forward scheme. Seeing each and every charity involved in the initiative pass the generosity on to a fellow non-profit, whether it be close to home or not, has been extremely rewarding.”