Bear’s Paw It Forward is a registered charity RCN20204560 based in Cork which supports animal rescues/shelters, (dog, cat, equine, wildlife) and organisations that supports the homeless with pets across Ireland and Northern Ireland by providing much needed food and other supplies. We rely heavily on the generosity of others as we receive no government funding or grants.
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We became registered in June 2019, it was a long difficult road as we were seen as two charities in one, but after lengthy discussions and a meeting in Dublin with members of the charity regulator we were granted our status. We were at that time, the first of our kind to be registered and would be used as a template for others like us in the future. In 2022, we were one of three charities shortlisted for Burns Pet Nutrition Charity of the Year awards. Although we didn’t win, it was a wonderful accolade to achieve.
I don’t know actually where to begin when it comes to why I started this amazing journey with Bear. I had always wanted to make a difference but didn’t know where to start or what to do, so very naive in the beginning, honestly I was. The fate of dogs being sent to the pound with little chance of being rehomed and homeless being discarded because they had a family member who had fur brought me to my knees quite a lot of the time and almost broke my heart. There was urgency then to do something, for me anyways.
Bear and Bonnie are both bullbreeds, often slated in the media for being one of the more aggressive breeds, think that was a big factor too, to show others how soft and gentle they both are and not monsters, only monsters we have are of our kind. Animals are sentient beings, just like us, just because some can’t communicate properly with them, doesn’t mean they should be treated any less than a child who cannot speak. There is so much love and understanding in them if people would only stop and take the time to engage. And they live with a cat!!
Bear is the boss as this is his charity. He adopted us through a rescue here in Cork. Bonnie is second in command, from a rescue in North Kerry and sends out Hugs of Hope care packages to those who need a little extra TLC. We also send out ‘a little love goes a long way’ boxes filled with Irish Artisan products to those who sacrifice their time and efforts on a daily basis to help furkids.
