ISPCA Home Forever Programme

Once the ISPCA are informed about a Home Forever member’s death, we will arrange for your pet(s) to come into our care. The ISPCA will do all we can to ensure your pets are very well cared for by our trained and dedicated staff. Once vet checked, we will then search to find them loving new homes in line with our rehoming policies and procedures. The ISPCA carry out home checks on all potential new pet owners and if approved, your pet(s) will be adopted to become part of a new family.

You can find out more about the Home Forever programme, by applying for an Information pack. Complete the online application form below and the ISPCA will send you details in the post.

Signing up is easy, your solicitor just needs to update your will with a simple clause, please find sample wording below. If you already have a will, this can be done by adding a Codicil. This clause will ensure your executors are fully aware of your wishes to pass the legal responsibility of your pet(s) to the ISPCA. Once you’ve amended your will with the Home Forever clause, you can return the registration form which was included in the information pack. If you haven’t an information pack, you can complete the details in the application form below – see ISPCA Home Forever Information Pack.

Once you have added the ISPCA Home Forever wording into your will, your executor will know to contact us should anything happen to you. However, we also recommend telling your family, friends and neighbours that you want the ISPCA to take in your pets in the event of your death. That way, if the situation is more urgent, they’ll be able to contact us straight away so that we can start making arrangements for your pet(s) to come into our care. We will provide you with a wallet card, which can be kept with you at all times. These items have all our contact details on them.

It is our rehoming procedure that, before anyone can adopt a pet from the ISPCA, they must complete an adoption application form. We meet all new potential owners and also carry out a home check. This way, there are no impulsive decisions and we can ensure all pets are going to the right homes where they will be loved and cared for. We also follow up with a post-adoption check to make sure the pet(s) is settling in well and are here to help answer any questions.

We have facilities to take most pets. Although spaces for larger animals such as horses may be limited, we do have some facilities for them. However, we may have more difficulty rehoming fish or exotic animals.

As long as your wishes are clearly stated in your will and you have included the ISPCA name and registered charity number CHY 5619 and Charity Regulatory Authority Number 20008734 this should not be a problem, but always check with your solicitor. See Suggested Wordings for your will for details.

There’s no limit to the number of pets that you can register under our Home Forever programme. However, if you’d like to register more than six pets please contact the Fundraising team first on 1800 911 190 or 01 902 3770 or email [email protected].

While sympathising with any animal owner that may be taken ill, the ISPCA does not provide temporary care for animals. Ultimately, an owner is responsible for their animals and should endeavour to make arrangements for the care of their pets as soon as they can. This could be a neighbour or relative looking after them or it could involve boarding animals. If a hospital stay is likely to be long term, pet owners could consider surrendering the animal(s) to a local SPCA or rescue for rehoming. But that would be a permanent arrangement.

If you find yourself in this situation, please call the Fundraising team on: 1800 911 190 or 01 902 3770 or email [email protected]. and we will be able to provide you with advice.

If you wish for your pets to be rehomed together, please do highlight this in your will. Although we are unable to guarantee this will be possible, we will do everything we can to honour your wishes. We always do what we feel is best for all animal in our care. If trying to find a new owner for more than one animal together involves them spending longer in an animal centre, we will review what’s best for the animal.

The Home Forever programme is a free service. But did you know that the cost of looking after a dog on average is around €2,000 per annum. The ISPCA will care for your pet and find them a loving home. For this service, we ask you to consider a minimum of a €1,000 contribution through a gift in your will. We simply wouldn’t exist without public donations, and without kind gifts left to us by our supporters in their wills. This is why many supporters decide to leave a gift in their Will to the ISPCA so we can continue our vital work caring for the animals that need us the most.

Legacies are vital to the existence of the ISPCA, and without the help of supporters like you that have remembered the ISPCA in your wills, we would be unable to sustain our animal welfare operations and our rescue centres; both of which help many abused and neglected animals.

The ISPCA is heavily reliant upon the generosity of our supporters. Approximately 54% of our income comes from public donations and gifts in wills. Your gift will allow the ISPCA to rescue, rehabilitate and responsibly rehome animals that have been cruelly treated, neglected or abused. Every legacy gift is important to us.

If you would like to talk to someone in confidence; here’s how to get in touch. You can speak to our fundraising team on 1800 911 190 or 01 902 3770 or write to us at ISPCA Fundraising Section, Iconic Offices – The Masonry, 151 Thomas St, The Liberties, Dublin, D08 PY5E or email [email protected].