The Irish Blue Cross animal welfare charity was founded in 1945 by a group of like-minded people determined to prevent the live exportation of Irish horses to the continent for slaughter. It wasn’t long before the group realised that the plight of Dublin’s sick dogs and cats desperately needed to be addressed. The solution came when the first Irish Blue Cross mobile clinic hit Dublin’s streets in 1953, prioritising it’s presence in areas where there was highest demand for charitable veterinary services.
In 2009, our small animal clinic was established with state of the art facilities at our base in Inchicore, Dublin 8. The opening of that clinic, complemented by our mobile clinics, has made an immeasurable difference to so many communities across Dublin and without our support, many families would struggle with providing necessary care and assistance for their pets. Today, our clinic services have expanded to ten locations across Dublin each week day evening, locations such as Cabra, Tallaght, Blanchardstown, Crumlin, Ballyfermot, Ballybrack, Smithfield, Walkinstown, Finglas and Donnycarney. Where pets require more comprehensive clinical examinations and treatments, they are referred to our Inchicore clinic.
A practical and caring approach is at the heart of our clinical work and our veterinary team provide information and support to our clients, educating on how to be a responsible pet owner and ensuring precious pets have a happy and healthy life. Since our foundation, well over half a million family pets have been treated and demand for affordable veterinary care continues to grow every year. In 2017, our clinical team had almost 27,000 pet visits covering all aspects of veterinary care including health-checks, x-rays, blood tests, microchipping, neutering and other surgical procedures.
In addition to our small animal work, we operate a horse ambulance service that attends all Irish racecourses and events, working closely with veterinary surgeons to assist injured horses.
The Irish Blue Cross rely heavily on donations from the public and the goodwill of supporters to continue our work. With the loyal support of many volunteers, we host an action-packed calendar of fundraising events each year including the very popular Bark in the Park™ sponsored dog walk, flag days, collections and appeals. All donation towards our on-going work are always welcome.
Pets need our help. So we need yours too.
Vision Statement
The vision of The Irish Blue Cross is that care is provided for every animal and all pets should enjoy a healthy life despite the financial circumstances of their owners.
Mission Statement
The mission of The Irish Blue Cross is to offer affordable veterinary care to eligible owners; promote welfare and responsible pet ownership; and alleviate the suffering of animals through veterinary clinics and equine ambulances.
Our Core Values and What They Mean
The core values of The Irish Blue Cross are:
- Integrity. We act in an ethical, transparent, and honourable way.
- Dynamic. We are ambitious and optimistic, striving for success.
- Responsible. We are proud of our professionalism and hold ourselves accountable for the work we do.
- Fair and Reasonable. We aim to be consistent and treat everyone equally.
- Compassionate. We believe in showing respect and kindness and we aim to be supportive and caring in all that we do.
