I’ve often wondered what happened to the SSPCA (Sligo Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals). The premises that they used to operate from has been left empty for around 4 years.
It’s such a shame when you think of the amount of animals abandoned and abused that really need help, yet this place is sitting idle. Who owns it now? The last I heard the SSPCA has been disbanded. Could the property be sold and the money shared between the local charities who help animals?
This is what I read on the SSPCA website:
In 1966 Annie Finnegan passed away, leaving £274,000 IR to the Society to continue its work of educating dog and cat owners to neuter and spay their animals, and to provide a shelter for the care and eventual rehoming of many animals which would otherwise suffer neglect and possible cruelty.
In December 2000 a 10 acre property was purchased at Coolaney, about 12 miles from Sligo town in Co. Sligo. During the ensuing 4 years the property has been fully fenced, some of the land drained, farm buildings erected and the small farmhouse restored. A family of orphaned mallard ducklings even led to the digging of a pond! Known as The Annie Finnegan Animal Shelter, it is a delightful site which we hope will become a place of refuge and sanctuary for animals and helpers alike.
All that remains now are empty buildings and the odd water bowl, very sad. This is the front page of the SSPCA website which has been like this for years.
The old sign on the gate reads that the place is being renovated but this has been here for years and it’s so old now it’s very hard to read. It’s heartbreaking when you think Annie Finnegan left this money for the care of animals yet this beautiful property is just abandoned just like the animals.
Magnumlady Blog 
Your new post is so sad … SPCA should be a priority in a community and I sure hope blogs like yours go a long way to changing things!!
Rob.
Sent from my iPhone
Thanks Rob, I really hope someone finds out why this house is sitting empty when the animals and those looking after them are so strapped for cash.
It is a disgrace so much money has been wasted. The lady who holds the purse strings is the Director of the now disbanded SSPCA,Olive McKinley who lives in Ballinacarrow,Sligo. They should be made to do something with the property or as you say sell it and split the money. There is a new group in Sligo called Sligo Animal Welfare who can only dream of having a property like this they have to rely entirely on foster homes.
Publicity like this is bad for everybody as no one wil lleave a legacy to the animals of Sligo after seeing such waste, disgraceful!
I really hope something is done. I have been helping to raise money for the Sligo Animal Rescue and the Sathya Sai Donkey Sanctuary and this place is sitting idle and could be put to such good use.
Do you know anything about the sligo spca and if they had a charity number?
I think it is healthier for animals to be in foster homes than stuck in a cage for months in a shelter. Forget the shelter, the new way of fostering is better.
That’s all well and good haz but the foster homes are full at the moment plus the animal rescues are in debt….so if the shelter could be sold to help in some way. Surely it’s better then leaving it empty?
How much did it cost to buy the shelter i rescue cats and kittens i was told there is a porto cabin at that shelter when i asked if i could have it for cats i was told it is useless now
You are right Kathleen but when the money was put in the have hands of the SSPCA they paid a huge sum of money to contest the will, money which should have been spent on the cats! Over the years many people have tried, including myself, to run the SSPCA but are met with objections from a committee making it almost impossible. Now the group is disbanded but they don’t want to hand over the property they would rather see the only asset they have left go derelict. Only 10 years ago 21,000 euro was spent to make the cottage habitable now I believe it is falling down. It is disgraceful.
Putting it up for sale may be good in theory but who would buy it? There are hundreds of fine houses and properties for sale in Co. Sligo but very few people are buying due to the recession. I’d say it would be years on the market. Its very run down and a lot of money would need to be pumped into it … people don’t have that kind of money anymore.
Ok .As the money was originally left to the animals and not the SSPCA surely the shelter should be signed over to the new group. It is wicked that it is falling into disrepair when there are so many animals that need help. So much of that legacy has already been wasted.
I totally agree Julie. I’m hoping this post might catch the eye of someone able to do something.
I agree
You’d be surprised, we had a very old run down property. It sold within a month.
I remember reading about this bequest at the time and often wondered how it was disbursed. How very sad to hear that the property is lying idle when there is such a need for a place like this. I wonder who the executors/trustees are? Surely they have to be accountable for this situation.I can think of dozens of hard working rescues whose dream it would be to have a place like this. the sooner there is legislation in place to oversee spcas the better, they fundraise from the public so should be accountable to the public. So often they are shrouded in secrecy and ruled by a little clique who have very little understanding of animals and their welfare but love to have their committees and meetings and fundraisers. they never seem to achieve much unfortunately. Such a shame for the animals in sliigo that this has happened.
It is a real shame. I don’t like this whold committee business, as you say it’s a secret society. I’d love to know if there are still trustees out there? The poor woman must be turning in her grave.
I think it is time the secret society was sorted if i had money and left €250,000 in my will to have cats neutered and “it was used to buy land”
i would come back and sort those people out
Maybe the local press would take an interest? The legacy was given extensive publicity nationally at the time. If the Sligo spca has disbanded then there must be some provision for winding up this situation.As a previous poster said, the money was left to the animals, not the committee.There are many hard working people active in rescue with meagre resources who could benefit from this bequest
I contacted two local papers but didn’t hear anything back yet. I hope someone does pick up the story because something needs to be done.
maybe you could ask around among people who rescue what the situation is – they usually know or know of one another. Perhaps contacting Olive Mc kinley would be possible – if she’d cooperate? The other thing that strikes me is that a will is a public document so would be available to veiw. this might give some insight into the solicitor or the executors of the estate. wouldn any local politicians take an interest? It’s mad that the place is left to rot when there is such a need..
Olive McKinley is an executor!
is she part of sligo spca? or a friend of the lady who left thee bequest?
Olive is an executor and was also a director of the SSPCA. I believe the solicitor that was used was Damien Tansey in Sligo. The legacy was originally left for dealing with the cat problem in Sligo but was contested and changed to be for animal welfare in general!
Have any of the rescue centres approached Olive McKinley to ask about handing it over? Its quite possible that there is some written document held by solicitors to state that the premises can only be used for animal welfare. I’m sure it was not Annie Finnegan’s wish that it would be allowed to be abandoned. Maybe it just needs a new committee to come on board to run it?
If she left it to cats it should be used for cats it should be sold and use money for T/N/R why do people think the have the right to change somebody’s wishes and then leave it there to rot and expect me on welfare to feed their cats while the go on holidays i think ( i do not think i know ) it is time it was sorted
Do I understand correctly that Sligo SPCA contested the will to have it changed to animal welfare and not cat welfare as was intended? Wonder what that cost – and who benefitted? Certainly not the animals from the look of things.
I would love to know who was involved in that i was talking to daragh mulvey about it once he knew nothing about it
who is daragh mulvey?
Dara Mulvey is a local councillor. Sligo Today have picked up the story and it’s on their website: http://www.sligotoday.ie/details.php?id=21698
I have just read the above article on sligo todays website. It mentions that the former management has moved to Boyle. I hope that is not referring to me! I was a live-in volunteer with the SSPCA and left 8 years ago due to a difference in opinion on the meaning of ‘animal welfare’. I was not there when the will was changed and I was never a member of the committee. A new couple took over my position when I left for another 2 years then the property was abandoned. As I said earlier Olive McKinley is the executor of the will and therefore has control of what happens to the property perhaps someone should approach her.
Dreadful situation. Sligo Animal Rescue are struggling to help ALL animals while these assets are going to waste.
We need an agency like the UK’s Charities Commission to regulate charities and for all charities to publish annual accounts.
I totally agree Barry.
Just on the last comment there, we have a Charity Act as of 2009 but our government and previous governments choose to drag their heels over appointing a regulator. There have been lobbyists asking for a regulator and act since the 1970s in Ireland!
Such a shame to see the charity wind down and at a time when there are more and more animals in dire need as well.
Couldn’t agree more. All SPCAs need to be subject to scrutiny, they fund raise from the public so the public have every right to know how their money is being spent. The situation in Sligo is serious, I’m glad to see that Sligo today has picked up on it. Contacting local politicians to make them aware of the situation would be useful. It might also elicit some answers. The Sligo SPCA is just another in a long line of SPCAs that have a dubious record on accountability – look at the Cork SPCA, Limerick SPCA and the ISPCA. Time some of the powers that be asked these groups to account for themselves – and the animals they are supposed to be helping.
I think people should remember that there are two sides to every story before they start making random judgments about the SSPCA. How about asking someone from the SSPCA for their side of the story?
The SSPCA owe the people of Sligo an explanation for their behaviour.
The onus is on them to speak up, not wait for others to ask questions. By lying low, they are encouraging us to believe the worst of them.
I for one would love to hear the story from the SSPCA all i know is the house is lying there while i am trying to get some money to get a mobile home to have some where for my rescure kittens to sleep Please SSPCA put the story on here for everyone to read
As far as I’m aware Haz the SSPCA is disbanded. If you are connected with them please let us know the other side to the story.
Good luck in trying to get accountability from an SPCA. We certainly need a charity commissioner to take an active interest in what happens in these type organisations. I’m sure some of the hard working independent rescues in Sligo could put this premises to use and not let this generous legacy go to waste.
I think you will find that the once directors of the SSPCA has changed its status from a charity to a limited company!
According to the Journal “A GROUP OF Labour senators is planning to table a Private Members Motion this week calling for the full implementation of the 2009 Charities Act ” http://www.thejournal.ie/calls-for-accountability-and-regulation-in-the-charity-sector-597295-Sep2012/#comment-610798
I would not hold my breath but this sounds hopeful. If passed, it might help explain the mystery of the SSPCA and what it did with Annie Finnegan’s money.
Is Susan O’Keefe one of these Senators?
.We cannot afford NOT to regulate the chrity sector. Public money and donations field these groups and they need to be transparent – financailly and also account for their actions. This appaling situation with Sligo SPCA should not be left lying as it is. This situation needs to be regularised. Such a shame for the needy animals of Sligo that this generous legacy was so abused.
I emailed Senators Susan O’Keefe and John Whelan over the Labour motion on charities. Had a “thank you for your support” from John Whelan but no response from Susie.
Thanks for letting us know Barry.
Is there any news about the mystery of sspca ?
Somebody told me about the Change into a Ltd. Company.
Old Olive with 88 years is still the diroctor and when she dies the responsibility is going to S.P. from the donkey sanctuary.
The Money was left for neutering cats.
Is there nobody who can put a stop on this procedure ?!
No news at all Paddy. I was in touch with the local papers and no one covered it.
It is time it was sold and an HONEST person put in charge who will use the money for cats and dogs as it was left to not for themselves, not to buy land it would spay a lot of cats it is time the people of Sligo did something about it ,the donkey sanctuary is taking donkey after donkey and people are still breading donkeys it is easy to put an end to the donkey problem it anyone wanted to but cats need help it makes me so mad when i see a donkey foal
Is the sspca a registered charity or have they changed their status?
I don’t know Maura