The Minister for Agriculture, Mary Coughlan, has appealed to parents and others to be aware of the number of animals abandoned after Christmas when the novelty of having a pet has worn off.
Repeating the adage that "a pet is for life, not just for Christmas", the Minister said significant progress had been made drafting a new Animal Health and Welfare Bill.
She said the legislation would make provision for the proper protection of animal welfare.
There would also be significant increases in the penalties for offenders as well as consolidation of responsibility for the welfare of all animals.
She was announcing a 25 per cent increase from her budget to 107 animal welfare organisations.
The groups will receive €1.46 million this Christmas to help them with their work. Since 1985 the department has paid out more than €8.6 million.
The full list of organisations to receive funding is: Ability Dogs, Co Cork, €3,000; Animal Help Net, Co Kerry, €3,000; Animals In Need, Co Donegal, €10,000; Animal Rescue, Skibbereen, Co Cork, €5,000; Animal Trust Fund, Co Sligo, €5,000.
Ash Animal Sanctuary, Co Wicklow, €15,000; Audrey Quinn, Edenderry, Co Offaly, €3,000; Avalon Greyhound Sanctuary, Woodford, Co Galway, €10,000.
Bilberry Goat Heritage Trust, Waterford, €3,000 and Breda & Geraldine Carolan, Kells, Co Meath, €3,000.
Carlow Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA), €15,000; Cats Aid, Dublin, €15,000; Cavan SPCA, €15,000; Clare Animal Welfare, Ennis, €15,000; Clare SPCA, Clonoghan, €10,000; Clifden Animal Rescue, Co Galway, €3,000 and Clondalkin Animal Aid, Dublin, €10,000.
Collon Animal Sanctuary, Co Louth, €20,000; Cork Animal Care Society, €20,000; Cork Cat Action Group, €10,000; Cork Dog Action Welfare Group, €3,000 and Cork SPCA, €25,000.
Cottage Rescue, Co Tipperary, €5,000; Cry for Help Cattery, Co Westmeath, €5,000; Dog Rescue Ireland, Dublin, €15,000; Dogs in Distress, Dunboyne, Co Meath, €5,000 and Dogs Aid Animal Sanctuary, Dublin, €5,000.
Donegal Pet Rescue €20,000; Drogheda Animal Rescue, Co Louth, €20,000; Dublin Animal Rescue Group, €3,000; Dublin SPCA, €100,000 and Dungarvan SPCA, Co Waterford, €15,000.
East Galway Animal Rescue, €3,000; Enniscorthy SPCA, Co Wexford, €15,000; Florence O'Connor, Co Kerry, €3,000 and Friends of Animal Rescue Centre, Co Westmeath, €20,000.
Galway SPCA, €25,000; Glansillagh Animal Rescue, Co Cork, €3,000; Hillview Animal Sanctuary, Cork, €10,000 and Inistioge Puppy Rescue, Co Kilkenny, €10,000.
Irish All Pure Bred Rescue, Co Tipperary, €5,000; Irish Horse Protection League, Co Wicklow, €10,000; Irish Horse Welfare Trust, Co Wicklow, €20,000, Irish Raptor Research Centre, Sligo, €10,000; Irish Seal Sanctuary, Co Dublin €10,000 and ISPCA, Longford, €100,000.
Joan's ARC, Glengevlin, Co Cavan, €5,000; Kerry SPCA, €20,000; Kerry Greyhound Connection, Beaufort, Co Kerry, €5,000; Kildare and West Wicklow SPCA, €15,000; Kilkenny SPCA, €10,000 and Kilmeady Lodge Animal Sanctuary, Co Cork, €5,000.
Laois SPCA, €15,000; Last Hope Animal Charity, Navan, Co Meath, €5,000; Leitrim Animal Welfare Trust, €25,000; Leitrim SPCA, €15,000; Limerick Animal Welfare, €20,000; Limerick SPCA, €15,000; Longford SPCA, €20,000 and Louth SPCA, €25,000. MADRA, Co Galway, €3,000; Mayo Animal Welfare, Westport, €5,000; Mayo Cat Rescue, €3,000; Mayo SPCA, €10,000; Meath SPCA, €20,000 and Monaghan SPCA, €25,000.
New Ross SPCA, €15,000; North County Dublin SPCA, €20,000; North West SPCA, Co Mayo, €15,000 and North Wexford SPCA, Gorey, €10,000.
Offaly SPCA, €20,000; PAWS Animal Rescue, Co Tipperary, €25,000; Petwatch Co Ltd, Dublin, €15,000; Renvyle Animal Rescue Group, Co Galway, €3,000; Roscommon SPCA, €10,000 and Roscrea SPCA, €15,000.
Sathya Sai Sanctuary Trust for Nature, Sligo, €10,000; Safe Haven, Co Offaly, €5,000; Second Chance Animal Rescue (SCAR), Co Clare, €3,000; Sligo Dog Welfare Services, €5,000; Sligo SPCA, €20,000 and South East Birds of Prey Centre, Co Wexford, €3,000.
St Francis Animal Sanctuary, Co Sligo, €3,000; St Francis Dispensary for Sick and Injured Animals, Dublin, €10,000; Athlone & West Midlands SPCA, Co Westmeath, €15,000 and Cats Protection Association of Ireland, Dublin, €20,000.
The Daisy Fund, Co Kerry, €10,000; Donkey Sanctuary, Cork, €50,000; Equus Foundation, Co Kildare, €3,000; Inner City Cat Rescue Group, Dublin, €3,000; Irish Blue Cross, Dublin, €40,000; Sunset Appeal, Co Wexford, €5,000 and Tigger Trust, Kerry, €5,000.
Tipperary Friends of Animals, Nenagh, €15,000; Tipperary SPCA, €15,000; Tralee Animal Welfare Group, €10,000; Traveller Animal Welfare Help & Advice, Co Wicklow, €3,000 and Tryfanberg Animal Rescue, Westport, Co Mayo, €3,000.
Waterford SPCA, €20,000; West Cork Animal Welfare Group, €20,000; Westmeath SPCA, €10,000; Westown Animal Shelter, Co Kildare, €10,000; Wexford SPCA, €25,000; Wexford Pet Helpers, Enniscorthy, €3,000; Whiskers New Park Animal Sanctuary, Co Galway, €15,000; Wicklow SPCA, €25,000 and Wildlife Rescue, Co Cork, €3,000.