FAQs

Dogs Trust understand that sunset or the evening may not work for everyone’s schedule so you can organise your regional or solo walk at any time that suits you. All the funds you raise will support our work of rescuing, rehabilitating & rehoming dogs across Ireland.

Every donation and every step taken during The Big Paws with Dogs Trust will help to provide a cosy bed, veterinary care, nutritious food and, above all, love to dogs urgently in need. Your generosity directly contributes to creating a brighter future for these deserving furry friends.

Outside of the official ‘The Big Paws with Dogs Trust’ national event, Dogs Trusts will be the grateful benefactors of any event organised, but they are not involved in organising the walks associated with ‘The Big Paws with Dogs Trust’ and will have no responsibility for any injury or loss arising from this activity.

If you are organising a regional, local, or solo activity please ensure that all necessary precautions are taken. Dogs Trust cannot accept any liability for the wellbeing of those taking part.

National Event

Our national event is dog friendly and dog tickets are available for these. However, in the interest of safety and comfort for all, the number of dog tickets are limited. If you’re interested in bringing your dog along to the event, please ensure they are well behaved, and comfortable around other dogs, people, and large crowds. We’ve provided a  handy flowchart to help you assess whether your dog may or may not enjoy attending The Big Paws with Dogs Trust national event.

At our official The Big Paws with Dogs Trust national event, dogs must be kept on a lead held by an adult. Please be considerate of other attendees as some may not be comfortable around all dogs and ensure that you pick up after your dog on the walk.

Note: Please do not bring your dog to the national event without a dog ticket, as entry is not guarenteed.

Regional Events

Please contact the regional event organiser to see if your dog can attend this walk with you. They may have limited dog spaces. Our handy flowchart will help you decide whether a group walk with other dogs and people is something that your dog may enjoy. 

National Events

The Big Paws with Dogs Trust national event is family friendly and is suitable for children to attend once you have booked a child’s ticket(s). The walk will be roughly 3.5km long, in case you need to bring along a buggy for little legs that might get tired.

However, as there will be lots of other people and dogs at this event, they may not be suitable for children who are anxious around dogs or who find large groups of people overwhelming. If your child is anxious around dogs, we have resources available which may help. Check  out www.BeDogConfident.ie for more information.

If you feel that your child wouldn’t be comfortable on the bigger walk, why not check out a regional walk in your area, or organise your own family walk?😊

Regional Events

Please contact the regional event organiser to see if their registered event is suitable for children to attend.

At Dogs Trust, we understand the feelings of sadness that are felt when you say goodbye to your best friend. They are perfectly normal as you bid farewell to the dog who played such a huge role in your daily life. What can be even tougher, is feeling misunderstood by those who have not had the privilege to experience this love or known such a devastating loss. Often, there is no safe space to talk, to cry, to ‘paws’ and reflect of the imprint left on you forever.

If you do not feel ready to attend The Big Paws with Dogs Trust, or are concerned that your dog may cross the rainbow bridge soon, you can visit our website, www.DogsTrust.ie/NotJustADog to for supportive information.

At Dogs Trust, we understand that when your best friend passes away it can lead to feelings of loneliness and grief. Experiencing these feelings is perfectly normal as you bid farewell to the dog who played such a huge role in your daily life.

The Dogs Trust Legacy Garden is a beautiful place where you can go to remember and pay tribute to your best friend. A place where you know you're amongst friends who understand the sadness you're feeling. And it's here that we hand your specially engraved name tag honouring your dog, ensuring their memory can live on.

For more information, or to honour your friend with a dog tag, visit www.DogsTrust.ie/LovedForever

Sometimes it can be hard to understand the feelings of grief another person goes through. Our #NotJustADog campaign approaches the subject of grief when losing a furry best friend and may help you to understand. Read more on our website www.DogsTrust.ie/NotJustADog

The Dogs Trust Legacy Garden is a beautiful place where someone can go to remember and pay tribute to the dogs who have left a pawprint on their hearts. A place where they know they are amongst friends who understand the sadness they are feeling. You can purchase a specially engraved name tag honouring their dog, ensuring their memory can live on. For more information, or to honour a dog with a tag, visit www.DogsTrust.ie/LovedForever

We want to make The Big Paws enjoyable and accessible to as many walkers as possible. We know people who have lost a dog may be at various stages of grief so you can choose to walk with others or walk alone to remember that special friend.

National Walk

Check back on August 21st, for more information on the magical event being planned. Join us and celebrate that special bond with other dog lovers who have experienced the same loss. We will come together to remember our four-legged friends and mark the incredible effect they have on our lives.

National Walk


Regional Walks

There are people nationwide who felt the unconditional love of a furry best friend and felt their lives light up with joy when seeing their waggy tail. If this sounds like you, and you want to commemorate the special paw print they left on your heart, why not gather your special community of dog lovers and organise a walk in your local area to ‘paws’, celebrate and remember together on September 30^th.

If you are interested in hosting a regional event, please get in touch here. We would love to hear from you!
 

Regional Walks


Solo Walkers

If you feel that you are not yet ready to share your grief with others or if you would rather commemorate your four-legged friend on their favourite walking route, you can still take part in The Big Paws with Dogs Trust. Your individual participation is as special as everyone else who is coming together on September 30th and, on the day, we will connect you with dog lovers nationwide in the collective memory of our most special canine companions.

Please click here to take part individually and we will get your pack for The Big Paws with Dogs Trust out to you in the post.

Solo Walkers

There are no tickets attached to local events however we would appreciate a donation to support our work in rescuing, rehabilitating & rehoming dogs across Ireland. By donating, the memory of your best friend will live on forever and make tails wag every day.

The organiser of your local event will share a fundraising link if you want to donate online.

There are no tickets attached to solo events however we would appreciate a donation when you sign up to support our work in rescuing, rehabilitating & rehoming dogs across Ireland. By donating, the memory of your best friend will live on forever and make tails wag every day.

If you can’t make it to the Malahide Caslte event but would still like to take part in the day with others - how about a local walk? We are delighted to work with local organisers to bring this special commemoration to as many dog-lovers across the country as possible.

To take part in a walk near you, check out all the local events that have signed up so far here. You will see the organisers’ contact details listed, please phone or email them to book your place.

We hope for more organisers to get in touch over the coming weeks and we will be updating this page with their details, so please check back soon if none suit you now.

If you purchased your ticket on or after Monday the 25^th of September, your pack will be available for collection at the event.

Thank you so much for your interest in The Big Paws, we would be delighted to have your group take part in this special commemoration walk. If you would like to organise a walk for a group of friends and family or for your wider community, please follow this link. If you would like to register a group of colleagues, please let us know here.

Thank you for your interest in hosting a local walk to celebrate The Big Paws with Dogs Trust. Our canine friends leave giant paw prints on our hearts when they pass, so we would love to have you on board to help bring this special new commemoration to dog lovers nationwide. Please click here to register your interest. We will call you in the following days to tell you more about what will be involved in running a local event.

We have a range of opportunities for your company to get involved in this year's The Big Paws with Dogs Trust, such as event sponsorship, support, corporate volunteering, or product sponsorship. If your company would like to get involved this year, please contact Ailbhe White, Partnerships Manager at Ailbhe.White@DogsTrust.ie to learn more.

Are you looking to host your own The Big Paws with Dogs Trust event through your company, organisation, or business? We would love for you and your colleagues to get involved this year. Why not host a lunch time walk or gather in your local park or walkway. To register your interest or to learn more about how you and your company can take part, please email Louise Regazzoli  louise.regazzoli@dogtrust.ie.

We would be delighted to have your school take part! Please contact education@dogstrust.ie for information on how your school can get involved.

When you sign up to organise a local walk, we will call you to arrange delivery of your pack. This will include materials to help you promote your walk, such as posters, bunting and more!

Thank you for your interest in supporting The Big Paws with Dogs Trust, your support means so much to dogs and pups that need a second chance at happiness.

There are a number of ways you can support the cause and event.

You can organise your own regional The Big Paws with Dogs Trust walk for your community or family/friends and raise vital funds for dogs in need.

Regional Walk

You can take part as a solo walker by donating as much as you wish.Information on this special event is coming soon.

Solo Walkers

Or, if you would like to support Ireland’s abandoned and forgotten dogs without taking part in a walk, you can click here. Thank you so much for your incredible support.

Of course! If you would like to support Ireland’s abandoned and forgotten dogs without taking part in a walk, you can click here to donate.

For sure! Whether you are raising money through a local walk or with friends and family, please name your fundraising page clearly so we know that your efforts are to celebrate The Big Paws with Dogs Trust.