Both parties pleaded guilty to charges of animal cruelty, failing to protect animals, and failing to provide animals with adequate food. The defendant also admitted an additional charge of obstructing an authorised officer.
Giving evidence in court, ISPCA Senior Inspector Fiona Conlon described how she called to the property that the defendant shares with his parents on Friday 28th July 2023 along with two dog wardens and a Garda. The visit was in response to a report of animal welfare concerns connected with illegal dog breeding that it was alleged was taking place there.
The court also heard that the defendant’s father was sentenced to three years’ imprisonment and banned from keeping dogs and horses for life in 2019 after admitting animal cruelty on a scale described by the presiding Judge as “biblical”. His mother was also convicted at that time, given a suspended sentence, and banned from keeping dogs for 15 years.
Ms Conlon described how she found dogs kept in dirty damp kennels, the walls of which were covered in moss. She said that the smell of ammonia was overpowering, the floors of the kennels were covered in faeces, and there was no bedding for the dogs or any clean drinking water.
Under caution, the defendant told Senior Inspector Conlon that the dogs were under his care and responsibility. He was uncooperative, refusing to confirm exactly who owned which dogs and obstructing efforts to seize dogs, falsely claiming that his vet was on the way to the property.
Two female Golden Retrievers in poor condition were ultimately seized, one of which was noticeably heavily pregnant but so weak that she could barely stand and had to be stretchered off the property. Conlon described her as being “like a skeleton with a big tummy”. Both dogs were also extremely nervous.
Ms Conlon described how a third dog, a Collie that was living in filth, was also being seized but that the defendant “grabbed the dog off the dog warden” and took it into his house, where she couldn’t reach it.
The aunt, who lived directly across the road from the defendant, later claimed ownership of the seized dogs, and admitted that the defendant was helping her care for them.
The aunt also claimed that she didn’t realise that one of the dogs was pregnant, and that she was not breeding them. She surrendered the two dogs into the care of the ISPCA. The heavily pregnant Retriever, named Sally, produced eleven puppies the day after she was removed from the property.
Sally was so underweight that she gained 6.8kgs over the following two weeks, whilst also feeding her puppies. The other dog, named Lulu, also gained 2.2kgs in the two weeks following her seizure. Both dogs and puppies thrived in ISPCA care, were rehabilitated and responsibly rehomed with loving families where they are now loved and cared for.
Passing sentence, Judge Carthy said that “This was one of the most serious animal cruelty cases to come through these doors” and that she was “not completely satisfied with the remorse of the defendant”.
She imposed a four-month prison sentence on the defendant and banned him from owning animals for life. He was also ordered to pay €600 to cover the legal costs of the ISPCA. The accused’s aunt was given a four-month suspended sentence, suspended for two years, a €1,000 fine and she was ordered to pay €600 to the ISPCA. She was also banned from owning any animals for life, other than a small dog that she currently owns.
The defendant is appealing his sentence.
Commenting on the case, ISPCA Senior Inspector Fiona Conlon said: “the dogs were living a life of pure misery and were not receiving a basic level of care, living in cold damp conditions and were suffering unnecessarily. We have a moral and a legal responsibility for the animals in our care and in this case, there was no regard for the welfare of these dogs. Sally was so underweight, she gained 6.8kgs in the two weeks following rescue whilst feeding her 11 puppies. Anyone thinking about getting a puppy please consider adopting but if buying give some thought and do your research as to how the mums are being kept”.
The ISPCA is issuing an urgent reminder in the run up to the festive season, urging the public to avoid buying puppies online and fuelling the demand of rogue breeder. Unscrupulous breeders exploit this demand, often breeding and selling sick, poorly cared-for animals under false pretences, purely for profit.
This Christmas, please support the ISPCA and be the miracle for animals in need. If you can, donate today https://ispca.ie/donations/ and help us save lives!
