The Judge said that a period in custody was “the only appropriate” outcome for what she described as an “extremely serious offence”. The defendant pleaded guilty to six counts under the Animal Health and Welfare Act 2013 in relation to dogs he was breeding in kennels behind his home.
The court heard how ISPCA Chief Inspector Conor Dowling called to the defendant’s premises in January 2024. Along with local dog wardens he found a total of 11 German Shepherd dogs, one of which was deceased, living in kennels that were described as well constructed but poorly maintained.
The kennels were filthy with excrement, and some dogs had no beds. They were forced to lie on the soiled concrete resulting in their coats being contaminated. The dogs were visibly underweight, and some younger dogs had anatomical abnormalities due to nutritional deficiencies. Five of the nine kennels had no water source and the dogs in the other kennels had access only to dirty water. When some of the dogs were released from their kennel they sought out any water to satisfy their thirst.
Subsequent veterinary examinations found that four of the dogs had body condition scores of 1.5/9 or less which was classed as emaciated. The vet was of the opinion that the dogs had been housed in “inappropriate living conditions”, were “severely underfed”, and that they had “suffered considerably”.
The court was told that the defendant’s mother was on the scene and that Chief Inspector Dowling spoke to the defendant over the phone at which time he was cautioned and said that things had been “a bit rough” the past couple of months and that he was “having a hard time with the young fella”. The Inspector subsequently made several attempts to contact the accused to obtain a full statement, but the accused failed to engage.
The court also heard that while the dogs were surrendered, such was the extent of rehabilitation required, the total cost to the ISPCA amounted to over €22,000. Three of the dogs died or were euthanised due to the severity of their conditions.
In mitigation, defence solicitor Damien Coffey said that his client took “absolute responsibility” for his failure to give the dogs the care they “needed and deserved”. Character references were submitted to the court, as were documents pertaining to an injury suffered by the accused in October 2023, and an autism diagnosis for his son in 2022.
Photographs were also presented to the court showing the defendant’s dogs in 2023 which Mr Coffey said were “in stark contrast” to those presented by the prosecution. He said that there had been a rapid deterioration in the defendant’s personal circumstances but that his client had a “genuine love for animals”.
On passing sentence, Judge Kiernan said that she was sympathetic to the defendant’s circumstances but that such behaviour “can not be tolerated”. She sentenced the accused to three months imprisonment, ordered that he pay combined ISPCA and legal costs of €23,869.92, and imposed a 10 year disqualification order saying the “particular circumstances of this case warrant how I have dealt with it”.
Commenting on the case, Chief Inspector Dowling said “We all experience difficulties and challenges in life, but that can not absolve us of our responsibilities to care for animals that we have chosen to have in our care. Domestic animals are completely reliant on the people who care for them, those people have a duty to do so, and today’s outcome demonstrates that there can be severe consequences for those who fail in that regard”.
If you can, please support the ISPCA by making a life-saving donation today to help rescue more animals from appalling situations just like this one: https://ispca.ie/donations/
The ISPCA urges the public to continue reporting any suspicions of animal cruelty or neglect to its National Animal Cruelty Helpline by calling 0818 515 515, email [email protected] or report online here: https://ispca.ie/report-cruelty/
