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BreakingNews.ie
24-07-2025
- BreakingNews.ie
Wicklow woman (22) disqualified from keeping animals for 30 years
Sarah Cullen (22) with an address at Asgard Close, Arklow, Co Wicklow, has been banned from keeping animals for 30 years after entering guilty pleas to four offences under the Animal Health and Welfare Act (AHWA) 2013. The offences include one of obstructing an authorised officer. Advertisement Arklow District Court heard evidence from ISPCA chief inspector Conor Dowling, who described how he called to the defendant's home on Tuesday, April 9th, 2024, in response to a report received from a concerned member of the public. He spoke with Ms Cullen, who brought two dogs to the front door, a black and white Collie named 'Sky', and a six-month-old Golden Retriever pup named "Romeo'. Inspector Dowling said that he could immediately see that both dogs were in poor condition and told how he picked up the Collie and was alarmed at how light she was. He said he could feel every bone in her body and described her as 'a bag of bones'. The inspector made the decision that he was going to bring both dogs for veterinary assessment and would seize them if necessary but, while he loaded the Collie into his vehicle, the accused brought the Retriever pup into the house and would not permit the inspector access to it. Advertisement The court heard that Dowling advised the defendant that he would seek a search warrant to gain access to the dog if necessary but that she seemed more concerned about who had made the report and said that she wanted to make a complaint about the officer. Mr Dowling told how he gave the accused a business card and advised how she could go about making a complaint. He added that, as he left the property, Ms Cullen said 'I'll have your job you f***ing c***'. Sky was taken to a local vet where she was found to weigh just 7.5kg, but veterinary records showed that she had been presented for vaccination two years prior, at which time she was almost double that weight, at 14.8kg. The vet assigned her a body condition score of one out of five and described her as 'skin and bone'. Photo: ISPCA Inspector Dowling described how he obtained a search warrant the following morning, on April 10th, 2024, and returned to Asgaard Close accompanied by gardaí. Advertisement Contact was made with the defendant, and it was established that she and the Retriever pup Romeo were at her sister's home. The officials proceeded to that address and the second dog was seized. The inspector said that the pup's belly appeared swollen and he formed the opinion that he had been fed a lot since the previous day. The pup vomited during the journey to the vets producing a large volume of barely digested dog food. On veterinary examination Romeo was found to weigh 13.5kg. Vet records showed that he had lost 2.9kg in the previous 11 weeks despite being a growing pup. The vet noted muscle wastage on the back legs of the dog, said that the dog should weigh over 20kg, and described him as 'skin and bone'. Mr Dowling told of how he later conducted an interview under caution with the defendant during which she offered no real explanation for the condition of the dogs. Advertisement She claimed that Sky the Collie was a picky eater and acknowledged that she had noticed they were losing weight but claimed to not think it was as severe as it was. The court heard that both dogs increased in weight over the following three weeks without any medical treatment. Sky almost doubled in weight, increasing from 7.5kg back to her previous weight of 14.8kg, and Romeo gained 25 per cent of his initial weight, from 13.5kg to 18kg. Both dogs recovered fully and were subsequently surrendered and rehomed. Photo: ISPCA Under cross examination inspector Dowling confirmed that, other than the poor physical condition, there were no other signs of neglect or abuse. When asked by Judge David Kennedy whether the dog's coats were dirty indicating that they had been living in a poor environment, the inspector said that was not the case. In mitigation, the defendant's history of depression and anxiety disorders was highlighted as was her difficult upbringing. The court heard that she 'panicked' when the ISPCA inspector arrived and that she was 'sorry for her behaviour'. Advertisement On passing sentence, Judge Kennedy wondered 'how it got so bad' and said that he would have thought that the defendant's family 'would have been some guidance'. He imposed a 30-year disqualification from keeping all animals, imposed a nominal €500 fine, and ordered that Ms Cullen pay €2,620.35 in ISPCA costs. 'The poor physical condition of Sky in particular was really concerning' commented Chief Inspector Dowling, 'for a dog to be half of its ideal body weight is exceptional. "I'm relieved that I got there in time because I'm not sure how much longer she would have gone on for. Romeo's future development could have been severely compromised from being deprived of nutrition at such a young age. "Thankfully, due to the wonderful work of our animal care staff, both have recovered fully and are enjoying life in their new homes'.
The Irish Sun
29-04-2025
- General
- The Irish Sun
Horror as over 200 animals that were ‘crammed into tiny spaces' removed from ‘out of control' situation at Irish house
OVER 200 animals have been removed from a house over welfare concerns. Some 25 dogs, 95 rabbits, 58 guinea pigs, 22 hamsters, four mice, one terrapin, one turtle and one corn snake were taken away from a property in 4 There were over 25 Cavalier King Charles Spaniels living in the kitchen of the house Credit: ISPCA Handout 4 The animals taken from the property include 58 guinea pigs and 22 hamsters Credit: ISPCA HANDOUT And when Inspector McCormack arrived at the house, he was 'shocked' by the scale of the animal overpopulation mayhem. The ISPCA official today revealed how animals of various species were being bred and also retained at the gaff, with overcrowding spiralling out of control A massive 25 Cavalier King Charles Spaniels - including four puppies - were found living in the kitchen of the house alone. READ MORE IRISH NEWS In an outside shed, there were large numbers of rabbits, guinea pigs and hamsters confined in rusty cages stacked on top of each other. The shed was dark with little natural light and ventilation was poor. And in addition to the pet animals in the shed, wild mice were also living there and burrowing through the straw. Stunned Inspector McCormack was forced to call on colleagues for support, with a large-scale rescue operation mounted involving MOST READ ON THE IRISH SUN The ISPCA said 'the people involved fully acknowledged that the numbers of animals had gotten out of control and had become too much for them'. Moment woman punches man who 'was beating donkey' at tourist site before chasing him with whip as he tries to flee The charity added: 'They cooperated fully with the removal of the animals and complied with all instructions given by ISPCA Inspectors.' Subsequent veterinary examinations found that several of the small animals had respiratory issues, their nails were overgrown and one of the rabbits had to have faeces caked on its back end clipped away. Sadly, two of the rabbits had neurological issues and were euthanised on veterinary advice. 'SHOCK TO SEE' Chief Inspector Conor Dowling admitted he was glad his team could intervene to rescue the animals. Chief Insp Dowling said: 'It was a shock to see so many animals crammed into tiny spaces and cages that were not fit for purpose. 'Most of the small animals lived their lives in a dark, dirty mouse infested shed with insufficient room to hop around and exhibit natural behaviour. 'The situation should never have been allowed to get so out of hand but thankfully we were able to intervene before the physical health of the animals deteriorated further. 'Our priority is the welfare of the animals involved, but we also must be mindful of working with vulnerable people. 'We encourage members of the public to continue reporting any animal welfare concerns to our helpline'. 4 Animals of various species were being bred, and also retained Credit: ISPCA Handout 4 Inspector McCormack discovered a serious animal overpopulation and overcrowding problem Credit: ISPCA HANDOUT
