Latest news with #DSPCA
The Journal
4 days ago
- The Journal
Man faces sentence after 'malnourished' Dobermann found living in small cage covered in faeces
A PANEL BEATER faces sentencing after animal welfare inspectors last year found his malnourished Dobermann confined in a squalid cage without fresh water, mired in her own excrement, at a Dublin property. Richard Vynsiauskas, originally from Lithuania but with a residential address at Old North Road, Coldwinters, failed to turn up for his scheduled hearing at Dublin District Court. Judge Anthony Halpin convicted him in his absence and issued a bench warrant to bring him before the court to be sentenced. He faces prosecution under the Animal Health and Welfare Act. It follows an inspection by the Dublin Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (DSPCA), which had to retrain the seven-year-old dog since renamed Delilah before she could be placed in a new home. DSPCA inspector Shane Lawlor told prosecutor Danny Comerford BL that he went to the property on 16 April last year following an allegation that the dog was cruelly treated. There was no one there when he arrived, and he found that the large Dobermann, weighing 45 kilograms, was kept in a six-foot by six-foot cage with a makeshift kennel inside and a broken shelter. The enclosure was covered in faeces and the court heard that 'the smell was extremely overpowering'. There was no clean water, and the dog came out of her kennel 'very scared' and was suffering mentally. He described the Dobermann as 'whale-eyed,' a term to describe a frightened and nervous dog. She was 'pacing around, constantly standing in her own faeces, nowhere to sit or eat without standing or lying in her own waste'. The conditions inside her kennel were the same. The inspector told Mr Comerford that his chief concern was that the animal had nowhere to move and was very scared. She looked malnourished and had inadequate shelter or space to express her behaviour. The accused agreed to surrender the dog. The DSPCA witness said a Dobermann, as an intelligent breed, responds well to training, but this dog was left 'to waste away'. That can lead to boredom and aggression, and it took the DSPCA just over six months to correct her behaviour before she could be re-homed. The court heard Vynsiauskas told him that he had 'no time' to look after or let the dog out. The judge also noted she was not micro-chipped, the owner had no licence, and she had never been brought to a vet. Photos of the dog's living conditions were furnished to the court. The accused could face a €5,000 fine and six-month imprisonment. Advertisement
BreakingNews.ie
4 days ago
- General
- BreakingNews.ie
Dog owner could face jail after 'scared, malnourished' pet found living in own filth
A man faces sentencing after animal welfare inspectors last year found his scared, malnourished Dobermann confined in a squalid cage without fresh water, mired in her own excrement, at a Dublin property. Richard Vynsiauskas, originally from Lithuania but with a residential address at Old North Road, Coldwinters, failed to turn up for his scheduled hearing at Dublin District Court on Friday. Advertisement Judge Anthony Halpin convicted him in his absence and issued a bench warrant to bring him before the court to be sentenced. He faces prosecution under the Animal Health and Welfare Act. It follows an inspection by the Dublin Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (DSPCA), which had to retrain the seven-year-old dog since renamed Delilah before she could be placed in a new home. DSPCA inspector Shane Lawlor told prosecutor Danny Comerford BL that he went to the property on April 16th last year following an allegation that the dog was cruelly treated. Advertisement There was no one there when he arrived, and he found that the large Dobermann, weighing 45kg, was kept in a six-foot by six-foot cage with a makeshift kennel inside and a broken shelter. The enclosure was covered in faeces and "the smell was extremely overpowering." There was no clean water, and the dog came out of her kennel "very scared" and was suffering mentally. He described the Dobermann as "whale-eyed," a term to describe a frightened and nervous dog. The enclosure was covered in faeces and 'the smell was extremely overpowering', the court was told. Photo: DSPCA She was "pacing around, constantly standing in her own faeces, nowhere to sit or eat without standing or lying in her own waste." The conditions inside her kennel were the same. Advertisement The inspector told Mr Comerford that his chief concern was that the animal had nowhere to move and was very scared. She looked malnourished and had inadequate shelter or space to express her behaviour. The accused agreed to surrender the dog. Ireland Judge orders 'destruction' of XL Bully dogs owned... Read More The DSPCA witness said a Dobermann, as an intelligent breed, responds well to training, but this dog was left "to waste away." That can lead to boredom and aggression, and it took the DSPCA just over six months to correct her behaviour before she could be re-homed. The court heard Vynsiauskas told him that he had "no time" to look after or let the dog out. The judge also noted she was not micro-chipped, the owner had no licence, and she had never been brought to a vet. Photos of the dog's living conditions were furnished to the court. The accused could face a €5,000 fine and six-month imprisonment.
Extra.ie
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Extra.ie
Fans thrilled as Kellie Harrington makes major career announcement
Double Olympic champion Kellie Harrington will present a live show about her life story at the Ambassador Theatre in Dublin on September 5 and 6. The boxer is set to recount her journey from growing up in inner-city Dublin to becoming a double Olympic gold medallist. The show will include a live interview segment conducted by Irish comedian and broadcaster PJ Gallagher, as well as live music. Harrington, who is from Portland Row in Dublin 1, is the first Irish woman in history to defend an Olympic title. The live show will explore her personal and athletic development, highlighting key moments such as competing for her first gold medal first in an empty arena during the Covid pandemic and then in front of a sold-out crowd at Roland Garros in Paris. Harrington announced her retirement from boxing after retaining the lightweight Olympic crown last summer. She now works part-time at St. Vincents Hospital and is involved with animal welfare efforts at the DSPCA. The event will take place over three sessions: Friday, September 5 at 7pm (18+), Saturday, September 6 at 1pm (open to all ages) and Saturday, September 6 at 7pm (18+). Prices start at 40.90 and tickets go on sale Friday, May 30 at 10am. You can find tickets through Ticketmaster.
RTÉ News
25-05-2025
- General
- RTÉ News
Concern pets becoming victims of domestic abuse
Pets are rarely considered as a barrier for those seeking to escape from domestic violence, but behind closed doors, they are often used by abusers to control their partners and their children. While pets have become an integral part of family life for many, the domestic violence charity Sonas is concerned that in some cases they have also become victims of domestic abuse. Sonas Head of Services Siobhán Ferguson said there are situations where children are forced to hit or slap animals, or pets are slapped and beaten in front of them by a parent. "We had an experience of a situation where the children were forced by the perpetrator to harm the animal and that was punishment for the children, to hit or slap the pet," she said. Studies have been conducted in the US and UK that demonstrate an association of animal abuse in households where there is reported domestic violence. In 2008, the Irish Vetinary Journal noted that while similar patterns of multiple forms of abuse could be found in Ireland, no Irish study had examined this aspect of intimate partner violence. Sonas has found that in domestic violence situations women are more reluctant to leave the home with children, if there are pets. The charity decided to take matters into its own hands and approached the Dublin Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (DSPCA) to see if it could help. The suggestion was a partnership that would see the DSPCA care for animals in situations where families flee domestic violence and enter refuge. DSPCA CEO Pat Watt agreed. He said: "We realised that, look, there's something we can do here. Alleviate that worry and provide shelter here for their pets until they're in a safe place, and then we can return them to the family, which is just a lovely role for us to play." Despite growing pressure on capacity in all animal shelters including at the DSPCA, it was viewed as manageable. "Our capacity fluctuates all the time, but we don't just have the capacity here, we have a pet hotel where we could accommodate pets. Also, we have a network of foster families who would take animals in on our behalf. So, we'll take care of them," he added. Sonas and the DSPCA have worked out all inevitabilities in getting pets to safety. Unmarked DSPCA vans are available to attend family homes and seize pets if necessary; families can also bring pets to refuge shelters before passing the animals over Sonas staff who will bring them to the DSPCA; or pets can be brought directly to DSPCA headquarters by families with the support of Sonas. The first pets arrived at the shelter on Friday after a family, including a number of children in a high risk situation, had to leave home in a hurry. The call came through to Ms Ferguson. She said: "...Unless there was somewhere for the dogs, a safe space, they weren't prepared to leave. So, that's a real concern for us because we've seen it so many times and we know that women and children are left in dangerous situations because they won't leave their dogs at home or their cats or whatever animals that they might have". The partnership has been a learning curve for everybody involved and while similar initiatives have been established in the UK, it is the first of its kind in Ireland. Sonas CEO David Hall believes it should be rolled out nationally. He said: "This is something that's being done for the east coast and absolutely must be rolled out on a national basis. This is a direct barrier for people living in an abusive relationship and we must remove all the barriers. "This is one such barrier where there is a safe place for animals to be left and cared for, whereby families can visit while here, so this has to done nationwide." Asked about the expectation of the new arrivals to the shelter on Friday evening, Mr Watt welcomed the fact there were two small dogs arriving together and assured that they would be well cared for. "Staff are very excited about it because it's a lovely extension of what we do. They would also admire the work of Sonas and the work they do. To play a role in that, is fantastic for them," he said.
Newsweek
21-05-2025
- General
- Newsweek
Hysterics at Shelter's Appeal To Adopt Cats Who Will 'Never Like You'
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. An animal rescue organization has gone viral for the unique way it shone a light on their less-loving pets for adoption. The Dublin Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (DSPCA), based in Ireland's capital, took to its Facebook page on May 14 and asked a simple question: "Are you looking for a cat who won't love you?" In a post alongside a photo of a cat hissing angrily at the camera, the society said it has cats available for adoption who "don't dream of cuddles and affection but of your absence and distance and to be left alone." Head of cat operations at DSPCA, Colm, who gave his first name only, told Newsweek: "We wanted to shine a light on a very special type of cat we sometimes have in our care—the ones we call 'Community Cats' or 'Inbetweeners'. "They're not quite feral, but not quite house pets either. These cats aren't big on affection, but they still rely on people for food and shelter." The social-media post went on to explain the cats need farmyards and stables "where they can live and judge you as they please." And in return, their new owners will receive "professional hissing, gifts of unwanted rodents, patrolling the land keeping everyone away, making those who do approach feel unwelcome, and more hissing." Staff members urged anyone interested in a cat who will "never like you or even try to make the effort" to get in touch. Colm told Newsweek the animals are "great cats, and each have their own quirky personalities." "The Facebook post was a fun way to highlight them and get people thinking differently about what it means to adopt," Colm said. And it worked, as the appeal raked up more than 1,500 likes. Dozens shared their own stories, with one user writing: "I adopted a cat from DSPCA as a pair and was told he was unlikely to be affectionate—was a teddy bear after a year and couldn't get enough cuddles!" Another said: "As the proud servant of 5 of these cats, I can HIGHLY recommend them. Two of them have learned to tolerate me and allow pets and cuddles, one allows brief pets if food is involved and two will try to eat your hand clean off your arm if you try." "We tried that with a hostile feral cat, and within a few short years he was sleeping in our bed on the pillow under the duvet, purring away," a third said, as one comment read: "A cat wrote this." Colm said the reaction to the unique adoption advert has been "fantastic," and "lots of people have already reached out, saying they didn't even know cats like this were available for adoption. "We're currently working through a number of inquiries, which is brilliant, especially as we have a couple of these cats ready for homes and more expected soon." Stock image: An outdoor cat looks at the camera with its eyes narrowed and mouth open. Stock image: An outdoor cat looks at the camera with its eyes narrowed and mouth cats are popular in rural communities in the United States, too, and are usually feral or semi-social cats—who are used to people but have no interest in interacting with them. Social cats do not usually make good barn cats, as they would adapt better to being an indoor cat or pet, according to an article from PetMD. Colm said their "community cats" can be a "great option for the right home—especially rural settings, farms, or stables—where their natural hunting instincts are appreciated for rodent control." "While they may not want to sit on your lap, they're lovely to have around," he said. "Over time, they'll often follow you at a distance, and there's something really rewarding about giving them a safe place to live while letting them be exactly who they are." Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to life@ with some details about your best friend, and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup
