30-05-2025
Court: Woman fined €15,000 and banned from owning animals for life
A circuit court judge has banned a woman from owning animals for life and ordered her to pay €15,000 in costs as a result of 'one of the most appalling cases brought before him'.
Karen Sanderson (68) with an address in England, and formerly of The Stables, Templelusk, Avoca, Co. Wicklow, was given a four-and-a-half year suspended prison sentence, banned from owning animals for life, and ordered to pay €15,000 in costs at Bray Circuit Court yesterday (Thursday May, 29).
Sanderson had previously pleaded guilty to ten charges, under sections 11, 12 and 13 of the Animal Health and Welfare Act 2013 (AHWA).
It marked the final chapter in the case which originated from a complaint to the Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ISPCA) helpline in 2016.
Court
As a result of the call a total of 43 animals were removed from Karen Sanderson's rented property on November 18, 2016.
ISPCA chief inspector, Conor Dowling, told Bray Circuit Court that when he called to the property Sanderson had rented near Avoca he saw five underweight horses in a dirty yard and mucky arena.
In stables off the same yard, he also found a wild boar in a 'filthy stable and a pig that was unable to stand in another'.
The court was told that neither of the animals had access to water or a clean lying area.
In three other stables twelve dogs were discovered living in squalid conditions, with no bedding or water.
Inspector Dowling also told the court that there was a 'horrendous smell' from the stables and how he saw ripped up remains of dog food bags scattered around.
He also detailed that a german shepherd housed in a group of five dogs was only days away from whelping and that she later produced nine puppies, some of which were deformed and none of which survived.
The inspector outlined how another dog was an aged Mastiff with chronic osteoarthritis and an old injury, rendering one of his legs useless.
Euthanised
Bray Circuit Court was told that this dog was euthanised approximately a week later, on veterinary advice.
ISPCA chief inspector also described to the court that when he visited Karen Sanderson's rented property on November 18, 2016 he had proceeded up a metal stair to the door of a loft dwelling.
He said that the stair and the roof of the building were covered in dog faeces and that he formed the opinion that excrement was being thrown out of Velux windows in the roof.
When he knocked on the door of the dwelling, he heard more barking and shouting noises from inside, and decided to request assistance garda assistance.
The court was told that gardaí arrived at the scene and made contact with the accused, Karen Sanderson.
The ISPCA chief inspector then described how, when the door of the dwelling was opened, dogs came 'spilling' down the stairs.
A further 31 dogs, including some giant breeds, were found living in on the property in what the Inspector described a, 'a stressful and chaotic environment'.
Inspector Dowling said that there was faecal matter on every surface in the dwelling, and the stench of ammonia was so strong that according to the ISPCA it hurt his eyes and made it difficult for him to breathe.
He described how there was a pool of urine in the hallway and a video was played for the court in which the accused tried to claim that the dogs had just urinated when the investigators had called at the door.
The court was also shown photographs of a selection of animals including a Cocker Spaniel that could not use its hind legs and was dragging itself through the soiled environment, and a Mastiff which had an injury to its toe so severe that some of the bone was protruding, and the dog was gnawing at the exposed bone.
The Mastiff required surgery to amputate its toe.
It was agreed that most of the animals needed to be removed from the premises immediately, and chief inspector Dowling enlisted the help of Wicklow SPCA, Wicklow Dog Pound, the Irish Horse Welfare and Trust and Dogs Trust, in removing the animals.
A veterinary practitioner attended the scene and recommended that a pig that could not stand, be euthanised to prevent further suffering.
The court was also told that subsequent veterinary examinations of the animals removed from the premises revealed a catalogue of health issues including injuries, flea infestation, ear mites, worms, skin irritation, matted and soiled coats, ear infections, chronic arthritis, cherry eye, mud fever and rain scald.
Inspector Dowling said that, while the pig and the two geriatric Mastiffs were euthanised, the majority of the animals had made full recoveries.
On sentencing, Judge Patrick Quinn described the case as, 'one of the most appalling cases brought before him', and said that all the offending was at the upper end in terms of gravity.
He also questioned how it got this far, and how no one could notice what was going on, not just for the animals but for the defendant too.
Judge Quinn said that the accumulation of more and more animals in the space of three or four years would have contributed to the defendant being overwhelmed to the point that she could not cope and became a welfare concern for the animals as well as a mental health issue for herself.
Judge Quinn handed down a suspended sentence of four and a half years for each count, to run concurrently, and banned the woman from owning animals for life; she was also ordered to pay €15,000 in costs, to be paid within twelve months as a condition of the bond.
ISPCA
Commenting on the outcome of the case, Conor Dowling, ISPCA chief inspector said he was relieved that it had reached a successful conclusion with the animal owner held accountable before the courts.
'We are always mindful of working with vulnerable people, but our priority is for the welfare of the animals involved.
'This situation should never have been allowed to develop as it did, where animals were left to suffer.
'Anyone who chooses to keep animals has both a legal and moral responsibility to adequately care for them, and if you are unable to do so, you should seek help,' he added.
The ISPCA wants anyone who has suspicions of animal cruelty, neglect or abuse to report this on its confidential National Animal Cruelty Helpline by calling 0818 515 515, emailing helpline@ or via its website.
