At a recent sitting of Cork City District Court, Sheila Casey, (68), Rathcormac, Co Cork, pleaded guilty to five counts related to the neglect of a Norwegian Elkhound which caused unnecessary suffering to the animal at Ryefield East, Carrignavar, Co Cork, in September 2023.
The charges related to a Norwegian Elkhound that was seized by the ISPCA in September 2023. The dog was given the name of Dusty by its rescuers.
In her evidence to the court, ISPCA Inspector Caroline Faherty described viewing the dog at a derelict property in Ryefield East, Co. Cork on 29th September 2023.
The dog had significant hair loss all down his back, his rump, legs and tail due to an untreated lice infestation. Its skin was pigmented black, which she said suggested that the hair loss was going on for a long time.
The Inspector said that she had difficulty telling what breed the dog was due to the hair loss and the remaining hair being a strange colour.
Ms Faherty told how the pen in which the dog was housed was filthy with faeces, dirt and old straw.
There were two kennels in the pen containing wet dirty straw which took up a lot of space in the pen leaving very little room to move around.
There were approximately seven vessels in the pen all containing dirty, green, murky looking water.
She said that the pen was difficult to access due to nettles and briars, and it was obvious that the dog hadn’t been out of the pen in a very long time, as weeds had grown over the fencing making it impossible to move.
Inspector Faherty made the decision to seize the dog and had to use bolt cutters to gain access to the pen.
Following a veterinary examination, it was discovered that in addition to the existing skin condition, the dog was underweight and had suffered muscle loss as a result of his confinement.
An ISPCA investigation in which Ms Casey was spoken to under caution revealed that her brother originally owned the dog and it was kept at a derelict property some distance from her home.
The animal was visited by her to feed it, but she admitted that she did not seek veterinary treatment. She expressed that the view, “I won’t lie that was the way I was brought up with dogs”.
Judge Philip O’Leary described it as “a shocking case” and said he was thankful that the dog had made a full recovery “thanks to the ISPCA”.
He disqualified Ms Casey from keeping dogs for life, ordered that she pay €2,439.68 in ISPCA costs and €2,000 in legal costs, and imposed a fine of €250.
Inspector Faherty commented: “Dusty was a senior dog at the time of his rescue and had spent most of his 13-year-life confined in that dirty pen. I am delighted that, through the intervention of the ISPCA, he has been able to live the life he should have always lived in his old age”.
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