Lifetime animal ownership ban for Carlow woman.
At Carlow District Court (16th July), Seeta O’Neill of Maple Court, Phelimstown, Tullow, Co. Carlow was sentenced to five months imprisonment, suspended for 18 months. A lifetime animal ownership ban was imposed and O’Neill gave an undertaking in court that, in her lifetime, there would be no animals on her premises.
The case was previously before Judge Geraldine Carthy on 3rd April last when the defendant admitted eight charges under sections 12, 13 and 19 of the Animal Health and Welfare Act 2013 (AHWA).
At that time, the court heard evidence from ISPCA Senior Inspector Fiona Conlon who described calling to the defendant’s property on 28th February 2024.
She discovered three dogs in total. Two of the dogs, a Jack Russell called Jack, and a Yorkshire terrier dog called Sasha, were in extremely bad condition.The third, described as “a tiny little Yorkshire Terrier dog” and previously known as Bella, was already deceased. The dogs were living outside, with no evidence of any food or water.
Dogs Removed
All three dogs were removed and taken to Vetcare in Athy where an autopsy was carried out on Bella. It showed that Bella had weighed just 0.8kg at the time of her death, well below a healthy weight of 2.5kg for her breed and size.
A veterinary report highlighted several signs of neglect, including “severe muscle wastage” and “eyes matted shut”. It concluded that malnourishment was a likely factor in her death.
Inspector Conlon said that the other two surviving dogs were also severely emaciated. She said that Jack was so emaciated that she “could count the vertebrae on his spine”. He also had rotting teeth and severely swollen anal glands. Ms Conlon told how Sasha was found to have no teeth at all and weighed just 1.5kg when she should have weighted at least twice that.
The Inspector described the dog’s condition as “just skin and bones” and told how her hair was badly impacted with faeces. Inspector Conlon said what she witnessed was “pure neglect” and “lack of care”.
At the April, hearing Judge Carthy indicated that she intended to impose a lifetime disqualification and advised that she wished to see the payment of ISPCA costs within two months. It was confirmed in court today that payment for the costs of veterinary bills, which amounted to €793.60, had been received.
ISPCA Inspector
Speaking after the case, senior inspector Fiona Conlon said: “Disqualifications are vital in ensuring that no animal suffers again at the hands of those found guilty of animal cruelty. “We therefore welcome this week’s outcome and would like to sincerely thank the judge for imposing a lifetime ban on the defendant from keeping animals, and for including an undertaking that no animals are to be brought into any household she resides in. “This is a clear and important message that animal welfare will be taken seriously, and we hope to see more outcomes like this in future cases,” she added.
To report any animal welfare concerns:
ISPCA’s National Animal Cruelty Helpline on 0818 515 515
Report online at: https://ispca.ie/report-cruelty
E:helpline@ispca.ie.
Also read: https://www.animalnewsireland.com/dogs-neglect-case-carlow-owner-receives-lifetime-ban/
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If you have a tip for an animal welfare issue, an animal news article, a press release, or just want to just reach out to us, we’d love to hear from you. John Tierney, Animal News Ireland/Editor