Two men in County Waterford have been handed down four month custodial sentences for animal cruelty.
Patrick and Michael O'Brien of Monaman, Lismore, County Waterford were sentenced at Dungarvan District Court on Friday 13th May 2022, after pleading guilty to offences under the Animal Health and Welfare Act (AHWA) 2013.
In addition, both brothers were disqualified from owning any dogs for life and were ordered to pay costs of €1,330 and €1,979 in veterinary fees.
The court heard how ISPCA Animal Welfare Inspector Alice Lacey followed up on a report from the local dog warden regarding the O’Brien’s premises in which it was estimated that there could be approximately 20 dogs.
However, a thorough inspection of the entire property uncovered a total of 56 dogs in varying stages of neglect.
Inspector Lacey told the court how dogs had been allowed to continuously breed and multiply on the property and that they were living in horrendous conditions both in the dwelling house and in sheds.
She described a lack of natural light and little ventilation where most of the dogs were being housed, as well as a build-up of faeces and an overpowering stench of ammonia. Additionally, most of the dogs did not have access to water.
Inspector Lacey further described how, in addition to the living conditions, dogs were suffering from a range of health issues including untreated skin conditions, malnourishment, bite wounds and matted coats which were caked in faeces and urine.
A number of the dogs were also blind, which it was believed was as a result of inbreeding.
Inspector Lacey added how there were so many unwanted dogs being born on the property that they were destined for a life of little human interaction, socialisation and care. The result was that most of the dogs were almost feral and terrified of human contact.
When asked her opinion on the severity of the case, Inspector Lacey said that was among the worst that she had encountered.
On passing sentence Judge O’Shea commended the work of the ISPCA and Inspector Lacey. He said that the case was “at the upper end of the range of gravity” and “undoubtedly the worst case of animal abuse” that he had seen. He added: “It never seeks to amaze me how bad these cases can get. You see one bad case and think it can’t get worse, but it does”.
Neil Twomey, Solicitor for the O’Brien brothers indicated to the Court that the brothers were two elderly reclusive men living in appalling conditions. He said that the accused did not have any Medical or Psychological Reports or anything of that nature.
Alice Lacey of the ISPCA said: “This was an extremely challenging and distressing case to deal with in terms of the number of dogs and the severity of their suffering. Due to the severity of their physical and psychological states, a significant number of the dogs were euthanised. For many of those dogs any effort to treat them just caused more anxiety and distress. But the majority were successfully rehabilitated after spending considerable lengths of time in ISPCA care, recovering from their physical and mental scars. They have now gone on to loving new homes."
The ISPCA encourages members of the public to continue to report any animal welfare concerns to the ISPCA’s National Animal Cruelty Helpline in confidence on 0818 515 515, email [email protected] or report online here.
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