Kildare man gets ban at Naas District Court from having animals
A Co Kildare man who told Naas District Court that he did not get a chance to clean the boiler room where a female dog and her nine puppies were locked inside, due to short notice on a home receivership, has been banned from having any animals for five years.
The 26-year-old man with an address in Moone, appeared before Naas District Court, last Thursday, charged with failing to provide wholesome food sufficient for a lurcher and her nine pups and causing unnecessary suffering, causing an endangerment to the health and welfare of lurcher dog and her pups, who were in a boiler room, littered with faeces, on May 15, 2018, at an address in Castledermot.
Volunteers for the Kildare & West Wicklow Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (KWWSCA), gave evidence last Thursday.
Animal Welfare Officer for the KWWSPCA, Anne Cooke, said: "I went to the property and saw a female lurcher who looked very thin. She was dehydrated. She looked so boney, the puppies were very lethargic."
She told the court that the owner of the dogs did not want them going to the vet. She told the Gardaí that she contacted Athy Garda Station.
The court heard how the animals were first discovered by a locksmith, who had come to the property as it was being repossessed by the bank.
According to the owner of the dogs, he was working for the property owner, and only got two days notice to find another place to live with his girlfriend and their three month old baby.
Ms Cooke said that at the vet, the bitch got an IV drip, for fluids and antibiotics.
The puppies were given fluids orally.
Ms Cooke said: "The female dog was not getting enough fluids, she was losing too much body weight, she was feeding nine pups. There was a mound of dry food that had been urinated upon."
She told the court how she saw the puppies were 'saturated in urine'.
Another volunteer at KWSPCA outlined in evidence how the 'air was thick with flies.'
She said: "There was faeces on the floor, dog food was soaked up with urine."
In court the volunteer said that there was no ventilation in the room where the animals were staying.
Defence Barrister Sarah Connolly said: "There were air-holes in the roof of the shed."
In court, Garda Conor Brady said that in a cautionary statement, nine days after the incident, the accused said that he thought the boiler room was in 'good condition'.
He said in his statement: "I was under pressure with the house move"
Supt Martin Walker said in court last Thursday that 'it was a desperate case of animal cruelty.'
Defence said that there was no evidence that the accused caused unnecessary suffering and that there was no evidence of neglect.
He told the court that the night before at about 8pm, he had given the dogs water and dog nuts. The court heard how the next time he saw the dogs was 2.30pm, when he got a phone call from the KWWSPCA.
He said: "I provided sufficient food the night before."
He told the court that the pups were born on April 27, this year.
In court, he said: "I did not neglect the dogs."
Under cross-examination by Supt Walker, he said: "The boiler room was not pleasant, I was under pressure to find a house for my three month old child. I did not want to be living on the street. There was plenty of ventilation in the boiler room."
Defence said: "It was not a case of wilful neglect."
Supt Walker said: "The bitch could have died in a matter of days. "
Judge Desmond Zaidan said that he has 'serious concerns' about the 'level of maturity' of the accused.
He said: "I don't think this man understands how to look after animals."
Because he is currently undertaking community service, in connection to a previous case, Judge Zaidan was unable to impose Community Service.
He was convicted and fined €500 on two charges, and ordered to forfeit the dogs to the state.
He has been banned from having any animals for five years.