Three people pleaded guilty and were convicted of animal welfare offences in separate cases in Waterford and Cork in the past week.
A man pleaded guilty on Monday at Waterford District Court to two offences under the Animal Health and Welfare Act 2013 - including causing unnecessary suffering and neglect regarding the health and welfare of a dog.
ISPCA Inspector Alice Lacey, accompanied by a staff member from Waterford SPCA, visited his property in Waterford City on April 19th 2017 to find a dog in extremely poor condition.
Image: ISPCA
There was a strong smell emanating from the 14-year-old male Lurcher, which was due to a severe, untreated skin condition.
The dog was underweight, had visual impairments due to cataracts, discharge and inflammation in both eyes, a chronic skin infection, hair loss and inflammation due to untreated mites and several tumours on his body.
The dog was surrendered to Inspector Lacey, and was later put to sleep on veterinary advice.
Inspector Lacey said: "It was very upsetting seeing an aged dog like this suffering unnecessarily in his later years.
"The skin condition he suffered from for a long time would have easily been prevented with some simple parasitic treatment if the owner had sought that for him.
"The dog was unable to help himself and therefore relied on the responsibility of his owner to provide a certain level of care, which he never received."
The man received a three month custodial sentence, suspended for 12 months, and was disqualified from owning any animals for a period of five years.
In Fermoy District Court last week, a woman was convicted and fined for three offences - including failing to safeguard the health and welfare of a dog and failing to provide sufficient food for a dog.
On January 7th, ISPCA Inspector Lisa O'Donovan visited the property in response to a call to the ISPCA National Animal Cruelty Helpline.
Image: ISPCA
She found a collie pup, approximately five months old, tied to an oil tank with no shelter.
It was a cold, wet day and there had been sleet and snow that morning.
Inspector O'Donovan spoke to the woman about the welfare issues in relation to how the dog was kept.
She told Inspector O’Donovan that she could do what she wanted with her dog, but ultimately brought it inside.
On January 24th, Inspector O’Donovan returned to the property to find the dog being kept in the same condition, at which point she seized it.
Image: ISPCA
It was a rainy day and the dog was wet and shaking. Its body weight was below average for its size and breed.
A vet later described the pup as "severely underweight" and "ravenous".
Judge Brian Sheridan issued a fine of €100.
In a separate case that day, a man pleaded guilty and was convicted of two offences - including neglect or recklessness regarding the health and welfare of a dog and failing to provide sufficient food for a dog.
Inspector O'Donovan arrived at a property on February 1st to find a Red Setter dog tied to a pole by a length of cable.
Image: ISPCA
The dog appeared skeletal and had crusting around its eyes and nose.
The kennel provided for the dog was in a state of disrepair and had protruding nails and broken wood.
Inspector O’Donovan seized the dog, and a vet later described it has being in a state of "severe emaciation" with the "outline of its skeleton clearly visible".
Image: ISPCA
The dog was also missing teeth, had fleas and skin issues, and had a "large, ulcerated pressure sore" as a result of being so emaciated.
The man was fined €200 and ordered to pay an additional €200 to the ISPCA toward costs of the investigation.
These three cases bring the total number of convictions resulting from ISPCA investigations in 2018 to 13.
Members of the public concerned about an animal's wefare should contact the National Animal Cruelty Helpline on 1890-515-515 or report cruelty online in confidence here.
