A 63-year-old woman has been given a four-month suspended sentence and banned from keeping animals for life after she pleaded guilty to causing unnecessary suffering to 79 dogs at her home in Co Waterford.
Sandra Hennessy of Dunmoon, North Tallow, Co Waterford, pleaded guilty at Dungarvan District Court to 22 summons under the Animal Welfare Act of causing unnecessary suffering to dogs at her former address at Dyrick, Ballinamult, Co Waterford, on dates between July 2024 and February 2025.
Senior Animal Welfare Inspector Alice Leacy told the court about her first visit to Hennessy's house on 23 July 2024 as the result of an animal welfare concern.
She said Hennessy first said there were around 29 dogs at the house, but on further inspection, there were up to 79.
About 20 of the dogs were in the house, with the remainder in outhouses in makeshift pens and cages, with bedding made up of cardboard boxes and plastic boxes.
The sheds were extremely dark, the dogs were quite dirty, while the pen doors were closed. Around 30 dogs were in a small area in a shed in separate and small kennels.
The breed of many of the dogs were a small terrier mix, some Yorkshire Terriers.
Although the dogs were being fed, they had ear infections, eye infections and respiratory conditions.
Ms Leacy told of a Lurcher dog being wrapped in a blanket with women's sanitary towels wrapped over its body.
Having looked at the dog and removed one of the sanitary towels, she found it had wounds down to the bone.
Of around 59 other dogs found, some were heavily pregnant - with one being found alongside a mother and puppies in a bath with another pregnant female.
There were other pregnant females elsewhere on the property.
The lurcher dog, Ms Leacy added, had some horrific injuries which came under the Animal Welfare Protection Act.
The dog was later euthanised and Ms Leacy described its shoulder bone and other bones being visible when the dog was moved.
On 30 July, around 34 dogs were removed from the house, while on 29 August, a further 21 dogs were removed and taken to Dogs Trust, with some underweight and with chronic ear infections.
Following those dates Hennessy had retained ten dogs at her new address, after being told she had to reduce the number of dogs.
Not a puppy farm
Defence Counsel Sara Jane Comerford told the court that is was not a puppy farm enterprise and it was not a case of buying and breeding and selling, rather it was a gathering of dogs.
Ms Comerford said Hennessy was living in the house while there were dogs in each room.
Replying to Ms Comerford, Ms Leacy said the lurcher dog was in a tragic condition.
A number of pictures of the dogs were produced to Judge John O'Leary, while pictures of the ten dogs at the current address were also produced to the court.
Replying to Ms Comerford, Ms Leacy also told that some of the dogs had body sores, adding that it was hard for her to get past some of the welfare issues.
Ms Comerford said the accused is a single woman who accepts dogs into her home. She did not have them neutered, and as a result breeding among the dogs got out of hand, she added.
"This morning she was quite emotional in court at having let this happen. She let the dogs down and found it quite hard to talk about it," Ms Comerford said.
Ms Comerford said there had been learnings and Hennessy accepts she cannot have any more than ten dogs, knowing she is not in a position to care for any more.
She said there are a number of options open to the court regarding sentencing.
In respect of expenses, including veterinary, x-rays and other costs to the ISPCA of €5,582, Ms Comerford said there is no real prospect of Hennessy meeting them currently.
Judge O'Leary said having heard the facts, that this was "a very serious case".
He said he would impose a four month sentence on each of the 22 summonses, before the court, to run concurrently, suspending the sentences for one year.
Judge O'Leary said he would also impose a lifetime ban under Section 58 of the Animal Welfare Act of keeping any animals, while he also ordered that the ten dogs currently at Hennessy's property be removed immediately.
