- Republic of Ireland -
~ Update: September 14, 2022
On Tuesday, September 13, 2022, a judge sentenced 84-years-old MARY KELLY (pictured), to ten months’ imprisonment after inspectors with the Irish Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ISPCA) found seven dogs “covered in feces and urine” at her rural home in Co Laois. KELLY was convicted on two counts of animal cruelty at Athy District Court.
Source:
~ Original story:
On Tuesday, September 28, in Athy District Court 87-years-old MARY KELLY (pictured below) appeared before Judge Desmond Zaidan to face twenty-four animal cruelty charges.
She pleaded guilty to six counts of animal cruelty after nine dogs and a kitten were found in “horrific conditions” on her farm.
The court heard how the Kildare Animal Foundation (KAF) was alerted to the circumstances on KELLY’s farm, how the ISPCA inspected the property on July 15, 2019, and removed nine dogs from her custody.
Ms. Ann Cooke, from Kildare Animal Foundation (KAF), was present in court, presented the evidence related to the incident and recounted what happened when she entered KELLY’s home.
That’s Farming reports that Ms. Cooke found several dogs in cat carriers stacked on top of one another. The furbabies were underweight, soaked in urine, without water, and some were dehydrated.
Ms. Cooke then saw a Chihuahua with a broken jaw that had to be wired. The vet who examined the pooch estimated the jaw had been broken for up to five months.
Another Chihuahua had a broken hip, a matted Shih-Tzu had a mammary growth and four Pomeranians had diarrhea.
Ms. Cooke then saw a Pug who required surgery for breathing problems aggravated by the stench of urine in the environment where he/she was kept.
According to Ms. Cooke, KELLY then told her that an emaciated Jack Russell lived on rats that he caught.
Athy District Court also heard that outside the house was a Rottweiler confined on a tangled chain that was so scared he/she had to be pulled out of his/her small shelter. The furbaby ”had only slimy green water to drink,” said Ms. Cooke.
A cat was also found in the yard. The poor soul was dehydrated and it took the ISPCA two weeks of treatment on an IV drip to nurse him/her back to health.
All the animals were removed from the farm and surrendered to the ISPCA.
Thankfully, they all recovered and were rehomed.
The cost of rehabilitation for the two Chihuahuas alone was more than €5,000 ($5,800).
When Judge Zaidan looked at the pictures of the animals, he described the conditions as “appalling” and said it was “hard to imagine the state and the smell.”
Judge Zaidan also said: “you can see the fright in their faces.”
Judge Zaidan then told KELLY that “age does not mean you can stay out of prison.”
KELLY’s defense attorney, Richard Wickstead BL, questioned Ms.Cooke on whether she could be certain that the dogs were confined in the small boxes and carriers at all times.
Wickstead also requested a reporting restriction on KELLY’s name being published, but Judge Zaidan did not accept.
KELLY is slated to be back in court on February 8, 2022, for sentencing.
In adjourning the matter, Judge Zaidan said he was making “no promises whatsoever” regarding her sentence and added that if it was left to the court’s discretion, he would have banned KELLY for life from keeping all animals.
Ms. Fiona Conlon, ISPCA inspector, rightfully pointed out that regardless of their age, all animal guardians have a legal duty of care and told the court: “There was no valid explanation for accumulating so many dogs and no excuse for how they were cared for.”
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