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Sunday World
4 days ago
- Sunday World
‘Filthy ball of wool' – Owner of dog left without food or water is spared jail
A vet gave evidence stating, "It was difficult to differentiate its head from its tail' A dog owner whose pet bichon frise was left like a filth-ridden "ball of wool", drinking drain water and sleeping among used medical needles has been spared jail. Thomas Joyce of Cloonmore Road, Jobstown, Tallaght, Dublin 24, was summonsed on charges under the Animal Health and Welfare Act for the neglect of his dog named Partner. However, he failed to appear at his hearing in Dublin District Court, was convicted in absentia, fined €500 and prohibited from owning an animal for five years by Judge Anthony Halpin yesterday/today. A vet gave evidence stating, "It was difficult to differentiate its head from its tail.' Dublin Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (DSPCA) inspector Shane Lawlor told Judge Halpin that Partner lived in "deplorable" conditions and was heavily matted when Joyce was questioned on February 22 last year. The animal welfare inspector said he received a call that the dog was living in poor conditions and was in a poor physical state. He spoke to Joyce, who showed him the male dog whose coat was matted so heavily it was hurting. "It was very disorientating; he could not see properly at all, was walking in circles, walking into the wall and was quite aggressive to handle." The dog also had an open wound on its back side, and "he had no resting area at all." Photo evidence was handed into court. They revealed Partner was left living in a shed full of rubbish and dozens of used medical needles by diabetic Joyce. His only drink was dirty drain water, and there was no food either; his skin was inflamed. Partner, who was not microchipped, was seized and has since been treated and re-homed. Photo: DSPCA The court heard Joyce agreed the conditions were unacceptable. Asked by the inspector why he did not bring the dog for care, he said he was embarrassed and owned up that he could not give the necessary care to his pet. DSPCA veterinary director Elise O'Byrne White confirmed the poor condition of the animal's faecal and urine-stained coat. The dog's back and belly skin were inflamed, and it had external parasites. She believed Partner was in a state of discomfort due to the severe matting. "It was difficult to differentiate its head from its tail' Commenting on the photo evidence, Judge Halpin described the dog as a poor animal and "like a big ball of wool, you can't see a head or legs or anything". The offences could have resulted in a €5,000 fine and six months imprisonment. Finalising the case, he noted that the man told the inspector he was ashamed and let his dog be taken. Setting the fine at €500, to be paid within six months, he explained he had considered the conditions the accused was living in and inferred he was not of huge means. Photo: DSPCA News in 90 Seconds - June 24th
The Journal
30-05-2025
- The Journal
Man faces sentence after 'malnourished' Dobermann found living in small cage covered in faeces
A PANEL BEATER faces sentencing after animal welfare inspectors last year found his malnourished Dobermann confined in a squalid cage without fresh water, mired in her own excrement, at a Dublin property. Richard Vynsiauskas, originally from Lithuania but with a residential address at Old North Road, Coldwinters, failed to turn up for his scheduled hearing at Dublin District Court. Judge Anthony Halpin convicted him in his absence and issued a bench warrant to bring him before the court to be sentenced. He faces prosecution under the Animal Health and Welfare Act. It follows an inspection by the Dublin Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (DSPCA), which had to retrain the seven-year-old dog since renamed Delilah before she could be placed in a new home. DSPCA inspector Shane Lawlor told prosecutor Danny Comerford BL that he went to the property on 16 April last year following an allegation that the dog was cruelly treated. There was no one there when he arrived, and he found that the large Dobermann, weighing 45 kilograms, was kept in a six-foot by six-foot cage with a makeshift kennel inside and a broken shelter. The enclosure was covered in faeces and the court heard that 'the smell was extremely overpowering'. There was no clean water, and the dog came out of her kennel 'very scared' and was suffering mentally. He described the Dobermann as 'whale-eyed,' a term to describe a frightened and nervous dog. She was 'pacing around, constantly standing in her own faeces, nowhere to sit or eat without standing or lying in her own waste'. The conditions inside her kennel were the same. The inspector told Mr Comerford that his chief concern was that the animal had nowhere to move and was very scared. She looked malnourished and had inadequate shelter or space to express her behaviour. The accused agreed to surrender the dog. The DSPCA witness said a Dobermann, as an intelligent breed, responds well to training, but this dog was left 'to waste away'. That can lead to boredom and aggression, and it took the DSPCA just over six months to correct her behaviour before she could be re-homed. The court heard Vynsiauskas told him that he had 'no time' to look after or let the dog out. The judge also noted she was not micro-chipped, the owner had no licence, and she had never been brought to a vet. Photos of the dog's living conditions were furnished to the court. The accused could face a €5,000 fine and six-month imprisonment. Advertisement
