In Bray District court on Thursday 22nd January, a dentist pleaded guilty to 14 animal welfare offences after NSPCA inspectors uncovered shocking conditions at a rural property in Co Wicklow.
The defendant, a 69 year old female, originally from Liverpool and with an address in England, admitted the offences under the Animal Health and Welfare Act 2013.
NSPCA chief inspector Conor Dowling told the court he attended the property in June 2020, along with members of an Garda Siochana, following concerns for animal welfare. Dogs were found in different areas within the house living in severe filth, surrounded by faeces and urine, with an overpowering smell of ammonia that made the officers’ eyes water and caused them to gag.
The Inspector said that wooden floors and a mattress were soaked with urine and faeces. While large amounts of dry dog food were present, water supplies were not fresh or, in some cases, absent.
Inspector Dowling told the court that two dog carcasses, believed to be a Mastiff and a Terrier type, were found beneath a horse rug in a basement area of the dwelling. He also found a wild boar on the property, described as being in “okay” condition but living close to hazards including protruding nails.
In total, 17 dogs (which included 2 puppies found in the bathroom) were seized from the property that day due to the conditions in which they were living. A veterinary report handed into court stated that several of the animals had severely matted coats and some were underweight, while others were suffering from worms and parasites living on or inside them.
“The court heard the defendant answered “no comment” to all questions during a subsequent Garda interview. When Inspector Dowling returned to the property later in June 2020 for a follow up inspection with an accompanying Garda sergeant, the defendant refused them both entry to the dwelling on the property.
In court it emerged that the defendant had faced a similar prosecution in Bray Circuit Court in May 2025 involving the same property when she received a fully suspended four and a half year prison sentence, a lifetime ban on owning animals and was ordered to pay €15,000 in costs.
In the current case, Judge David Kennedy said he could not increase the earlier penalty imposed by the higher court. He fined the defendant €1,000 on one count, took the remaining charges into consideration, and reaffirmed the ban on keeping animals, while accepting mitigation relating to her health issues.
