A woman has been handed down a suspended prison sentence in Carlow and has been banned from every having animals after pleading guilty to charges related to animal cruelty (*advisory: images which may be distressing below*).

At Carlow District Court on Wednesday (July 16), Seeta O’Neill of Maple Court, Phelimstown, Tullow, Co. Carlow was sentenced to five months imprisonment, suspended for 18 months.

She was also banned for life from owning any animals and gave an undertaking in court that, in her lifetime, there would be no animals on her premises.

The case was previously before Judge Geraldine Carthy on April 3 last when O'Neill admitted eight charges under the Animal Health and Welfare Act 2013 (AHWA).

At that time, the court heard evidence from Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ISPCA) senior inspector Fiona Conlon who described calling to O'Neill's property on February 28, 2024.

She discovered three dogs in total. Two of the dogs, a Jack Russell called Jack, and a Yorkshire Terrier dog called Sasha, were in extremely bad condition.

The third, described as “a tiny little Yorkshire Terrier dog” and previously known as Bella, was already deceased. The dogs were living outside, with no evidence of any food or water.

All three dogs were removed and taken to Vetcare in Athy where an autopsy was carried out on Bella.

It showed that Bella had weighed just 0.8kg at the time of her death, well below a healthy weight of 2.5kg for her breed and size.

A veterinary report highlighted several signs of neglect, including “severe muscle wastage” and “eyes matted shut”. It concluded that malnourishment was a likely factor in her death.

Inspector Conlon said that the other two surviving dogs were also severely emaciated. She said that Jack was so emaciated that she “could count the vertebrae on his spine”.

He also had rotting teeth and severely swollen anal glands. 

The ISPCA inspector told how Sasha was found to have no teeth at all and weighed just 1.5kg when she should have weighted at least twice that.

The inspector described the dog’s condition as “just skin and bones” and told how her hair was badly impacted with faeces, adding that what she witnessed was “pure neglect” and “lack of care”.

At the April hearing, Judge Carthy indicated that she intended to impose a lifetime disqualification and advised that she wished to see the payment of ISPCA costs within two months.

It was confirmed in court this week that payment for the costs of veterinary bills, which amounted to €793.60, had been received. 

Speaking after the case, senior inspector Conlon said: "Disqualifications are vital in ensuring that no animal suffers again at the hands of those found guilty of animal cruelty.

"This is a clear and important message that animal welfare will be taken seriously, and we hope to see more outcomes like this in future cases," she added.