'An appalling crime': Navan coupled jailed for the neglect and starvation of dogs

When an ISPCA official inspected the garden of a house in Navan he saw a deceased dog with another dog alive beside it but there was no evidence of food, water or shelter, the local district court was told.

A couple in joint ownership of the dogs – Kevin Horace and Kayla Rafferty of Oaklawns, Clogherboy, Navan – were jailed after they pleaded guilty to the neglect of the animals in what Judge Eirinn McKiernan termed “an appalling crime”.

Solicitor Anjana Hanratty (Liam Keane solicitors) prosecuting on behalf of the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, said that the case involved two dogs, a male terrier dog aged one year and a female collie cross about five months old.

On 26th February last year, the ISPCA had received a “welfare call” and Inspector James McCormack called at the premises. He had a view of the garden from a neighbouring premises and had seen a deceased dog together with a female collie cross terrier. There was no evidence of any food, water or shelter.

He later met with Ms Rafferty, who initially declined access to the premises. He expressed concern that one of the dogs was dead.

The defendant Horace admitted that he had not seen the dogs since the day before.

There was a bag of nuts and some water in the kitchen but the dogs had no access to those. Ms Hanratty said the defendants agreed to surrender the dogs and they were taken away on welfare grounds. The dogs had no microchipping.

When vet Naoise Mannion carried out a post mortem on the deceased animal, she found that it was “extremely emaciated”. The dog’s bones were extremely prominent and covered only by skin. The conclusion of the examination was that the dog was in extremely poor condition and in urgent need of veterinary care.

“It was her professional opinion that it had been neglected and starved for a considerable period of time. This was severe health and welfare negligence and starvation all of which was entirely preventable and that the animal suffered considerably due to malnutrition and underlying illness.

Both dogs were considerably underweight, Ms Hanratty added.

Solicitor Maurice Regan on behalf of Kevin Horace said his client apologised and admitted there was no excuse for what had happened.

“He appreciates the outrageous situation that has occurred and has no excuse to give. He and Ms Rafferty were having certain difficulties at the time, and those had been resolved, but the house was not in a great situation. He had indicated from day one that he wanted to plead guilty to the offences,” the solicitor said.

He asked the judge to “stay her hand” in relation to a custodial sentence and instead order a probation report.

Solicitor Pauric Murray (Dillon Geraghty solicitors) representing Ms Rafferty said that his client could offer no excuse. She was aged 27 with two children. They were going through some difficulties in the house at the time of the offences. She had no previous convictions and he asked for preparation of a probation report.

The judge said she saw no alternative to custody and sentenced each of the defendants to two months in prison. She also imposed an order disqualifying them from owning dogs.

Applications to the judge to suspend the sentences were refused.