83-YEAR-OLD WARNED JAIL IS ‘A REALISTIC POSSIBILITY’ OVER TREATMENT OF ANIMALS

A CRUEL pensioner who left 10 dogs and a cat emaciated, soaked in urine and without water has been banned from keeping or caring for domestic animals for life.

Mary Kelly (83) has also been warned by a judge a custodial sentence is a “realistic possibility” as “age does not mean you can stay out of prison”.

Kildare Animal Foundation ( KAF) and gardai called to Kelly’s Co Laois home and discovered a Chihuahua with a broken jaw, a second Chihuahua had a broken hip, a matted shih-tzu with a mammary growth, four Pomeranians with diarrhoea and a pug with breathing problems.

An emaciated Jack Russell lived on rats that he caught while a scared rottweiler was confined to a tangled chain.

Kelly, of Boley, Ballylynan in Co Laois, claimed she kept the dogs for protection and when a personal alarm was suggested as an alternative, she asked who would pay for that, Athy District Court heard.

Slimy

Kelly faced 24 charges under the Animal Health & Welfare Act, dating from July 15, 2019.

However, she admitted six sample offences and an order from keeping or caring for domestic animals for life would not be contested.

Ann Cooke from KAF told Judge Desmond Zaidan that when she and gardai entered Ms Kelly’s home, they found a number of dogs in cat carriers stacked on top of one another.

She said they were underweight, soaked in urine, without water and that some were dehydrated.

Outside the house was a rottweiler confined on a tangled chain that was so scared it had to be pulled out of its small shelter. It had only green slimy water to drink.

In addition to the dogs, a collapsed and dehydrated cat was found in the yard. It required two weeks of treatment on an IV drip after its rescue.

Ms Cooke told the court that all of these animals were surrendered to the ISPCA and removed.

All animals recovered fully and were rehomed by the ISPCA and KAF. The court heard the cost of rehabilitation for the two Chihuahuas alone was more than €5,000.

Looking at photos of the animals and the conditions they were living in, Judge Zaidan said it was “appalling” and “hard to imagine the state and the smell”.

He added that “you can see the fright in their faces” and paid credit to KAF and the ISPCA saying “at least they all survived”.

Failed

Adjourning the matter to next February 8 for sentencing, Judge Zaidan said that he was making “no promises whatsoever” about penalties.

He indicated that, if it was left to the discretion of the court, he would have banned Ms Kelly for life from keeping all animals and not just domestic animals.

In relation to the animals involved he added that “their every breath was dependent on her looking after them. She failed miserably”.