Three dogs neglected
Kinawley, IR (UK)Incident Date: Thursday, Apr 6, 2006
Disposition: Convicted
Defendants/Suspects:
» Margaret Teare
» Margaret Teare
A Kinawley woman has been found guilty of ill-treating three Collie dogs when her case came before a recent sitting of Fermanagh Magistrates Court.
Margaret Teare (44) from Crook Road, had contested the three charges of ill-treatment of the dogs but after the case was heard, Resident Magistrate Liam McNally convicted the defendant on all three charges.
For the first offence, the defendant was fined £250 while she was handed a conditional discharge on the other two offences.
The court heard evidence from Francis Fox, a welfare officer with the Ulster Society for the Protection of Cruelty to Animals (USPCA).
He said that on 10th April he was asked to go to the Kinawley area as police had received a complaint of dogs being ill-treated in the area.
Mr Fox said he visited a stable where three collie dogs had been living. The first dog was in a good condition although its coat was very matted, the second one was in a very poor physical condition - very thin and the third dog was lying dead.
Mr Fox described the conditions as filthy with dog and horse faeces all over the floor. Mr Fox said he believed the outbuilding (a stable) had not been cleared out for some considerable time - possibly a couple of weeks, he ventured when asked for an approximate time frame by Mr McNally. He said there was no bedding available and he saw no food or water available.
Mr Fox removed the two living dogs, and the dead dog, for examination. He went on to say the USPCA was concerned about the mental state of the two living dogs and believe they had what's known as 'kennel madness', which left the USPCA with only one course of action - to destroy the dogs. Mr Fox confirmed to the court that this type of condition was nothing to do with the defendant or how the dogs had been treated.
Frederick Dunlop, a veterinary surgeon, told the court how he examined the three dogs on 11th April last. He said the first dog was healthy and in good condition although his coat was severely matted and soaked in urine and faeces. It was his professional opinion that it would take a couple of weeks for a coat to get into this condition.
The second dog was thin but this may have been for a number of reasons, including being ill or lack of good quality food. The vet was of the opinion that the third dog died quickly from some illness, most likely acute enteritis.
Through her solicitor, Andrew Reid, the defendant would say that the second dog, the thin one, was hyperactive, and was a fit dog and the defendant said you couldn't put weight on the dog.
Regarding the first Collie with the matted coat, the defendant would say this was a bad tempered dog and the only way to have it clipped was under anaesthetic.
Mr Reid told the court the defendant was originally from England and moved to Northern Ireland about four years ago.
He described the defendant as an 'animal lover' who kept dogs, horses, chickens and cats.
In her own evidence, the defendant told the court the dogs would usually be fed twice a day, were exercised twice a day and were normally bedded down with straw.
The defendant told the court that she was taken into hospital on 6th April and spent three nights in hospital but that while she was in hospital her son fed and bedded the animals.
According to the defendant's son, the third dog wasn't dead at 8.00pm the night previous to the 10th April.
Under her initial interview about the treatment of the dogs, the defendant admitted that the stables were in a 'disgusting' condition but she told the court that the stables were cleaned out 'every other day'.
Mr McNally said he didn't accept the defendant's evidence about the stable being cleared out every other day.
Delivering his judgement, Mr McNally said this was a difficult case regarding the ill-treatment of three Collie dogs.
Referring to photographs available to the court, he said the conditions were 'absolutely atrocious'.
"Anyone who keeps animals in these conditions ill treats them," concluded the Magistrate, who said he accepted Mr Fox's evidence.
Mr McNally said the dogs didn't get the care they deserved and he convicted the defendant on all three charges. References
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