A TIMOLEAGUE-based husband and wife who pleaded guilty to animal neglect at their puppy farm in West Cork have had the severity of their sentences reduced on appeal.
BY DAVID FORSYTHE
William Sheehy (57) and Eleanor Sheehy (50) of Grange More, Timoleague, appeared before Judge Helen Boyle at Cork Circuit Court in Bandon this week.
Tim O’Connor, solicitor for the Department for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, said that the Sheehys had pleaded guilty in the district court to six charges of animal neglect, in relation to the poor conditions in which they kept the dogs on their property.
In November, Judge Monica Leech sentenced William and Eleanor Sheehy to five months’ jail, suspended for two years.
They were each fined €1,000 for each of the six convictions, with three months to pay and ordered to pay the €12,822.48 in costs incurred by the ISPCA in rehoming the first 14 dogs.
They were also ordered to pay the costs of rehoming the remaining dogs, with the costs ‘to be quantified’.
They were disqualified from owning or breeding dogs for life.
Giving evidence, ISPCA inspector Caroline Faherty said that she went to the Sheehy’s farm on March 21st 2023 to inspect the kennels on foot of a complaint from a member of the public.
She said the kennels were ‘filthy and stinking’ and that there were 50 adult dogs and 22 puppies present of various breeds, including cocker spaniels, poodles, bichons, cavaliers, Burmese mountain dogs, Newfoundlands, collies, Jack Russells and cross breeds.
On March 23rd, Ms Faherty returned, accompanied by the chief veterinary inspector, the county dog warden and the local dog warden.
On that occasion it was decided to remove the 14 dogs that were in the worst condition, as that was all that could be accommodated at the time. The 14 dogs were subsequently re-homed.
A further inspection was carried out in August 2023 and Ms Faherty said the kennels were cleaner, but still inadequate.
Defence solicitor Conrad Murphy said that the Sheehys had been breeding dogs from 2016 to 2023 without any problems but that in late 2022, Mrs Sheehy’s mother had died and they had gone through a difficult period and let ‘standards slip’.
He said that the media attention surrounding the case had been very difficult for them and they had been subject to abuse on social media, by phone and text, in writing and in person.
He said that there was no question of them seeking a breeding licence again, but they would like to be able to keep their two working collie dogs on the farm. ‘Despite what people think, they are dog lovers,’ said Mr Murphy.
Judge Boyle said she would take into account the fact that the Sheehys pleaded guilty and had no previous convictions. The judge also accepted there was an element of ‘social shaming’ which had impacted them.
The judge upheld the disqualification from breeding dogs for life but she permitted the Sheehys to keep the two collies and one ‘house dog’. She also removed the suspended prison sentences.
She directed the Sheehys pay the €12,822 cost of treating and rehoming the first 14 dogs removed from their premises, and gave them eight months to pay.
She also ordered that they pay the €14,222 cost to date of treating and rehoming the remaining dogs, allowing 12 months to pay, after the initial eight months.
She ordered that they pay an additional €3,000 after that to cover the costs of rehoming the remaining animals.
She reduced the level of fines from €1,000 on each of the 12 counts, down to €250, for a total fine of €3,000.
