Courts

Carlow man (25) banned for life from keeping animals after pleading guilty to cruelty

Pregnant dog on farm was ‘like a skeleton with a big tummy’, inspector tells court

Judge Geraldine Carthy sentenced Jamie Kavanagh from Raheenleigh, Myshall, Co Carlow, to four months’ imprisonment
Judge Geraldine Carthy sentenced Jamie Kavanagh from Raheenleigh, Myshall, Co Carlow, to four months’ imprisonment
Elizabeth Lee
Thu Dec 05 2024 - 20:57

A 25-year-old man has received a four-month prison sentence at Carlow District Court and been banned for life from keeping animals.

Jamie Kavanagh from Raheenleigh, Myshall, Co Carlow, had pleaded guilty to charges under the Animal Health and Welfare Act at the court on Thursday.

His aunt, Sheila Kavanagh (58), same address, was also before the court. .

They both pleaded guilty to cruelty to animals, failing to protect animals and failing to feed animals on July 28th 2023, while Mr Kavanagh pleaded guilty to an additional charge of obstructing an officer arising from the same incident.

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ISPCA inspector Fiona Conlon told the court that when she visited the Kavanagh farm on that date she found several dogs in poor condition with little or no bedding, their kennels littered with faeces and with no water or food. She described some golden retrievers she saw, including one called Sally, who was heavily pregnant but was so thin her spine could be seen through her fur. She was “barely able to stand” she was so weak.

Ms Conlon described the dog as being “like a skeleton with a big tummy”. The court heard the dog had to be stretchered out of the farm and two days after being rescued by the ISPCA she gave birth to 11 pups.

She told the court she went to the Kavanagh farm because she got a call about concerns dog breeding was taking place there. She was accompanied by two dog wardens and a garda.

The court heard Ms Conlon found another golden retriever underweight and “very nervous”, while in another kennel there was a collie with no bedding, water or food and the floor was “full of faeces”. Two more retrievers were found in another kennel who were also underweight and nervous.

Ms Conlon said she asked Jamie Kavanagh who owned the dogs but he refused to tell her.

Ms Conlon said she paid a follow-up call to Sheila Kavanagh, who said she owned the pregnant dog but was unaware the dog was expecting pups. When she asked about two other retrievers who were missing on the second visit, she was told they “must have gotten out” and were no longer there.

Solicitor Jill Griffin, representing both defendants, told the court Sheila Kavanagh had had a fall at that time and was unable to look after her two golden retrievers so she had asked her nephew Jamie to take care of them. Ms Griffin said Jamie had been too busy with his own work to take care of them properly. She said he wanted to apologise to Ms Conlon for shouting abuse at her.

Ms Griffin said there was “genuine remorse” by Ms Kavanagh and she had €600 in court to pay towards ISPCA costs.

Judge Geraldine Carthy sentenced Sheila Kavanagh to four months’ imprisonment, which she suspended for 24 months, while also fining her €1,000 and ordering her to pay €600 to the ISPCA.

She sentenced Jamie Kavanagh to four months’ imprisonment, while also ordering him to pay the same amount in costs to the ISPCA.

When Ms Griffin asked the judge to suspend all or part of Mr Kavanagh’s sentence, the judge refused, saying: “This was one of the most serious animal cruelty cases to come through these doors. It could have been brought to a higher court.”

Mr Kavanagh plans to appeal his sentence.

Jamie Kavanagh’s father, James Kavanagh of Raheenleigh, Myshall, was sentenced to three years’ imprisonment in 2019 and also banned for life from keeping animals after abuse and neglect of horses and dogs was discovered at his farm.

Jamie Kavanagh’s mother, Jennifer Kavanagh, was given a suspended sentence at that time for animal cruelty and given a 15-year ban from keeping dogs.