A couple who were each convicted of six charges relating to animal cruelty at a puppy farm they operated on their west Cork farm are facing fines and costs totalling more than €20,000 following their sentencing hearing in the District Court.
William Sheehy (57) and Eleanor Sheehy (50), of Grange More, Timoleague, Co Cork, appeared before Judge Monika Leech at Bandon District Court.
They each pleaded guilty to six charges that were brought by the Department of Agriculture in relation to an inspection carried out at their premises in March 2023.
At a previous hearing, the court heard evidence from ISPCA inspector Caroline Faherty that the kennels were “filthy and stinking” and that there was an “overpowering smell of ammonia".
She told the court 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.
Ms Faherty said that “there was faeces everywhere” when she entered the kennels, some of which was mouldy indicating it had been there for some time.
She said that all the pens where wet and that plastic fish boxes had been used for bedding which had been chewed and had sharp edges. She described the water bowls as filthy and said that the kennels were cold and that the puppy wing felt “colder than the temperature outside".
She returned two days later 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 Sheehys agreed and surrendered the animals. Ms Faherty said that the 14 dogs were subsequently re-homed following veterinary treatment. She told the court that a female Newfoundland dog that was surrendered could not be spayed or re-homed for some time because she “had a coat like cement” and was so emaciated she was “skeletal".
At the sentencing hearing Ms Faherty said that the cost of rehabilitating and re-homing the 14 dogs was €12,822.48. She said that presently there were just over 20 animals still at the Sheehys’ property, and it would cost a minimum of €200 per dog to treat and re-home them.
Defence solicitor Conrad Murphy told the court that in 2023 the Sheehys had made a profit of €9,000 from breeding dogs based on sales of €24,500 and costs of €15,000 including feed, bedding, veterinary costs and electricity.
He said sales to date in 2024 totalled €18,750 with an estimated profit of €3,259. Ms Faherty said that “I struggled to see where that level of expenses are coming from,” given the poor conditions of the kennels.
Mr Murphy told the court that the Sheehys had decided to immediately relinquish their breeding licence and said that the adverse publicity surrounding the case was a “punishment in itself".
Judge Leech said that the only mitigating factors in the case were the fact that the Sheehys had pleaded guilty and had no previous convictions.
She said that the aggravating factors included the nature of the offending, the number of dogs involved and the extent of their suffering. She said it was a case of “deliberate neglect” and despite the issuing of an improvement notice in April 2023 the Sheehys had failed to fully comply with its recommendations.
The judge said that a veterinary letter provided by the accused in mitigation was “entirely at odds” with the evidence of the ISPCA inspector and photographs of the dogs provided my the prosecution were also an aggravating factor.
She said that there was no context provided as to why the Sheehys treated the animals in this way.
The judge said that a family bereavement and two of the Sheehys’ children moving to Australia “goes nowhere to explain it".
She said there was a clear violation of their duty of care to the animals and it was a case of “abject neglect.” She added: “These were simply vulnerable, defenceless animals subjected to a life of misery.”
William Sheehy and Eleanor Sheehy were both sentenced to five months in custody suspended for two years on their own bond of €150.
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 re-homing the first 14 dogs.
The court ordered them to surrender the remaining animals “forthwith” and ordered that immediate steps should be taken to ensure their safety and wellbeing.
They were also ordered to pay the costs of re-homing the remaining dogs at their premises with those costs “to be quantified".
The court also disqualified William and Eleanor Sheehy from owning or breeding dogs for life. Recognisance in the event of an appeal was fixed in their own bond of €1,000 with €750 required in cash.
