Community service for Dunboyne dog owner who pleaded guilty to animal welfare offences
At Navan District Court, on Friday 14th March 2025, Andrew Byrne (43) with an address at Woodview Heights, Dunboyne, Co Meath, was sentenced to 50 hours community service for cruelty to a dog named Delboy.
At a previous court sitting on 13th December 2024 Mr Byrne had pleaded guilty to two offences under sections 11 and 12 of the Animal Health and Welfare Act 2013. At that time the court heard how on 6th March 2024, Delboy, a West Highland Terrier was found straying by a member of the public in an extremely poor condition. He was taken to a local veterinary clinic where it was found that the dog was microchipped and registered to Mr Byrne. The ISPCA were alerted and Inspector James McCormack responded.
The court was told that the vets who examined Delboy, gave him a body condition score of only 1/9 and said that he was emaciated with prominent ribs and bones showing.
He was starved and underweight, had an extremely bad untreated yeast infection of the skin with large areas of hairless skin all over his body and tail, a chronic untreated ear infection, and he was struggling to walk and was falling over.
Despite the long-standing health issues that required medical attention, veterinary records and further investigations by Inspector McCormack demonstrated that Delboy had not been brought to a vet for almost three years since May 2021 and, in that time, he had lost 20 per cent of his body weight. The vet’s opinion was that the dog would have died had it not been brought into the veterinary clinic by a member of the public.
Defence Solicitor Pauric Murray stated that in 2021 the dog developed a skin condition, which his client tried his best to treat. But that at around Christmas in 2023 the dog deteriorated and became incontinent.
He said that Mr Byrne realised that he should bring the dog to the vet, but that he failed to do so as he feared it would be euthanised. He said that his client was “putting off making a difficult decision”.
The court heard further evidence that Delboy had recovered and been rehomed.
Viewing photographs provided in evidence, Judge Eirinn McKiernan remarked: “There is simply no excuse for letting things go that far” and asked, “How could anyone let a dog get into that condition?” She adjourned the matter for the preparation of a probation report and a community service assessment.
When sentencing took place on 14th March 2025 it was noted that ISPCA costs of €516.55 had been paid since the previous hearing. Judge McKiernan imposed 50 hours of community service in lieu of one month of imprisonment but declined to a request make an Order of Disqualification stating that “the Community Service Order is a very serious Order and sufficient to deal with the gravity of the offence”.
Inspector McCormack commented: “This dog was failed by its owner over a period of years, and it must have suffered enormously from the yeast infection that took over its body and the lack of food to keep him healthy. The owner had a responsibility to take care of the dog and this did not happen. We owe a debt to these animals to care for them for their whole lifetime and unfortunately for this dog this was neglected.
“The ISPCA is grateful to that member of the public who took the time to take the dog to the vet, and this led to the dog’s life improving for the better in a loving home”.
The ISPCA urges the public to report any suspicions of animal cruelty, neglect or abuse to its confidential National Animal Cruelty Helpline by calling 0818 515 515 or online at ispca.ie/report-cruelty/ or by emailing helpline@ispca.ie.