Dogs were starved to half their normal weight

Louise Gallagher of Meadowhill, Raphoe pleaded guilty to animal cruelty after the dogs were inspected by animal welfare authorities on January 15. ISPCA Inspector Kevin McGinley said the two dogs, called Mitch and Samson, were friendly but severely malnourished.

Gallagher told the inspector the dogs belonged to a man who had left her residence a number of months earlier; she was “feeding them the best she could” and the task was shared between her and her young son.

They were later handed over to the ISPCA for rehabilitation and have since been re-homed in Co Meath. Solicitor Frank Dorrian asked if it was the case they belonged to a person who had since left the residence and Mr McGinley replied this was the case. Two dog licences were handed into court for the animals. Mr Dorrian said his client was “utterly incompetent and she was not deliberately cruel”. He said the dogs were left with her during a time of “personal crisis” and while she was not an “animal lover” she was not indisposed to the pets either. He said she never kept animals before and would not keep them in the future. Judge Paul Kelly disqualified her from keeping dogs for a two year period. He adjourned sentencing to June 9 to allow her time to pay 652 expenses incurred by ISPCA.