Woman convicted of causing unnecessary suffering after deaths of puppies failed to complete Community Service
A woman convicted of offences linked to animal cruelty after five puppies died, has been ordered to complete Community Service which she breached.
Shannon Bennett (29), with an address listed as c/o of her solicitor's office but formerly with an address listed as Meadowvale in Newtownhamilton, was at Ballymena Magistrates' Court on Thursday.
When the case was previously before the court in 2024 she was given 200 hours of Community Service and a 10-year ban on owning or transporting animals.
The earlier court was told "five puppies quite tragically passed away".
The defendant had been convicted of offences in relation to Larne port on April 3 in 2023.
In a press statement released at the time, Mid and East Antrim Borough Council said a number of pups had been rescued at Larne port as part of operations targeting 'the illegal movement of dogs'.
A council spokesperson had said: “This sends out a clear message that enforcement bodies will take whatever action necessary to ensure that the welfare of animals is protected, that illegal movement will not be tolerated and that legislative requirements are met.
"Council will continue to work with our partner agencies to ensure the information gathered is shared with local enforcement bodies and those in Great Britain and the Republic of Ireland, in order to allow agencies to use their respective powers to tackle the illegal puppy trade.
"However, legislation alone will not stop illegal puppy farming. This will take a concerted effort by members of the public and relevant enforcement agencies working together to identify breeders who put financial gain before the welfare needs of their dogs and pups.”
At court in 2024 was told the defendant was linked to a vehicle containing 10 pups at Larne Port.
She was found guilty in respect of causing unnecessary suffering after the puppies were discovered.
The charges were brought by Mid and East Antrim Borough Council under the Welfare of Animals Act (NI) 2011.
Proceedings followed an investigation by the council’s Animal Welfare officers who were called to Larne port in April 2023 after concerns had been raised regarding the condition of puppies found within a van.
Animal Welfare Officers attended the Port and found two crossbreed type puppies, two German Shepherd type puppies and six Labrador puppies. The puppies were contained within a crate that was deemed too small for them.
The van used for transporting the puppies contained no food and had limited water. An independent vet assessed the puppies and found two crossbreed dogs had “hemorrhagic diarrhoea”. All the puppies were found to be underweight and were seized by Animal Welfare Officers.
Shortly after seizure, five of the puppies contracted parvovirus and died.
The council-appointed vet stated in their report: “In my opinion, all 10 pups suffered due to exposure to parvovirus with only five of the 10 surviving. This could have been prevented by ensuring all pups were of an appropriate age to travel, vaccinated, in good body conditions and free from signs of disease prior to transport”.
The remaining five puppies made a full recovery and were successfully rehomed.
Bennett failed to complete the 200 hours of Community Service - only doing 77 of the hours.
A defence barrister told Thursday's court the unpaid work had not been completed because of health issues but the defendant can now complete the work.
District Judge Nigel Broderick ordered her to complete the outstanding 123 hours of Community Service.