Litany of NW animalabuse sparks action

In August the Sentinel revealed that hare coursing and using glue-covered sticks to catch wild birds in Limavady were among a horrendous series of incidents of animal cruelty reported to police in recent years.

In other parts of the North West, monkeys held captive; swans stoned by callous youths; and wild birds peppered with shot and left for dead also shocked investigators.

Last week Mr Robinson’s call for the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Mcihelle O’Neill to extend sentences available for deliberate and severe animal cruelty to include longer periods of imprisonment gained the support of the Assembly.

During a debate on the matter shocking further incidences of kittens being set on fire and pups being tied outside in freezing conditions - both occurred in Londonderry - were mentioned.

Mr Robinson suggested minimum as well as maximum tariffs could be considered to give the judiciary more options in animal cruelty cases.

He said a strong deterrent was needed for “youths who tried to burn a kitten alive in Londonderry.”

“I acknowledge that such inhumane behaviour towards animals is apparently rare, but rarity should not be an excuse for a lack of tougher punishment for perpetrators,” Mr Robinson told the House.

“Rarity means such crimes are even more disgusting and unacceptable, and they must, therefore, attract a premium when sentencing. That is what the motion seeks from the Minister: recognition of the severity of such acts and provision of suitable punishment,” he said.

Sinn Féin West Tyrone MLA Declan McAleer referred to the incidents reported by the Sentinel in August in support of the motion.

“Many other incidents of abuse have been reported in different council areas. For example, two labrador pups were tied to a post and abandoned in freezing conditions in Derry.

“We have heard about badger-baiting throughout the country, dead horses being found in fields in County Antrim and the use of glue-covered sticks to catch wild birds in Limavady.

“Indeed, there was an incident in which a Golden eagle and a raven were poisoned in Castlederg in my constituency of West Tyrone,” he told colleagues.

For her part, the Minister said she was committed to a clampdown on animal torturers but said new legislation would not be required to implement this.

Minister O’Neill said: “I am totally committed to protecting and safeguarding animal welfare. I believe that the new tough penalties introduced by the 2011 Act will be a strong deterrent to thugs who would carry out such barbaric welfare abuses as the recent Cody case (an infamous case of a dog being set alight).

“I support the full use of the extended sentences available for serious animal welfare offences to include longer periods of imprisonment to ensure that perpetrators receive a punishment that fits the crime.

“I intend to meet the Minister of Justice to ensure that the Courts are encouraged to make full use of the range of penalties available for animal welfare offences and in horrific cases like the Cody case to apply the maximum penalties possible.”

In August the Sentinel revealed how sadistic thugs were responsible for over twenty crimes against animals reported to the local PSNI over the past two years including badger baiting and the poisoning of wild birds of prey. There were at least four reports of wildlife crime made to the PSNI in the G District area in 2010.

This included the poisoning of a Golden eagle and raven in Castlederg; the suspected transportation of very young pups, possibly illegal breeds, from Londonderry to England; and unauthorised hunting on land in Eglinton with the culprits simply refusing to move on; and hare coursing in Limavady.

And there was a sharp escalation in the number of cruel acts towards animals reported last year with at least 19 reports across the entire North West.

In one instance a monkey was found to have been kept in a backyard in Strabane in April 2011. According to the PSNI a caller reported going into the backyard after hearing that a dog was barking and discovering the monkey there. The monkey then went off into a nearby field without a trace.

The incident echoed a similar sighting in Omagh in November 2010 when PSNI received a report of a small red monkey running in front of a vehicle and on towards a field.

Other disturbing incidents include reports of a man shooting crows and pigeons in Sion Mills in August last year without killing them. Five birds were found maimed and left for dead.

Equally, horrific was a report of a group of youths throwing stones at an injured swan in Strabane and a report of someone using traps and a limestick for illegally catching wild finches and siskins in Limavady. Lime-sticks are twigs, which are covered in an extremely sticky ‘glue.’