A post-mortem showed that the deceased dogs were dehydrated and emaciated with no body fat and no food in their stomachs prior to their deaths.

A Carlow woman has been banned from keeping animals for the rest of her life after pleading guilty to 12 offences under the Animal Health and Welfare Act 2013. Christine Browne with an address at 6 Templeown, Tullow, Co. Carlow was found guilty of barricading dogs within a shed, two of which died from lack of food and water. In addition to the disqualification, Judge Cephas Power imposed a five month custodial sentence, suspended for one year and ordered that Browne pay a total of €1,550 in court and ISPCA costs.

ISPCA Inspector Fiona Conlon gave an eyewitness account of the conditions the animals were found in.

The inspector visited a vacant property at Tankardstown, Tullow, Co. Carlow on Christmas Eve 2019. She described seeing a small rusty coloured terrier running loose and then a shed with its door and windows blocked up and tightly secured.

Once inside the shed, she discovered the remains of a large Doberman cross and a white/fawn terrier, both of which Conlon described as "bony, gaunt, and visibly undernourished".

Empty containers were found, and a huge pile of moulding faeces was in the middle of the floor.

Inspector Conlon removed the live dog and the two deceased dogs, bringing them to a local vet.

A post-mortem showed that the deceased dogs were dehydrated and emaciated with no body fat and no food in their stomachs prior to their deaths.

Inspector Conlon stated that the dogs would have died horrendous deaths, they were locked in a shed with no food or water and left there to starve.

Judge Power said that the photographs produced in evidence and Inspector Conlon's testimony showed the gravity of the suffering the animals endured saying that it was “at the top end of the scale”.

He imposed a five month custodial sentence but, taking into account Browne’s guilty plea and the fact that she was a first time offender, he suspended the sentence for 12 months.

“As Animal Welfare Inspectors, we find dogs that are thin, injured or in need of veterinary care," said Inspector Conlon.

"You remove the animals from their bad situations, get them the attention they need and they have hope, hope for a better life.

"In this case there was no hope, the dogs were deceased. These two dogs were barricaded into a shed and deprived of the basic requirements to live, food and water.

"These actions resulted in the poor dogs suffering a slow horrendous death the thoughts of which haunt me to this day.”

The ISPCA is reminding members of the public to please report any animal welfare concerns to the ISPCA National Animal Cruelty Helpline online here or by calling on 0818 515 515 or emailing helpline@ispca.ie.