Kildare man banned from keeping animals for life following the death of a sow pig (Warning: Graphic content)

The lifetime ban was issued in relation to an incident that occurred in November 2015.

A Kildare man has been issued with a lifetime ban from keeping any animals following an incident involving two large dogs and a sow pig in November 2015. Seamus Duffy was issued with the lifetime ban in Naas District Court on Tuesday as a result of a multi-agency investigation involving the ISPCA, An Garda Síochána, the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine officials and the Kildare Dog Warden Service. According to the ISPCA, the court heard that Duffy admitted ownership of the two dogs and the sow and confirmed that the animals were allowed to roam freely, resulting in the sow being savagely attacked by the dogs. Warning: The pictures below contain extremely graphic content. Pictures provided by the ISPCA The injuries sustained were so severe that the sow had to be euthanised onsite based on veterinary advice. Duffy pled guilty and accepted his failings under the Animal Health and Welfare Act, maintaining it was not a deliberate act and that he had ongoing medical issues. Judge Desmond Zaidan acknowledged the guilty plea, stating the circumstances of this case was very disturbing causing suffering to an animal to be eaten alive by dogs. There was no safe pen provided for the sow, with Duffy failing to safeguard the welfare of his animals by not providing secure accommodation. Although noting Mr Duffy’s health issues, Judge Zaidan stated that if the accused could not care for himself, then he could not care for his animals. The judge imposed a lifetime ban from keeping any animals and issued a fine of €2,500 plus veterinary costs to be paid within 12 months. Commenting on the outcome of the case, ISPCA Inspector Mary Claire Casement said: “We are pleased with the sentence imposed in this case. Anyone owning an animal has a legal responsibility to provide for its welfare and the ISPCA hopes that this case will send out a clear message that animal neglect is not acceptable and will not be tolerated. "We would like to thank all the agencies involved in bringing this matter to court”. If you suspect an animal is being cruelly treated, neglected or abused, please contact the ISPCA National Animal Cruelty Helpline in confidence on 1890 515 515 or report cruelty online via the ISPCA website.