A man has been remanded in custody to appear before Kilkenny District Court next month on charges of cruelty to animals.
Simon O’Dwyer Snr of Garrue, Mullinavat, Co Kilkenny pleaded guilty at Kilkenny District Court on Monday January 4 to four charges of animal cruelty and three counts of failing to dispose of carcasses on lands farmed by him.
Garda Shane Elliffe told the court that he found a black horse lying dead in the farmyard at Mr O'Dwyer's home at Garrue, Mullinavat, Co Kilkenny, on January 30, 2009.
He also found the carcasses of five horses and two cattle piled with the use of a front loader behind a number of round bales in a shed on the farm.
Garda Elliffe explained that he witnessed dogs owned by Mr O'Dwyer eating from the carcasses.
Gardaí visited the farm in February 2007 with vet and president of Veterinary Ireland Joe Collins. Mr O'Dwyer was told to remedy the poor conditions of animals on the farm.
Mr O'Dwyer has been in custody since his arrest last month after the remains of two more horses were found on lands at Mullinavat and Piltown. Garda Elliffe said that more than 100 animals were suffering daily from lack of food, shelter and water.
Some 61 horses and 46 cattle were seized by officers from the Department of Agriculture from lands farmed by Mr O'Dwyer in December.
Mr Collins gave evidence that Mr O'Dwyer was ‘breeding stallions' and other horses on his home farm.
He told Judge William Harnett the operation had got out of control two years ago and that Mr O'Dwyer showed no understanding that basic things like water were required for the keeping of animals.
Michael Lanigan, solicitor for Mr O'Dwyer, said his client was a widower who suffered from depression and that he was unable to manage the operation.
Judge Harnett ordered that a psychiatric report be carried out on Mr O'Dwyer and remanded the accused in custody to appear back before the court on February 1 next.
Meanwhile the ISPCA welcomed the guilty plea and action taken by the court.
ISPCA chairperson Barbara Bent, who represented the ISPCA throughout the case, said, “this is one of the worst cases of equine neglect and cruelty the ISPCA has dealt with in recent years. It has involved numerous visits to the O’Dwyer farm over many months and the seizure of horses in appalling conditions.
“Large numbers of horses have suffered abuse and starvation on this farm for years, and have even been left without water on many occasions. Emaciated, injured and terrified horses were a common occurrence at the O’Dwyers, where a total disregard for suffering and an appalling lack of animal care existed.”
She said that the ISPCA would like to commend the dedication and commitment of Garda Shane Elliffe, in addition to the assistance of a veterinary expert from University College Dublin’s World Horse Welfare Project who attended the farm on numerous occasions, and Gardaí at Thomastown Garda Station and the Department of Agriculture who worked to bring this dreadful case to a positive conclusion.”
