Man who kept Yorkshire Terriers in 'horrendous conditions' allowed to keep single pet

A man who kept four Yorkshire Terriers in "horrendous conditions" has been allowed to keep a single pet. 

According to the Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ISPCA), the man appeared in Kilkenny District Court in January 2024, where Judge Geraldine Carty imposed a disqualification order for all dogs apart from a single pet dog. 

She permitted the man to keep the pet for the remainder of its life, however he would not be able to replace the dog with another when it passed. 

The man first came to the attention of the ISPCA during an inspection; Senior Inspector, Fiona Conlon, described how the man told her the dogs belonged to his deceased father, and that he had bred them to "keep the line". 

However, his father reportedly died 16 years ago.  

According to the ISPCA, the dogs were surrendered and taken for immediate veterinary assessment, where they were found to have very poor skin and coats, and advanced dental disease so severe that one dog’s tooth fell out during the veterinary examination. 

Senior Inspector Conlon, "The condition of these four little dogs and their living environment was horrendous. They were commercial entities, used for breeding. None of the dogs had ever seen a vet and, from their fear, they had very little human interaction.

"Thankfully these dogs are now in loving homes. If you are thinking of getting a dog, please consider rescuing, there are so many dogs in Ireland right now looking for homes, let’s make 'Rescued' our favourite breed."