Courts

Vet and Ashton Dog Pound supervisor fined over unlawful administration of euthanasia drug

Judge says Sydney Nagle (65) has been of ‘considerable service’ to animals and their owners but that Dolethal is a particularly dangerous product

Dolethal, a lethal medicine containing pentobarbital sodium, is only allowed to be stored at a veterinary practice and to be administered intravenously by a vet. Photograph: iStock
Jessica Magee
Sonya McLean
Wed Jul 31 2024 - 20:13

A Dublin veterinary surgeon has been fined €12,500 and a supervisor at a dog pound has been fined €400 for their roles in the unlawful administration of a euthanasia drug to two dogs in 2020.

The two cases are the latest in a series of prosecutions at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court relating to events at Ashton Dog Pound near Castleknock over the weekend of July 24th, 2020, when a drug known as Dolethal was given orally to two dogs which later died.

The lethal medicine, containing pentobarbital sodium, is only allowed to be stored at a veterinary practice and to be administered intravenously by a vet.

Vet Sydney Nagle (65), of the Oaks, Hollystown, Dublin 15, pleaded guilty to two counts of causing or permitting someone other than a vet to have this medicine in their possession and control. He also admitted to four counts related to his failure to keep records including batch numbers, serial numbers, sales and purchases of the product, and his failure to keep these records for five years.

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Raymond Connolly (56), of Claddagh Green, Ballyfermot, Dublin, pleaded guilty to two counts relating to possessing the vet-only medicine and causing or permitting a lay person to administer it to the two dogs over the weekend in question.

The court heard it had been decided previously at the pound that the two dogs, an Akita and a Bichon Frise, were to be put down. The dogs suffered symptoms including vomiting and diarrhoea after they were dosed with Dolethal. One dog died while the other was humanely euthanised some days later.

Judge Martin Nolan said he had no doubt that Nagle was a fine vet who has been of “considerable service” to animals and animal owners. But he said the drug in question was particularly dangerous and should only be administered intravenously, by a vet.

Judge Nolan gave Nagle, of Cara Veterinary Group, six months to pay the sum of €12,500. The judge described Nagle as a “friendly and co-operative man” with no previous convictions, and said he was likely to face some consequences as a result of an ongoing fitness-to-practice inquiry by the Veterinary Council of Ireland.

He accepted that it was an established practice at Ashton Pound to administer Dolethal without a vet.

Nagle, who has been a practising vet since 1982, told gardaí he was naive and did not know at the time that it was an offence. “I regret my naivety. At no time did I cause any pain or suffering to any animal. I tried to do my best,” he said.

Judge Nolan described Connolly’s culpability as “quite low” as he said he could not have been expected to know the intricacies of the law. “He was administering drugs to dogs and thought it was normal procedure,” the judge said.

“It was illegal on many fronts and probably dangerous for himself and other employees,” added the judge, who gave Connolly six months to pay the €400 fine.

A former manager of the pound, Donal Moroney (70), of Ayrfield Drive, Coolock, was fined €500 last month for allowing Dolethal to be stored at the pound and administered unlawfully to two dogs. The former owner of the pound, David Stone, was fined €30,000 in February of last year for three similar charges.

Stone (66), of Hazelbrook, Loughlinstown, Ratoath, Co Meath, had been running the pound since 1996 and had contracts with councils including Dublin City, Fingal, South Dublin and Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown.