A dog breeder who docked the tails of three pups was fined €850 yesterday.
Raymond Costello, Chapelizod Road, Dublin, was fined in his absence after he failed to appear in court on charge of cruelly ill-treating the Yorkshire terrier pups at his home on September 7th last year. Docking is used in dog breeding for cosmetic purposes but is considered by animal welfare groups to be mutilation.
Dublin District Court heard DSPCA animal welfare inspector Liam Kinsella called on foot of a complaint to Mr Costello's home and found two seven-week-old pups with tourniquets on their tails, known as "docking", which withers the tail and causes it to fall off. A third, 10-week-old pup had already lost its tail.
The pups were in pain and distress and were treated by a vet, but the tails could not be saved.