THREE dogs kept in filthy conditions in a city house were so starved they began to eat a fourth weaker dog alive, the Dublin District Court heard yesterday.
One of the occupants of the house where the dogs were kept, William Hynes (29), of Dunsink Avenue, Finglas, Dublin, was jailed for three months and fined £1,000 for cruelly ill treating the four dogs at his home on July 24th last.
Veterinary surgeon, Mr Garret Freyne, who examined the animals, said he had "never seen a worse case" in 30 years of practice. The three live dogs were "completely starved". A young brown terrier was skin and bone, two greyhounds were in a similar condition. All were destroyed.
A fourth dog, also a greyhound, was dead when brought to the vet. It had a large area of its chest, exposed, its heart was visible and part of its lung had been eaten away. There were also injuries to its ears and eyes.
Mr Freyne said the starvation of the dogs would have led to a situation where "the law of the jungle would prevail and they would try to get food from the weakest and gang up on him".
DSPCA inspector, Mr John Dunne, told the court he got no reply at Hynes's house when he called and went into a neighbour's garden. From here he saw the garden was filthy with no food or water for the animals. He saw the dogs taking flesh from a dog lying on the ground.
In court yesterday, Hynes said the dogs belonged his brother, who had gone to Britain last June. He had left word that a "fella" would come to collect them.
He said he fed them occasion ally with chicken from the Chinese takeaway but denied he been asked to look after them his brother. "I don't get on my brother, I don't talk to him," he said.
Judge Desmond Windle said was extraordinary that a such as this could not be tried in a higher court and said ha penalties were needed. He said the State should give financial support to the Dublin for the Prevention of Animals on a regular basis.
Judge Windle said the DSPCA was an "extremely good" organisation and added: "I hope, apart from the conviction, something good might come out of this case". He suggested the Minister concerned might help the DSPCA.
Imposing three months jail on Hynes, he ordered him to pay a £1,000 fine within nine months or he would face another three months' jail. He also banned him from keeping a dog until the age of 65.
He said he hoped Hynes "might have better regard for the rights of animals by then".