A pensioner has been fined and banned from owning a dog for six years after pleading guilty to what a vet described as "the worst case of neglect" she'd ever seen.
Paul Carroll's Golden Labrador named Lucy was found with a growth so big in her mouth that an investigator initially thought it was a ball. The mass was so large it distorted the shape of her face and head which made it difficult to know what breed she was.
ISPCA Chief Inspector Conor Dowling turned up at the 69-year-old's home in Hollybrook Park, Kilrudder in Demesne West, Bray, Wicklow, in October 2023 after receiving a report from a concerned member of the public.
Mr Dowling found the nine-year-old dog in poor physical condition and had nails so overgrown that they had curled around and were growing into the pads of her feet.
The accused had revealed he brought the dog to the vet 19 months earlier when the growth was the size of an egg. The vet who assessed Lucy at the time recommended a treatment plan but the dog was never brought back.
Mr Dowling then removed the dog from the property to seek veterinary care. The dog weighed 18.8Kg just over half of the 37.2 kg that she weighed in March 2022. The vet said the growth was obstructing the upper airway which would have led to difficulty breathing and caused severe distress.
The mass covered all of the top teeth and the teeth on the bottom jaw were embedded in it too. The vet was of the view that "eating would have been an excruciatingly painful experience for Lucy" and described it as "the worst case of neglect" she had ever seen.
The condition was not treatable, and the dog was euthanised. Mr Dowling later interviewed the defendant who disputed the vet's opinion and didn't think the dog was suffering.
During the interview, the defendant also told how he was a carer for his wife who has a number of health issues. During a hearing on Monday at Bray District Court, Mr Carroll pleaded guilty to two offences under the Animal Health and Welfare Act 2013.
Judge John O'Leary asked Mr Carroll had not brought Lucy back to the vet. Eoin Gallagher BL, representing the accused, said that there was "an element of denial" and that his client "absolutely adored" the dog.
The barrister highlighted the fact that the dog was kept in the house and was not shut out in a shed in its own waste. He said that the dog was "exceptionally ill" and that his client "did not want to accept it".
Judge O'Leary asked about the defendant's economic circumstances and was told that he is on a carer's allowance. He described the offence as "significant"and fined Mr Carroll €1,000 and ordered that he pay €500 ISPCA costs.
In addition, he disqualified the defendant from owning dogs for a period of six years. Speaking after the case, Chief Inspector Dowling said: "While poor Lucy may not have been subjected to physical abuse or deliberately harmed, that does not mean that she suffered any less"
"In fact, in my 25 years working with the ISPCA, I don't think that I have encountered a dog that endured more pain and distress over a prolonged period."
"As pet owners, our animals rely on us to care for them and that means doing what is right for them rather than being concerned about our own feelings".
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