Dogs have been rescued from horrific conditions in an illegal puppy farm – with some of the poor pups living in "complete darkness".
Michael Lenane, 56, from County Waterford, Ireland, has been sentenced to three months in jail after he was found operating the cruel farm.
The dogs and puppies were found living in converted sheds at the premises.
Inspector Alice Lacey of the ISPCA described how dogs were living in confined spaces with very little room to move.
One shed in particular was used for expectant mothers and females with young pups, who were left in “virtually complete darkness with little ventilation”.
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Some of the dogs were left without water and barely any bedding, meaning that young puppies were lying on bare, hard surfaces.
In addition to the awful living conditions, a lot of the dogs also had dirty, matted coats, overgrown nails and infected teeth and gums.
In total, 29 dogs and puppies who were most affected were surrendered to the ISPCA and taken into the care of Waterford SPCA.
The premises were given a closure notice under the Dog Breeding Establishments Act by Waterford County Council.
Inspector Lacey was on the scene, and told the court that the dogs removed had "extremely nervous dispositions".
She said: "They were subjected to an environment whereby they were confined to a small space with little to no interaction for the purpose of breeding.
"It took months of rehabilitation before any of the adult dogs were ready to be re-homed due to the issues relating to their nervousness and fear of people."
In Dungarvan District Court on May 13 this year, Michael Lenane, 65, of Dromana, Cappoquin, Co. Waterford, was sentenced to three months imprisonment having admitted nine offences under sections 11, 12 and 13 of the Animal Health and Welfare Act 2013.
In addition to the custodial sentence, Judge Brian O’Shea disqualified Lenane from keeping dogs for life, fined him €2,000 (£1,700), and ordered that he pay a total of €2,770 (£2,400) in veterinary and legal costs.
Commenting on illegal dog breeding, Judge O’Shea said: “The work of this ISPCA Inspector is important in saving dogs from this type of treatment, which has the potential to be very lucrative and the work of the ISPCA needs to be commended in trying to shut down these places.”
