Two men in County Waterford have been handed down four month custodial sentences for animal cruelty.
Patrick and Michael O'Brien of Lismore, County Waterford were sentenced at Dungarvan District Court, after pleading guilty to offences under the Animal Health and Welfare Act.
Both brothers were also disqualified from owning any dogs for life and were ordered to pay costs of over €3,000.
ISPCA Inspector Alice Lacey says there were over 20 dogs living in horrendous conditions.
"On veterinary advice, after all of the dogs were assessed with their temperament and their behaviour, a number of the dogs were humanely euthanized based on veterinary advice.
"The rest of the dogs, and when I say months, it took months of rehabilitation to get them to the state where they could be re-homed."
She continued to say that this case was one of the worst cases of abuse the ISPCA have dealth with.
"We were met with a scene of dogs who had been completely unsocialised, very little human contact, kept in sheds which were dark, which had very little ventilation and light
"Also, dogs kept in various different rooms kept inside the dwelling house.
"I think what hit me the most was how nervous and petrified all of those dogs were.
"They had been born and rared on that property and had very little interaction with anybody."
Photo: ISPCA
