When one dog was collected from Waggies, his owners noticed that he had lost weight, he smelled strongly of urine and his eyes were gunged-up
A Co Antrim woman who neglected the needs of almost 40 dogs in an “absolutely shocking case” was handed a 10-month prison sentence on Thursday, suspended for three years.
Sentencing Paula McIvor at Lisburn Magistrates Court, District Judge Rosie Watters told the 43-year-old “it’s an absolutely shocking case…it’s certainly one of the most shocking cases I have ever dealt with”.
The judge told McIvor it was clear that while running the Waggies Pet Hotel, she had taken in people’s beloved pets but instead of caring for them properly, her business was effectively, “a licence to print money”
With many of the owners looking on from the public gallery, Judge Watters told McIvor her offending was made all the worse because despite being told to close her business on August 11, she continued for another three weeks.
“This is really quite a shocking case,” the judge repeated.
“I didn’t know anything about the case before it was outlined to me but I knew there was quite a lot of interest in it.”
Addressing McIvor directly, Judge Watters told her “people trusted you with their animals and their pets…and you have to understand how people feel about their pets”.
At an earlier hearing, McIvor, from the Belfast Road in Glenavy, entered guilty pleas to a total of six charges, committed between July 12 and August 29 2023.
The particulars of the offences disclose that “at premises known as Waggies Pet Hotel” on the Belfast Road in Glenavy, McIvor failed to take reasonable steps to meet the needs of:
- Sam, the Golden retriever;
- Steve, Bichon Frise/Poodle cross;
- Tonks, a Border Collie;
- 36 other unnamed dogs.
In addition to charges of failure to ensure the needs of the animals were met, McIvor also admitted causing unnecessary suffering to Tonks, a Border Collie who tragically had to be put to sleep due to a multitude of health conditions developed while in McIvor’s care.
Opening the facts of the case, a prosecuting lawyer told the court concerns were first raised on 8 August 2023 when the owner of Steve, a Bichon Frise, picked him up from Waggies.
Steve, the court heard, had been staying at the boarding kennels for ten days while his family went on holiday but when he was collected, his owners noticed that he had lost weight, he smelled strongly of urine and his eyes were gunged-up.
His owners had left 20 pouches of wet food for Steve but when they collected him, McIvor handed half of it back unopened, said the lawyer, adding that during his stay at McIvor’s kennels, Steve lost 10% of his body weight.
His coat was also urine-stained to such an extent that professional grooming was not able to remove the staining.
Steve’s condition sparked a joint investigation by DAERA and Lisburn City and Castlereagh Council whose officers went to inspect the premises.
The prosecutor described how the inspection found:
- Faeces “everywhere;”
- Bags of rubbish lying around;
- Dogs mixing freely despite McIvor not knowing whether they were vaccinated, neutered or spayed;
- Animals’ kennels not having any source of light;
- Dogs having no access to water;
- Dogs having access to potential hazardous chemicals such as Jeyes Fluid;
- Sharp edges and bare nails exposed causing danger;
- Kennels and boarding areas smelling so strongly of urine it caused inspectors’ eye to water.
As the investigation continued, further reports were received by other concerned owners including the owners of Golden Retriever Sam.
When Sam was collected by his family, his coat was matted, his eyes were gummy, he had lost weight and when he got home, he was so thirsty he cleared several bowls of water, the court heard.
The most serious of the cases related to Tonks, the Border Collie.
The prosecutor outlined that when Tonks was collected, she was lethargic and had to be lifted into the car and was so smelly, her owners had to leave the car windows open when they took him home.
He also had bloody discharge from his eyes and nose, he was suffering from “dark diarrhoea” and he also had “significant weight loss”.
Taken to the vet, Tonks was initially treated for a severe upper respiratory infection but overnight, she suffered a number of seizures and after the vet diagnosed she was suffering from renal failure, Tonks was sadly put to sleep.
McIvor was interviewed about what had been happening on her premises “and she gave no comment to all questions”.
The prosecutor confirmed that in addition to an application for McIvor to be disqualified from keeping or caring for animals, the council are also applying for a deprivation order in relation to McIvor’s own dog.
Defence counsel Patrick Taylor began his plea in mitigation by emphasising that McIvor “has expressed her shame and remorse” over the offending.
He added that McIvor also wanted to place on public record, her apologies to the owners of victims of her offences.
Mr Taylor conceded while it was no excuse but to put the offending into context, McIvor had separated from her partner at the time of the offences and that, in turn, had led to staffing problems as well as personal problems. She had also been caring for her father, said the barrister.
Judge Watters told him however, that McIvor ought to have turned customers away and not taken on any further business.
“There is no penalty this court can impose that can make up for the damage that’s been caused,” said Mr Taylor, suggesting that a probation order “could provide structure for Ms McIvor”.
In passing sentence, Judge Watters told McIvor the only features saving her from going to prison were her guilty pleas and lack of record.
In addition to the suspended sentence, McIvor was banned from keeping, owning or caring for any animal for life and the judge also granted the deprivation order, empowering the council to seize and re-home the defendant’s dog.
Judge Watters also ordered McIvor to pay £1,000 compensation to Tonks’ owner and a further £500 to the owners of Sam and Steve.
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