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Horror attack on puppy shocks Skibbereen

September 7th, 2015 7:20 AM

By Southern Star Team

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FOLLOWING a horrific case of animal cruelty in Skibbereen, in which a small puppy's head was skinned alive and her four paws were bitten off, gardai have confirmed that a file has been prepared for the DPP.

BY Kieran O’Mahony

FOLLOWING a horrific case of animal cruelty in Skibbereen, in which a small puppy’s head was skinned alive and her four paws were bitten off, gardai have confirmed that a file has been prepared for the DPP.

Skibbereen gardai said this week that they had fully investigated the horrific case, after the young female lurcher puppy was found dead and discarded on wasteland.

The dog was found on ground behind a local housing estate in the town in March of this year but details only came to light this week. Hundreds of commentators took to social media earlier this week to express their outrage at this latest animal cruelty story.

Della Murray, who has been actively involved in animal welfare issues in West Cork for many years, was tipped off about the dead puppy and brought her to a local vet for a post-mortem before she buried her.

Della said it was a shocking case as all four legs were missing, with the puppy’s front legs ripped off at the elbow region, with evidence of animal bite marks. Her hind legs were taken off above the hock.

‘It looked as if the legs were cracked off, as there was no blood there and it is hard to say when and how they went missing. From the neck up, the puppy was completely skinned with ears and the soft part of the nose missing,’ said a distressed Della, speaking to The Southern Star.

Photographs of the puppy supplied to The Star were too shocking to reprint, so a pixilated image accompanies this article.

The vet’s report stated that there was also extensive bruising on top of the puppy’s shoulders and in the left chest there was a hole which completely perforated the chest wall, which led to the lungs collapsing.

The vet said that the puppy must have been violently attacked in order to sustain such extensive injuries, and surely died ‘an extremely agonising’ death.

The young lurcher, which Della named ‘Justice for me’, was the latest in a long line of dogs that Della has found over the years, in varying states of distress.

She is now calling on Cork County Council to be pro-active and monitor the situation. While the Council has no authority over private houses, it does have a function monitoring the number of animals owned by its tenants. ‘Tenancy agreements only allow for two dogs in a Council house,’ she pointed out. ‘And if we can get the Council to be responsible landlords, then it will be an achivement. I want to make something positive out of this horrific story.’

Jennifer Headlam of West Cork Animal Welfare Group said the only way to tackle animal cruelty is for an offenders’ list to be established of those already prosecuted.

‘This particular case is just horrific, but it’s one of many, and until offenders are put on a list for committing cruelty, then it will continue. Only last night I got a call from someone that a dog and her puppies were found dumped on the side of the road,’ said Jennifer.

‘We are certainly getting more animals into our base as people are not really thinking it through when they decide to get a pet.’

Lisa O’Donovan, ISPCA inspector for the Cork region said that they will be happy to assist gardaí in this particular case if they need their help.

‘What people need to realise is that offenders do get prosecuted and we currently have five cases pending in Cork city – and one in Bandon and one in Clonakilty, involving quite serious animal cruelty.’

Della said that the public can help by donating food or worming tablets to local vets, to pass on to animal cruelty charities.

Donations will also help with vets’ bills, she added.

BY Kieran O’Mahony

FOLLOWING a horrific case of animal cruelty in Skibbereen, in which a small puppy’s head was skinned alive and her four paws were bitten off, gardai have confirmed that a file has been prepared for the DPP.

Skibbereen gardai said this week that they had fully investigated the horrific case, after the young female lurcher puppy was found dead and discarded on wasteland.

The dog was found on ground behind a local housing estate in the town in March of this year but details only came to light this week. Hundreds of commentators took to social media earlier this week to express their outrage at this latest animal cruelty story.

Della Murray, who has been actively involved in animal welfare issues in West Cork for many years, was tipped off about the dead puppy and brought her to a local vet for a post-mortem before she buried her.

Della said it was a shocking case as all four legs were missing, with the puppy’s front legs ripped off at the elbow region, with evidence of animal bite marks. Her hind legs were taken off above the hock.

‘It looked as if the legs were cracked off, as there was no blood there and it is hard to say when and how they went missing. From the neck up, the puppy was completely skinned with ears and the soft part of the nose missing,’ said a distressed Della, speaking to The Southern Star.

Photographs of the puppy supplied to The Star were too shocking to reprint, so a pixilated image accompanies this article.

The vet’s report stated that there was also extensive bruising on top of the puppy’s shoulders and in the left chest there was a hole which completely perforated the chest wall, which led to the lungs collapsing.

The vet said that the puppy must have been violently attacked in order to sustain such extensive injuries, and surely died ‘an extremely agonising’ death.

The young lurcher, which Della named ‘Justice for me’, was the latest in a long line of dogs that Della has found over the years, in varying states of distress.

She is now calling on Cork County Council to be pro-active and monitor the situation. While the Council has no authority over private houses, it does have a function monitoring the number of animals owned by its tenants. ‘Tenancy agreements only allow for two dogs in a Council house,’ she pointed out. ‘And if we can get the Council to be responsible landlords, then it will be an achivement. I want to make something positive out of this horrific story.’

Jennifer Headlam of West Cork Animal Welfare Group said the only way to tackle animal cruelty is for an offenders’ list to be established of those already prosecuted.

‘This particular case is just horrific, but it’s one of many, and until offenders are put on a list for committing cruelty, then it will continue. Only last night I got a call from someone that a dog and her puppies were found dumped on the side of the road,’ said Jennifer.

‘We are certainly getting more animals into our base as people are not really thinking it through when they decide to get a pet.’

Lisa O’Donovan, ISPCA inspector for the Cork region said that they will be happy to assist gardaí in this particular case if they need their help.

‘What people need to realise is that offenders do get prosecuted and we currently have five cases pending in Cork city – and one in Bandon and one in Clonakilty, involving quite serious animal cruelty.’

Della said that the public can help by donating food or worming tablets to local vets, to pass on to animal cruelty charities.

Donations will also help with vets’ bills, she added.

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