Karen Saunderson (69), originally from Liverpool and with an address in England, pleaded guilty to 14 offences at a sitting of Bray District Court, contrary to the Animal Health and Welfare Act 2013, after 17 dogs were seized from her property at Templelusk, a townland near Aughrim, Co Wicklow.
Chief inspector Conor Dowling of the Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ISPCA) told the court that he attended the accused’s property in June 2020 following concerns about the welfare of animals kept there.
Mr Dowling said that upon arrival he entered a concrete shed containing stables, where he discovered two sets of German shepherds, one male and one female in each enclosure.
He told the court there was a strong smell coming from the stables and that while large containers of dry dog food were present, the water supplied was not fresh.
The dogs had severely matted fur, and the male German shepherd displayed extremely defensive behaviour, the court heard.
In a separate yard, inspectors discovered a wild boar living in what Mr Dowling described as “okay” condition, but he noted several hazards, including a piece of wood with nails protruding from it close to the animal.
Mr Dowling told the court that in a loft dwelling above the property he uncovered two further dogs with no source of water. He described an overwhelming smell of ammonia in the air, caused by old dog urine and faeces, which caused him to gag.
The court was told that a garda sergeant accompanied Mr Dowling and also remarked on the smell inside the living area, noting that wooden floors and a mattress were soaked with faeces.
Five additional dogs were discovered in another room, while two puppies were found in a bathroom. In total, 17 dogs were seized from the property due to the conditions in which they were living.
Mr Dowling further told the court that beneath a horse rug in a basement area, two dog carcasses were found.
They were later identified as an Irish mastiff and a terrier.
A veterinary report was handed into court which stated that several of the animals had severely matted coats, while others were suffering from worms and parasites living on or inside them.
During interview, Ms Saunderson replied “no comment” to all questions, the court heard.
Mr Dowling returned to the property later in June 2020 for a follow-up inspection, during which the German shepherds acted erratically towards the accompanying garda sergeant. Ms Saunderson refused both men entry to the house on that occasion.
The court also heard that a man named Ian Marshall also lived at the property.
Mr Marshall told gardaí during interview that he had been living in Templelusk for 13 months and looked after the dogs when the accused was working in the UK. Ms Saunderson is a qualified dentist.
The court was told that Ms Saunderson had faced a similar prosecution in May 2025, when she received a fully suspended four-and-a-half-year prison sentence and a lifetime ban on owning animals after pleading guilty to 10 offences under the Animal Health and Welfare Act 2013.
Those charges related to causing unnecessary suffering, neglect, failure to provide adequate food and water, and failing to safeguard the health and welfare of animals at the same Templelusk property.
Sentencing her in that earlier case, Judge Patrick Quinn described it as “one of the most appalling cases of animal neglect” he had ever encountered and said the conditions in which both the defendant and the animals were living amounted to “absolute squalor”.
Mr Dowling told the court in the previous case, that gardaí and animal welfare officers were unable to breathe properly when they entered the living area of the property due to the overpowering smell of ammonia from animal urine, which caused their eyes to burn.
Inspectors discovered a total of 43 dogs, five horses, a pig and a wild boar on the property, with many animals found living in muck and faeces without access to water. Mr Dowling described the environment as “stressful and chaotic”, telling the court that dogs “spilled out” of a loft area when the door was opened, with faeces throughout the living space and pooled urine visible on the floor.
The court heard that an overweight pig found squealing and unable to stand in a filthy stable had to be euthanised later that day to prevent further suffering, while a mastiff with a withered leg was put down a week later.
A pregnant German shepherd later gave birth to nine puppies, some of which were deformed. None survived.
Judge Quinn questioned how the situation had been allowed to develop without intervention, remarking that “somebody must have known”, and stated that it was irrelevant whether the accused had been exploited by others.
While accepting that the neglect was not intentional and linked to Ms Saunderson’s declining mental health, the judge said the suffering caused was severe. He suspended the prison sentence in full and ordered her to pay €15,000 in costs.
Counsel for the defendant, Sorcha Dianamh Ní Néill Fulham BL, acting for Michele Ballance of Harringtons Solicitors, told the court that Ms Saunderson has since paid the €15,000 in full.
The court was told by state solicitor Brian Robinson that the two matters did not travel together, as one was a Director of Public Prosecutions case, while the most recent prosecution was brought by the Department of Agriculture.
Judge David Kennedy told the court that he could not increase the penalty imposed in the earlier case. He asked Mr Dowling whether the ISPCA was seeking any costs, to which Mr Dowling replied that no costs were being sought.
Ms Fulham told the court there was “significant mitigation”, citing Ms Saunderson’s severe health issues.
Judge Kennedy fined Ms Saunderson €1,000 on one count, took the remaining charges into consideration, and imposed a ban preventing her from keeping animals.
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