Gardaí seize animals and cash after tip-off on dog fight

SEVEN dogs were found and a sum of cash was seized when gardaí and animal cruelty inspectors raided an illegal dog fight in Co Kildare yesterday morning.

A number of men were found at the premises in Robertstown near Newbridge where the fight was disturbed just before midday.

Gardaí along with members of the Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) carried out the raid after a tip-off about the event.

A man in his thirties was arrested and later released without charge after being questioned.

The amount of cash seized at the fight was unclear last night but huge sums of money are known to change hands in betting on illegal dog fighting.

The Dublin SPCA said the dogs, often pit bull terriers or Staffordshires, are usually highly trained especially for the cruel activity.

But they are almost always left badly mutilated afterwards and forced to fight again.

“Some dogs have to be put down after the fights or, if they are not, then they should be,” said DSPCA inspector Penny White.

She said a number of such fights have been uncovered by DSPCA in recent years, often in disused warehouses.

“The tips on these activities usually come from people within the circle who are disgruntled and report the whereabouts of a fight,” Ms White said.

Gardaí in Newbridge are preparing a file for the Director of Public Prosecutions in relation to the arrested man, which could lead to criminal charges being brought against him at a later date.