Man’s dogs killed and ate puppy

A MAN whose dogs killed and ate his girlfriend’s nine-month-old puppy has been banned from ever owning more than one dog.

Wesley Rooney of 12A Carra Vale, Mullingar, Co Westmeath, pleaded guilty to six counts of having no licence for the six dogs found on his premises when gardaí received a report that a child had been attacked in his garden on February 26.

However, when Garda Tomas Blake arrived he found three of Rooney’s six dogs eating his girlfriend’s long-haired fox terrier.

Rooney told Mullingar District Court that the pup was normally kept in the house and they’d forgotten to bring in the house pet.

He said he feeds his dogs on meat scraps from the butchers and some were used for hunting rabbits.

Garda Blake said it was not the first time he’d been called to the house because of problems with the dogs in an estate where there are many children.

Judge Seamus Hughes described photos of the injuries to the pup as horrific.

He adjourned the case until July 8 for Rooney to facilitate the dog warden in removing three of his four dogs, and to save €500 for the ISPCA.