Animal welfare group ‘making progress’ after concerns raised

The Cork Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (CSPCA) has made good progress in implementing the recommendations of a review ordered after concerns about animal welfare were raised.

Cork’s city councillors have been told that improvement works at the CSPCA’s Mahon facility are ongoing, and the premises will be subjected to random inspections annually.

Despite a request from Independent Cllr Kieran McCarthy to reject a report from the city manager, backing the CSPCA, councillors said it is time now to let the centre get on with its business.

A motion calling for the city to put out to tender its dog pound service — which is currently provided by the CSPCA for €25,000 a year — was also rejected.

City manager Tim Lucey said the council’s environment committee has now considered three separate reports on the CSPCA over the last 12 months.

He said there was never a concern about animal welfare — concerns were raised about operational and management issues.

Details of a briefing the environment committee got last October were also revealed.

The committee was told that the CSPCA has improved the concrete yard, re-roofed kennels with inadequate shade, spent €60,000 upgrading its outside kennels, and is developing a dog exercise yard.

All dead animals are bagged before being stored, a dog walking scheme has been reinstated, and all dogs are recorded, photographed and files opened in respect of each animal.

A range of managerial improvements have been made and there are plans to extend its school education programme.

Mr Lucey said: “Massive progress has been made in bringing forward improvements. I strongly recommend that this report would be adopted.”

Cllr Denis O’Flynn (Lab) said he was very impressed with the facility during a recent visit.

“It’s state-of-the-art and spotlessly clean,” he said.

“There’s a new manager gone in there. He’s only in there a few months but the conditions are already far, far better now than they were this time last year. He should be given a chance.”

Cllr Des Cahill (FG) said those members of the public who first raised concerns about the CSPCA — a campaign described by the animal welfare organisation as “malicious” — should congratulate themselves.

“It has resulted in better work practices now being in place,” he said.