‘Like a skeleton on legs’ — Pet ban for dog owner with ‘emaciated’ lurcher 

Robert Nugent also admitted neglecting a Rottweiler dog

Robert Nugent was banned from owning animals for three years, fined €150 and ordered to pay €1,845 in costs. Picture: IrishPhotoDesk.ie

A pet owner has been spared jail but was banned from owning animals for three years after he admitted neglecting his "emaciated" lurcher dog described by a judge as "a skeleton on legs".

"Dog lover" Robert Nugent, Glenshane Lawn, Tallaght, Dublin, pleaded guilty to breaching the Animal Health and Welfare Act by causing unnecessary suffering and failing to provide sufficient food and water to the lurcher. Apart from the pet ownership ban, which will be reviewed in 2027, he was fined €150 and ordered to pay €1,845 in costs at Dublin District Court on Wednesday.