Animal welfare inspector in tears as she told court of worst case of animal cruelty she had seen

Accused appeared at Cork Circuit Appeals Court to appeal his jail term but accepted fines and ban on keeping animals

Accused was sentenced to three months in prison at Mallow District Court and banned from keeping animals for 15 years. Picture: Larry Cummins

An experienced animal welfare inspector was overcome with tears in court on Wednesday when she recounted one of the worst animal cruelty cases in her career, as the man responsible for the crime appealed against a jail term.

Caroline Faherty, ISPCA animal welfare inspector, said she was so overcome by the stench from a shed where an emaciated German shepherd mother and pups were found with faeces matted into their coats that she had to step out several times to retch during her inspection.