Five dogs left abandoned and starving at home in County Antrim had killed and started to eat one of their pack

Jailing Conor Ward at Ballymena Departmental Court, District Judge Nigel Broderick told the 32-year-old it was no surprise that having been left with neither food nor water, the dogs began fighting to such an extent that one Staffordshire Bull terrier was killed and the other four, “no doubt starving of food, resorted to eating it.”

Revealing how the dog most likely died as a result of “significant trauma to the upper respiratory tract,” the judge told the court “I cannot imagine a more serious and harrowing case of animal cruelty” and he also banned Ward from keeping, owning or transporting any animal for 20 years.

Last December Ward, from Cranny Avenue in Carnlough, entered guilty pleas to five of the seven charges against him, all committed on 23 November 2020 at an address in Glenarm including three counts of causing dogs to suffer unnecessarily and two charges of failing to meet the reasonable needs of the dogs - three Staffordshire Bull Terriers and an English bull terrier.

Today a prosecuting lawyer told the court that on 23 November a neighbour reported dogs fighting in the back yard of the property in Glenarm and “within hours” animal inspectors had obtained a warrant to gain entry.

The property was vacant, there was no food, little clothing but there was post in the defendant’s name, said the lawyer adding that when investigators looked in the rear concrete yard, they discovered the half eaten dead dog and four other animals.

The four living dogs, three Staffordshire Bull Terriers and an English bull terrier, were all underweight, had no access to food or water, had no clean bedding and all had cuts and wounds of varying ages.

One female terrier was found “hiding in the back of a kennel and took some coaxing and reassurance” to entice her out and when she did emerge, there were fresh and bleeding wounds to her face and nose.

The lawyer also outlined that while “appearing stiff and sore” when they were initially seized, in the space of just four days of being fed and cared for, two of the starved dogs had each gained just over two kilos and the four dogs found alive have all been successfully rehomed.

Defence counsel Grant Powles immediately conceded in his plea in mitigation that “it’s an extremely serious case” but he told the judge that according to Ward, he had asked a relative to look after the dogs as he was dealing with personal issues at the time.

He said that as a result, Ward turned to “illicit drugs” but he had expressed remorse for his actions and is “willing to engage with a combination order” to enable him to address those underlying sensitive issues.

DJ Broderick said the offences were so serious they to be met with a prison sentence.

“I have to say the facts as read out by the prosecution and from observing the photographs they paint what I can only describe as a truly horrific situation,” said the judge, “to see any animal lying with it’s carcass exposed and having been eaten or consumed by other dogs is truly harrowing.”

DJ Broderick said it was “reasonable to infer” the animal had been attacked as a result of them being starved and left in “truly appalling conditions.”

Although he imposed a six month jail sentence in order to both punish Ward and to deter others, the judge freed him own bail pending an appeal of the sentence.