PBP Call for ‘extensive report’ into Myshall Puppy Farm licensing
At the November council meeting People Before Profit councillor Adrienne Wallace tabled a motion calling for an extensive report that details how a license was issued by Carlow council to the Puppy Farm at Raheenleigh, Myshall six months before it was closed down as a result of the extreme neglect and abuse of the animals there. The motion also calls for the report to list any future recommendations needed to ensure a more thorough process for granting licenses is in place.
The Myshall puppy farm case sparked outrage across the country with the scale of the rescue being the largest the ISPCA had ever carried out. The ISPCA’s chief inspector said at the time that “even seasoned ISPCA officers” found the squalid conditions to be “truly shocking”. Reports stated that many of the animals were living in absolute squalor and had no water, were living in stalls full of faeces and were feeding off dead horses and dogs.
Apart from animal welfare concerns, serious public health issues on the puppy farm emerged during the subsequent court case. Hearing that dead and dying animals were found lying near a public water treatment facility on the farm and this posed a serious public health risk.
Pressure is now mounting on Carlow County Council over its inspection regime after it emerged that the council granted a license just 6 months before the horrific conditions were exposed. Cllr Wallace said “Two and a half tonnes of dead animals were removed from the site in Myshall. This is a significant amount which would have taken time to accumulate, how was it not spotted at the inspection? Serious questions need to be asked.”
Cllr Wallace added that “reports from April of this year state that the council blocked the release of the inspection report. This is despite having initially said it would consider releasing the reports after the appeal concluded. Why would they hide this information? The Council cannot continue to refuse to divulge any of the material on which the decision was based. We need to know the systemic failures throughout the council’s procedures and ensure this never happens again”.
