Gardaí rescue 35 dogs in fighting ring raid

cotton

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/29/20081118/tie-g...in-6c17b45.html

Thirty-five dogs were recovered from rat infested buildings after a suspected drug dealing and dog-fighting ring was smashed, gardaí revealed today. Skip related content

Cocaine, ecstasy and cannabis, an air pistol and ball bearing ammunition was also recovered when gardaí raided premises on the outskirts of Tallaght, south Dublin.

It is suspected some of the terriers and bulldogs were being used in illegal fighting and badger baiting.

Cats and dead rats were found in some of the outbuildings suggesting owners were attempting to blood young terrier pups for the cruel practise.

Inspectors from the Dublin Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (DSPCA) said its welfare officers were alerted to suspected cruelty yesterday afternoon at the run-down farm.

The premises, which includes several outhouses in the Mount Seskin area at the foot of the Dublin mountains, was raided by local gardaí and the DSPCA at around 3.30pm.

No-one was at home at the time and no arrests have been made.

Gardaí said officers recovered 10,000 ecstasy tablets, half a kilo of cocaine worth €35,000 and 4.5kgs of cannabis resin worth €30,000.

Assorted drug paraphernalia including a pneumatic press, weighing scales and a generator was also seized along with the gas operated air pistol and several hundred steel ball bearings.

A computer hard drive was taken away for analysis by garda IT experts.

A spokeswoman for the DSPCA said the animals were being kept in disgraceful conditions.

"There was no dry bedding. They had very dirty bodies and their coats were matted," she said.

"There were a huge number of rats both alive and dead. The buildings were filthy, horrendous conditions.

"Because of the amount of rats at the scene we have to be very careful of the risk of diseases such as leptospirosis or Wails disease."

The rescued dogs range from young pups up to adult females, some it is believed are pregnant.

They included greyhounds, lurchers, Yorkshire Terriers, English and American bulldogs, Dobermans, German Shepherds and other small terrier breeds often known to be used illegally in badger baiting.

Two cats, two pigs and five rabbits were also taken away.

Gardaí insisted investigations were continuing.

Whispered

Sickening - what will happen to the dogs now?

The dirty bastards will probably get away scott free. I hope something is done to make an example out of these people.

Clare Bear

It's only one case in so many that are never found but at least that's 35 dogs taken out of such misery.

Maggie.23

Feel sick thinking about why they had rabbits.

arybvtcw0eolkf

helena.ryan wrote: »

Sickening - what will happen to the dogs now?

The dirty bastards will probably get away scott free. I hope something is done to make an example out of these people.

+1, sickening indeed.

tallus

+1 again...
It's sickening how some people treat animals.
I hope they get what's coming to them.

XJR

tallus wrote: »

+1 again...
It's sickening how some people treat animals.
I hope they get what's coming to them.

Agreed but unfortunately what's coming to them won't be enough. It's got to the point where I just cant read about these things its too upsetting.

littlemisspiggy

I read on another site that some of the dogs are suspected stolen from all over the country. Hopefully the owners can be traced adn some can be reunited.

As for the people that did this - I hope they rot in hell cos whatever punishment a court in this country gives them won't be enough.

Our man in Havana

If these dogs have been used for fighting it is likely they will be destroyed.

Vel

They haven't arrested anyone for this yet.

I attended a meeting at the DSPCA last year and it is their policy to humanely euthanise any dog suspected of being involved in dog fighting.

PurplePrincess

just out of curiosity,

If somebody turned up and said one of the dogs was theirs and had been stolen would they give it back to them?

Assuming the dogs aren't chipped, would the dspca make any effort to look for rightful owners/ rehome or is it assumed they're fighting dogs and they get PTS

littlemisspiggy

Bond-007 wrote: »

If these dogs have been used for fighting it is likely they will be destroyed.

I can't see the yorkies having been used for fighting! I think there were dogs that had been trained / used for fighting and then other dogs that had been stolen (presumaby to be sold on).

littlemisspiggy

PurplePrincess wrote: »

just out of curiosity,

If somebody turned up and said one of the dogs was theirs and had been stolen would they give it back to them?

Assuming the dogs aren't chipped, would the dspca make any effort to look for rightful owners/ rehome or is it assumed they're fighting dogs and they get PTS

It would be nice to think that if you had evidence (such as photographs of you with the dog, your vet's word, etc) that the dog would be returned to you. But with the animal laws in this country god only knows

whitser

helena.ryan wrote: »

Sickening - what will happen to the dogs now?

The dirty bastards will probably get away scott free. I hope something is done to make an example out of these people.

your spot on there.
that reminds me, what ever happened to that old man near you that was involved in dog fighting?

Our man in Havana

littlemisspiggy wrote: »

then other dogs that had been stolen (presumaby to be sold on).

I think you are a little naive about what the non fighting dogs were being used for.

cowzerp

Bond-007 wrote: »

I think you are a little naive about what the non fighting dogs were being used for.

Bait.

Our man in Havana

Indeed.

Its a horrid fact but how else do you think these people train these dogs? They are unlikely to put 2 dangerous dogs together for training! You could damage or kill a dog that way - cats, small dogs & larger puppies are used to enhance the dogs killer instinct. A bloody sad & horrific fact

Whispered

whitser wrote: »

your spot on there.
that reminds me, what ever happened to that old man near you that was involved in dog fighting?

Well last I heard he had been reported and assurances were recieved all round that it would be looked into.

But I heard no more about it, I didn't assume I would TBH.

Clare Bear

So you don't know if anything was done or not? Any way you can follow it up? Does the person who reported him know anything?

Lilly/DNB

Bond-007 wrote: »

Indeed.

Its a horrid fact but how else do you think these people train these dogs? They are unlikely to put 2 dangerous dogs together for training! You could damage or kill a dog that way - cats, small dogs & larger puppies are used to enhance the dogs killer instinct. A bloody sad & horrific fact

do you thing these people are turning to other breeds now as surprisingly there was no pit bulls found on the premises?

Whispered

Clare Bear wrote: »

So you don't know if anything was done or not? Any way you can follow it up? Does the person who reported him know anything?

The person reporting did not give a name, very understandably.

EDIT: and if we could leave it at that it would be much appreciated considering I'm using my real full name and my family is from the area.

andrewh5

The GSD pictured in the Herald looks like my old boy did - a total softy. If I could have a dog at the moment I would be straight onto the DSPCA to rehome him/her.

The barstewards that did this will get a lifetime ban from keeping animals at most. Bloody useless.

whitser

helena.ryan wrote: »

Well last I heard he had been reported and assurances were recieved all round that it would be looked into.

But I heard no more about it, I didn't assume I would TBH.

bit strange isnt it. you would think that someone who was so involved in dog fighting the cops would be glad to take him down.

Vel

Whitser, a case has to be put together and evidence gathered. My work involves going to court sometimes and it can take up to 9 months or more to get cases in court. As far I can recall, this was only reported in the past few months so there is a long way to go before this ends up in court, if it ever does. Are you saying that you would have expected him to have already been made to appear in court by now?

whitser

no. just looking for an update thats all. it was common knowledge in the area what he was up too, so i thought people would know if he had been raided or whatever.

Whispered

whitser wrote: »

bit strange isnt it. you would think that someone who was so involved in dog fighting the cops would be glad to take him down.

whitser wrote: »

no. just looking for an update thats all. it was common knowledge in the area what he was up too, so i thought people would know if he had been raided or whatever.

I did not ask for the very reason if anything did happen and I asked about it without being told, it automatically implicates me doesn't it.

I am asking you to now drop it because if anything was to come of it, or has come of it, I don't want to discussed by me, with my real name. If you would like to discuss via PM feel free.

Maggie.23

Bond-007 wrote:

Cats, small dogs & larger puppies are used to enhance the dogs killer instinct.

And pigs and rabbits. The people who do this are sick and twisted. Will the DSPCA rehome the small dogs seeing as they were for bait and not fighting (except in defence)? I presume they will rehome the small animals once they are healthy?

Our man in Havana

They may or they may not. Hard to tell. I all depends on the DSPCA and their policy and if the dogs are suitable for rehoming.

BryanL

not if they are fighting rabbits!

No Pitbulls? it sounds like the dogfighting bit is just to add to the headlines.
Seems more reasonable to imagine these scumbags were robbing dogs, the sort of dogs that are posted on here as going missing everyday.
I hope serious effort is made to get these animals back to there rightful owners. And not just destroyed as fighting dogs?
Also shocking that no bloody arrests were made, just unbelievable that amount of drugs and animals kept in those conditions and whoever is involved gets away free:(
Bryan

Lilly/DNB

BryanL wrote: »

not if they are fighting rabbits!

No Pitbulls? it sounds like the dogfighting bit is just to add to the headlines.
Seems more reasonable to imagine these scumbags were robbing dogs, the sort of dogs that are posted on here as going missing everyday.
I hope serious effort is made to get these animals back to there rightful owners. And not just destroyed as fighting dogs?
Also shocking that no bloody arrests were made, just unbelievable that amount of drugs and animals kept in those conditions and whoever is involved gets away free:(
Bryan

your spot on there, that was what i thought i just had to ask the question did people think these scum were turning to other breeds seen as there was no pit bulls found??????, there’s more to this than meets the eye and what i cant understand is why they would put any of them dogs down they have not being surrendered by there owners so there for they have the write to 5 days to be reclaimed if that owner thinks his/her dog can come home or has the ordeal being to much for them the choice should be down to the owner as they are still the rightful owner of that dog, depending if that dog is in such a state that being put to sleep was the only option, i look at animal programs on TV in other country's and find that if this was something that was to happen there normally the vets trainers, behaviourist all get involved and being put to sleep would be the last option they do all they can to treat dogs and most of all to re-home them, Ireland has a fair bit of catching up to do…

lisaathena85

was up in dspca today and spotted gorgeous brown doberman brought in with the 34 others from the raid. i have reserved her as she is soooo gorgeous, just waiting to see if she passes her cat test cuz iv two in the house along with the other two dogs.... anyway point being i was talking to the lady that works there and she said that they were probably using the dogs for lamping cuz there were unbelieveable amounts of rabbits in the place too....we wanted to see a wheaten terrier that was rescued too but some of the dogs in such awful condition she wouldnt even show them to us, its just sick what some ppl can do to animals. and to make it worse they're not even sure wheather they can re-home them until the court case is over and f**k knows how long that'll be!!