Unregistered Offaly breeder had 12 bitches, 14 dogs and 31 pups

AN Offaly dog breeder failed in his High Court bid to have a Circuit Court order against him quashed.

PJ Rigney, who runs kennels at Circular Road, Daingean, had been convicted in the District Court of operating an unregistered dog breeding premises and failing to take measures specified in a closure notice dated October 1, 2021.

A report from inspectors noted there were 12 adult female dogs deemed capable of breeding at Mr Rigney's premises, plus 14 male dogs and 31 pups ranging from four to 14 weeks who were not microchipped, and a further six merle collie pups that were microchipped.

Anyone with six or more breeding bitches must register as a breeding establishment. Mr Rigney was fined €1,000 by the District Court, €500 each on two summonses.

He appealed the convictions to the Circuit Court and while he was successful in overturning the charge of failing to comply with the closure notice, the conviction for operating an unregistered dog breeding premises was affirmed.

Mr Rigney accepted that there were more than five females on his premises on the date of an inspection but maintained that he only bred from five of them.

The man then sought a judicial review of the Circuit Court decision in the High Court where Ms Justice Siobhán Phelan found against him and said the absence of legal representation had added greatly to the time taken to determine the application.

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Ms Justice Phelan also said she struggled to understand why Mr Rigney sought to quash the part of the Circuit Court decision which allowed his appeal against conviction for alleged non compliance with the closure order.

As a result of the High Court judgment, delivered last month, the man's conviction for operating an unregistered dog breeding establishment still stands.