Latest news with #DSPCA
Time of India
2 days ago
- Time of India
Man shoots neighbour's dog with air gun, booked
Margao: Margao town police on Friday registered a case against a 20-year-old man for allegedly shooting his neighbour's pet dog with an air gun, at Navelim, on Thursday, leaving the canine seriously injured. Jovito Fernandes, a resident of Navelim, allegedly fired four pellets from an air gun at a dog belonging to Valentina Vieira from Bellem, Navelim. The incident occurred in an open field area in the Salcete village, according to the police complaint filed by Raj Pratik, a DSPCA (District Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) officer. The Vieira family told reporters that three of the four bullets struck the dog, hitting the stomach and head areas and causing serious injuries to the animal. Following the attack, the family immediately reported the incident to both the local police and the DSPCA, which filed a separate complaint in the matter. Earlier in the day, animal lovers gathered at the Margao police station demanding that the accused be arrested and stern action be taken against him. The injured dog is currently hospitalised and undergoing treatment. Police said they were awaiting the dog's detailed medical report before proceeding with further action in the case. Margao town police have registered the case under provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) 2023, and the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act. Police said no arrests have been made so far, and further investigation is in progress.
The Irish Sun
2 days ago
- Climate
- The Irish Sun
‘Always keep a watchful eye' – Irish pet owners issued stark warning over mistake that can be fatal
IRISH vets have warned of the dangers of heatstroke as temperatures continue to sizzle. Across the country, with temperatures set to exceed 29C, The Dublin Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (DSPCA) is advising owners to be 'vigilant of their 2 Irish dog owners are being urged to keep a close eye on their furry friends Credit: Getty DSPCA bosses said it is essential for owners to 'keep pets cool and safe'. The rescue vets warned that heatstroke is a 'life-threatening condition' that can develop if an animal becomes too hot. This can cause seizures, organ damage, internal bleeding, coma and even death. READ NORE IN FABULOUS It can also be caused by being in a warm room without proper ventilation, being kept somewhere hot such as a Any dog can develop heatstroke, but flat-faced, overweight, giant-breed, thick-coated, very old and very young dogs are most at risk. Head of Operations at the DSPCA, Suzanne McGovern, said: 'With hot temperatures forecast for the rest of the week, we must be mindful of how important it is to keep our pets comfortable. 'The warm and dry temperatures can be dangerous for our pets, so it is vital that you follow the advice for keeping your pets cool during these periods. MOST READ IN THE IRISH SUN 'Ensure they have access to lots of water and there are shaded areas where they can rest. 'Always keep a watchful eye on your pets and be responsible when exposing them to the conditions.' Galway family in tears at reunion with dog stolen two years ago Dog owners should only go on walks when it is cool, early morning and evening. Do not walk any dog during the hottest hours of the days between 12pm-4pm. Ensure your pooch is only doing light exercise only. When playing with your furry friend allow lots of time for breaks in shade, provide water, and allow your dog to cool down. Owners need to provide lots of shade and plenty of water. Do not take your dog on unnecessary journeys. Never leave dogs in cars even if windows are open; a car will remain too hot for any pet. Owners of breeds with flat-faced, overweight, giant-breed, thick-coated, very old and very young dogs must be extra cautious. If you see an animal in trouble or distress, particularly in a car even if the window is open or in an outdoor area without shade or water, please contact the DSPCA on 01 4994700 or info@ How hot is too hot? Getty Image • 16-19 C Generally safe to exercise at all times of days. Dogs most at risk of heat stroke should only be lightly exercised in the cool parts of the days (early morning, late evening). • 20-23 C No dog should be exercised rigorously. All exercise should take place during cool parts of the day. Play time should be short and have lots of time to cool down. • 24-27 C Extreme caution should be taken. Exercise should only be extremely light and take place when the sun has set. Focus on giving your dog cooling treats, toys and plenty of opportunity to spend time in shade. • 28-31 C Dangerous for all, but life threatening for larger breeds and puppies as well as dogs who are flat-faced or obese. Stay cool and in the shade with lots of water. • 32 C Heat stroke is a major risk for all. While 20°C may not seem overly hot, pets – especially dogs – can still struggle in the heat, particularly during exercise or if left in enclosed spaces like cars or conservatories. 2 Owners should not walk their dogs between noon to 4pm during heatwaves Credit: Getty
Irish Independent
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Irish Independent
What's on in Bray and Greystones this week
Top comedian Paul Currie, who has sold out all of his recent Bray Comedy Festival shows, is putting on a free show at The Harbour Bar in Bray on Thursday, June 19 from 8pm. He's a former puppeteer on Sesame Street, and has appeared on the BBC and at many major comedy festival. He's on stage as part of the Hardy Har Comedy Club and will be supported by Adam Burke, Amy Cassidy and John Kelly. As entry is completely free, laugh-hunters are advised to arrive very early to ensure they get a seat. Pilates for dogs Greystones Harbour Plaza plays host the The Big Stretch for the DSPCA on Saturday, June 21 from 10am. This is a morning of pilates organised by the Good Days Health Club to raise money for dogs in need. Tickets cost €30 and every participant is entered into the DSPCA raffle to win a Bolt Stretch premium home studio fitness equipment bundle worth €200. Book via Summer Sounds Summer Sounds at the Bandstand in Bray is back with the Airport Fire Police playing this Sunday from 2:30pm. On June 29 it's the Bray Concert Band, then on July 6, from 1pm there's a Bray Arts Buzz Performance followed by the St George's Brass Band. The Navan Silver Band rounds at July on the 13th, then August's line-up features the Harbour Ukuleles, the Ardee Brass Band, Communication Workers Band and the Blanchardstown Brass Band. Men's dip and sip Life coach Joey Molloy has set up a weekly men's social gathering on Saturdays, to allow men to meet up, take a dip in the sea at The Cove in Greystones, then have a hot drink together to chat. The group meets from 8am to 9am, with drinks afterwards at Rise at The Cove. Email joey@ if you plan on heading down. Hollywoodland This is the final week of Shane McCormack's exhibit of pencil portraits from the golden age of Hollywood at the Signal Arts Centre in Bray. Entry is free and the show is open from 10am-5pm until June 22. Don Baker Legendary blues artist Don Baker is bringing his first solo tour to the Mermaid Arts Centre on Saturday, June 21. The event is a mix of music and storytelling, where his love of the harmonica and guitar, and tales of working with the likes of Jim Sheridan, Daniel Day Lewis and Sinead O'Connor will entertain all. The show starts at 8pm and tickets cost €31 at Book fair A fundraising book fair takes place at St Patrick's Church in Greystones on Saturday, June 21 from 10.30am to 3pm. Anyone wishing to donate books to the fair can drop off at the church from 6pm to 8pm on Thursday, June 19 and Friday, June 20. Entry to the book fair will be €15, this gives you access to all tea, coffee and treats. Rose show Delgany and District Horticultural Society will hold their annual show on Saturday, June 28 at St Patrick's Primary School in Greystones. The event will run from 3pm-5pm and the show secretary is currently accepting entries via New members and exhibitors are welcome, with the show to feature a wide range of plants, vegetables, sweet peas and roses. There may be some plants for sale and teas will be served. Free beach yoga The Martello and Balanced Hearts are running four free beach yoga sessions on the seafront this summer, starting on Saturday, June 28. Additional sessions take place on Saturdays July 12, August 16 and September 20. They all run from 8am-9am and will be run outdoors. ADVERTISEMENT All levels are welcome and participants will need to register online at during the week of the event, as sign-up only opens seven days before the event takes place. They will also need to bring their own yoga mat, a towel, and some water. Poetry and pastries A night of poetry and pastries in aid of children's mental health charity Jigsaw is being organised by Bread 41 in Greystones. It takes place on Sunday, June 22 from 6pm-8pm, with ticktes costing €20 to raise money for the chosen cause. Poets taking part include Seán Watmore, Stephen Maguire, Geoff Finan, Ryan Duggins, Daragh Fleming, Áine Budds, Mikey Cullen and Leon Dunne. Buy your ticket at Cemetery mass The annual mass at Redford Cemetery, Greystones, will take place on Friday, June 27, at 8pm. Bray bingo Ballywaltrim Community Centre hosts St Fergal's Bingo every Tuesday night from 8pm with a guaranteed prize fund of €1,800. Film showings Blue Road: The Edna O'Brien Story will screen at Mermaid Arts Centre on Thursday, June 19 at 8 pm, while the Monday film is the quirky Thai feature How to Make Millions Before Grandma Dies. This story follows a man who lives off his mother and wastes his days gaming, but becomes carer for his grandmother after seeing his cousin inherity a large fortune, having cared for her ailing grandfather. It's inspired by a true story. Tickets €10 per ticket or an €8 concession price. Book via Open Door exhibition Open Door will host an exhibition of art, ceramics/mosaics and woodwork in the centre on the Vevay Road in Bray, running from Monday, June 16 to Friday, June 20, from 11am-1pm each day. This exhibition will showcase the various activities and celebrate the creative works of the members and is an opportunity for family, friends and supporters to visit the centre and see the various activities. All are welcome to drop in and admire their great work. Car boot sale The Ballywaltrim car boot sale is on Sundays from 8am to 1pm at the community centre. However, it will not be open on June 22 due to a dancing event at the venue. Coolnagreina Youth Café The summer programmes are getting going at the Youth Café, Coolnagreina, on Trafalgar Road, Greystones just up the road from Greystones Harbour Marina. Drop-in study sessions take place Monday to Friday 2.30pm to 6.30pm for Leaving Cert and Junior Cert students. Snacks, hot drinks and free wifi are provided in a quiet, calm spot upstairs. Normal activity days are Wednesdays 3pm to 5pm and Fridays 7pm to 9pm. After exams, there is a Youth Summer BBQ on Friday, June 20 from 5pm to 9pm. Youth finishing 6th class are welcome from 5pm, then 1st years and older are welcome from 7pm. Cycling club Greystones Cycling Club's summer rides start on Sunday, at 9am and will run every week, returning to Greystones at about 1pm. The meeting point is next to Zoom Adventure, Eden Gate, Delgany (A63 CA18). The group cycles around 70 kilometres in each session with an average pace of 20-23km/h, taking in some of Wicklow's finest cycling routes and climbs. The spins are for over 18s only and anyone interested should send a text first to 087 234 0140. Girl Guides Irish Trefoil Guild - Guiding for Life are calling on all former leaders of the Irish Girl Guides in Bray and the surrounding area as there is now a Trefoil Guild in Bray. For those interested in getting involved, you are asked to contact Anne for further information at: braytrefoilguild@ Cancer support Greystones and District Cancer Support provide support services to those affected by cancer, as well as their families, in Greystones, Delgany, Kilcoole, Newcastle and Newtownmountkennedy. They offer a range of support services, classes and therapies in confidence. You can contact the office at 01 287 1601, email info@ or visit for more information on the different services available. Delgany ICA The Delgany Guild ICA team have their monthly meeting happening at 8pm every first Thursday in the Kilian House Family Centre, drama on Mondays from 2pm to 4pm, crafts on Wednesdays from 2.30pm to 4.30pm and a book club gathering every last Thursday at 10.45am. Garda clinic The community policing clinic with by Gda Molly Corbett is held every Monday from 6pm to 8pm in the Kilcoole Community Centre. The clinic is there for people to drop in and for crime prevention advice, to get help with forms, such as getting passports stamped and driving licences. No booking is needed. Whist group for adults A new whist group for adults is starting at Ballywaltrim Library. Whether you're an experienced player or new to the game, you're welcome to join for a friendly and relaxed afternoon of cards. The group will meet every Friday from 2-4pm, and the library provides a warm, comfortable space to play and chat. Youth club Queen of Peace Adventure Youth Club is preparing a new adventure programme, but it can only be delivered to members if the club has enough volunteers to help out. If anyone can spare two to three hours once a week, call Paul on 086 351 6630, or Mike on 089 085 5151. Bridge clubs Dargle Bridge Club plays each Wednesday at 7.20pm. Membership is €20 and €5 per night table money. Venue is the Open Door Day Centre, Vevay Road. For further details see or phone Michael on 087 948 0151, or Anne on 087 239 9457. A new novice section has also been added to for any newcomers. Rathdown Bridge Club has opened at Greystones Bridge Centre, at Victoria Road and place on Tuesdays, from 10am until 1pm. Details of membership from: johnstaffordfennell@ Bray Harbour Bridge Club meets each Wednesday evening in the Bray Sailing Club. It is an easy-going social club, and new players are very welcome. Parkinson's Support There's a Parkinson's Support Group meeting on the first and third Friday of every month at the Holy Rosary Church from 3pm to 5pm, with everyone welcome to drop in for a coffee and a chat. There's also Musical Memories sessions, every Friday at St Patrick's Church from 11.30am to 12.45pm. Ballywaltrim Library Storytime for All takes place on Saturday mornings in the library at 11,30am and at 11.30am and on Tuesdays in July and August – no booking is required to attend. Tummy Time for Babies takes place on Mondays and Wednesdays from 10.30am to 12pm. Adult Scrabble takes place every Monday from 3pm to 4.30pm. Bray Library Bray Library opens from 10am to 5pm Monday to Saturday, with late opening on Tuesday and Thursday until 8.30pm. If you fancy a new book club for 2025, the Literary Book Club meets on the last Thursday of the month at 7pm. The Library Romance Book Club is no longer meeting. If crime is your thing, the Crime Book Club meets on the second Tuesday at 7pm. Singing Circle Singing groups take place every Thursday, at 1.15pm, in Common Ground, Church Terrace, Bray (A98 PV32). As well as learning and singing a tune or two together as a group and we can then open up the floor to anyone who would like to share a song, but no pressure. Donations: €11/13, students/non-members. Dementia Support Wicklow Dementia Support is seeking volunteers to become a friend to someone with dementia. The organisation is also looking for volunteers for a new group in the Villa Pacis Centre (Queen of Peace), Bray, each Wednesday, 10.30am-12.30pm. If you are interested in volunteering, contact: info@ or call Kate on 085 134 5128.
Irish Times
09-06-2025
- Business
- Irish Times
Moving from Dublin to rural Ireland: ‘Every time we went away we loved all the green around us. Then we thought, let's just go do it'
With traffic, queues and people – so many people – town and city life can lose its lustre, and many dream of moving to the peace and quiet of the countryside for more space, and often better value . Having land and property in picturesque rural settings can also provide opportunity in itself – in the form of tourism, food production and even pet training. Siobhán Owens has devoted her life to animals since she began volunteering with the DSPCA in Ballymun, north Dublin, in 1989. 'It's a small selection of people, along with plants and animals,' that make her happy, she says, speaking from her home in Athboy, Co Westmeath . Her youngest daughter starting college was the catalyst for her and her husband Jonathan to bite the bullet and move with their family to the countryside, where Owens would have the land to expand her pet-training business, Dublin and Meath Pet School. READ MORE 'Every time we went away – we'd go on camping and caravan holidays in Ireland – and when we were sitting there in those caravans with all that green around us, we said: 'Oh, isn't this wonderful? Isn't this what we love?' And then we thought, let's just go do it.' Siobhan Owens, owner of Dublin and Meath Pet School. Photograph: Alan Betson/The Irish Times In 2023 the Owens family sold their four-bedroom semidetached home in Finglas and moved to a three-bedroom bungalow with a big attic (that they hope to convert) in Athboy, just over the border from Meath in Co Westmeath. Most importantly, the property is on more than 5.8 acres of land, providing more than enough space for Owens to carry out obedience classes and behavioural assessments on her four-legged clients. She continues to operate home visits in Dublin as she always has done, but it's much better to carry out assessments of dogs in a safe and secure space on her land in Athboy rather than in public parks where other dogs and owners tend to interrupt, she says. [ How to move job, move country and find a new social scene Opens in new window ] One of the Owens's first logistical considerations was for two of their children, both in their 20s, to get their driving licenses so they could drive back and forth to Dublin for work and college. It turned out to be much quicker to get their driving test at the Navan test centre than to graduate from the waiting list they had been on in Dublin, and they both got sorted quickly – a benefit of living in a less populated area. [ Naoise Dolan: Moving home to Ireland was an easy decision. Here's what I've learned Opens in new window ] Not having a convenience shop within walking distance of their home was something the family had to get used to though, Owens says. 'It could be a little annoying. I'd suddenly discover that there is this one ingredient that I'm missing and I have to get in the car and drive. But it's just a seven-minute drive away, so it's not the end of the world.' The Owens family moved out of Dublin for a quieter life and to find space for Siobhán to operate her dog-training business. Photograph: Alan Betson / The Irish Times Jonathan also has to commute to work in Dublin city centre more often now that the company he works for called for a return to the office, whereas he had previously been able to work from home in the wake of the Covid pandemic, she says. 'He just gets up a little bit earlier and he gets in just ahead of the traffic and that's really all that you have to do. There's always a way around it. If you really want to [move to the country], hesitation is going to be your biggest hindrance,' Owens says. And despite the commute her husband has no regrets. 'Listen, he's out there on his tractor going around the land in the sun, having a great time. It's great for the mental health,' she says. 'We adapted to the country lifestyle very easily and now we just come home in the evening and have all the green around and you have peace and quiet, and I just love it.' Two donkeys have also taken up residence at the Owens' new home. Photograph: Alan Betson/The Irish Times The grounds have also become home to two donkeys and two horses, which Owens adopted from My Lovely Horse Rescue, as well as chickens which produce eggs for the household and are 'whistle-trained' to come out and say hello on command. She also grows an array of vegetables, has installed a hive to attract bees and has plans to rewild an area of marsh land and add a pond. Siobhan Owen with one of her three dogs Morgan on the Agility Course. Photograph: Alan Betson / The Irish Times Just a 10-minute drive across the border into Co Meath is another dog-friendly business, the Pheasant Lane short-stay retreat, near the village of Clonmellon. Geraldine Curran and her husband Derek Keogh bought the early 1800s farmhouse and outbuildings as their first home together in 2018 for €165,000, Curran says. There are often pheasants around the place, she says, but her inspiration for the property's name came to her was when she saw a hen followed by 10 or so chicks waddling up the lane. She originally stumbled upon the listing for the property one weekend and thought she'd have to wait until Monday to view it, but when she called selling agent Chris Smith from Quillsen, he got the couple a viewing that Sunday afternoon, and they immediately fell in love with it. Geraldine Curran of Pheasant Lane Retreat, Killacroy, Clonmellon, Co Meath. Photograph: Alan Betson / The Irish Times 'The driveway sold it to us because it's a beautiful 300m-plus driveway and it was just idyllic; there was a new forest just planted around it, it was two or three years old at that stage, but now it's matured over eight years and it's all around the house ... and the birds are constantly singing,' Curran says. Curran grew up living in a B&B run by her family in Spiddal on the Co Galway coast, and both she and Keogh have a background in hospitality, so they saw the potential to convert the cut-stone outbuildings into guest accommodation. Pheasant Lane is a short-stay retreat. Photograph: Alan Betson / The Irish Times Geraldine Curran offers a range of holistic therapies on-site. Photograph: Alan Betson / The Irish Times With a little help from their friends, they have converted them into three short-stay cottages – two of which are named after their mothers, Iris and Sarah – catering for guests who want to take a break and breathe in some fresh countryside air. Trained in holistic therapies, Curran has a therapy room on the property where she provides a range of services from reflexology to Indian head massage. Also on site for guests are two hot tubs and a barbecue hut. 'I love having people around but I also like my own company so the short-term rentals work quite well; you have the best of both worlds' Curran says. Potential 'working homes' Renovation opportunity in Rathosey Rathosey, Coolaney, Co Sligo Rathosey, Coolaney, Co Sligo Rathosey, Coolaney, Co Sligo €248,000, Sherry FitzGerald The right person could make something really special out of this property near the village of Coolaney, and 20km outside Sligo town. It contains a fully converted, beautifully fitted-out outbuilding, where you could live comfortably while developing the rest of the property. The main house on the site is a derelict period farmhouse, but with a healthy budget and the right know-how, it could be transformed into a guest house or retreat space. There is also a hay barn and old farm sheds on this 7.4 acre plot. Artistic inspiration in west Cork Dunkelly Middle, Goleen, Cork Dunkelly Middle, Goleen, Co Cork €975,000, Charles McCarthy Auctioneers Artists, writers or craftspeople may find inspiration in the stunning views from this contemporary waterfront property on Mizen Peninsula overlooking Dunmanus Bay towards the Sheep's Head Peninsula in west Cork . The property comes with approximately 30 acres of land and potential to add separate studio buildings, a workshop or guest accommodation to create an artist's retreat centre. Extending to 235 sq m (2,530 sq ft), the home is B2 Ber-rated and has three bedrooms. It is just a 10-minute drive from Goleen village and 20 minutes from Schull. Horsey haven in Co Monaghan Annacramph, Castleshane, Co Monaghan Annacramph, Castleshane, Co Monaghan €250,000, Sherry FitzGerald Conor McManus If you have ever dreamed of turning your love of horses into a business, this property on 7 acres may be the right place to do it. It is currently home to two horses and offers them plenty of field space, as well as two stables. The house itself extends to 67 sq m (721 sq ft) and has three bedrooms. It is in decent condition but could do with a cosmetic refresh, and the E2 Ber rating will need to be addressed. You can easily access both the Dublin Road (N2) and Armagh Road (N12) from this tranquil spot. B&B by the Brosna Riverside House, Charlestown, Clara, Co Offaly Riverside House, Charlestown, Clara, Co Offaly €345,000, Mark Nestor Property Services This four-bedroom, five-bathroom period town house sits right beside the River Park in the charming town of Clara. With a C1 Ber, this home needs an enterprising new owner to give the interior a modern refresh to restore it to its former glory as a B&B. It has a spacious driveway to the front for guest parking and a lovely back garden where you could grow fruit and vegetables to delight your guests. It is walking distance from the town and train station, where there are services to Dublin Heuston, Galway, Athlone and Westport.
The Journal
30-05-2025
- The Journal
Man faces sentence after 'malnourished' Dobermann found living in small cage covered in faeces
A PANEL BEATER faces sentencing after animal welfare inspectors last year found his malnourished Dobermann confined in a squalid cage without fresh water, mired in her own excrement, at a Dublin property. Richard Vynsiauskas, originally from Lithuania but with a residential address at Old North Road, Coldwinters, failed to turn up for his scheduled hearing at Dublin District Court. Judge Anthony Halpin convicted him in his absence and issued a bench warrant to bring him before the court to be sentenced. He faces prosecution under the Animal Health and Welfare Act. It follows an inspection by the Dublin Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (DSPCA), which had to retrain the seven-year-old dog since renamed Delilah before she could be placed in a new home. DSPCA inspector Shane Lawlor told prosecutor Danny Comerford BL that he went to the property on 16 April last year following an allegation that the dog was cruelly treated. There was no one there when he arrived, and he found that the large Dobermann, weighing 45 kilograms, was kept in a six-foot by six-foot cage with a makeshift kennel inside and a broken shelter. The enclosure was covered in faeces and the court heard that 'the smell was extremely overpowering'. There was no clean water, and the dog came out of her kennel 'very scared' and was suffering mentally. He described the Dobermann as 'whale-eyed,' a term to describe a frightened and nervous dog. She was 'pacing around, constantly standing in her own faeces, nowhere to sit or eat without standing or lying in her own waste'. The conditions inside her kennel were the same. The inspector told Mr Comerford that his chief concern was that the animal had nowhere to move and was very scared. She looked malnourished and had inadequate shelter or space to express her behaviour. The accused agreed to surrender the dog. The DSPCA witness said a Dobermann, as an intelligent breed, responds well to training, but this dog was left 'to waste away'. That can lead to boredom and aggression, and it took the DSPCA just over six months to correct her behaviour before she could be re-homed. The court heard Vynsiauskas told him that he had 'no time' to look after or let the dog out. The judge also noted she was not micro-chipped, the owner had no licence, and she had never been brought to a vet. Photos of the dog's living conditions were furnished to the court. The accused could face a €5,000 fine and six-month imprisonment. Advertisement
