Investigation after 35 dogs rescued from ‘drug factory’
27 Nov 2008 08:01
POLICE in the Irish Republic have launched an investigation after 35 dogs were rescued from a disused farm which was being used as an illegal drugs processing plant.
A tip-off to the ISPCA prompted the Garda raid on the isolated property at the foot of the Dublin Mountains where the dogs were being held in what were described as ‘rat-infested and appalling conditions’.
The breeds involved were said to be Dobermanns, German Shepherds, ‘English and American Bulldogs,’ and some terriers and lurchers.
A number of rabbits and cats were also found in the outhouses, possibly for use in blooding the dogs for fighting, the police said.
Officers also seized drugs-making equipment, quantities of cocaine, ecstasy and cannabis as well as an air pistol.
No arrests
Gardai confirmed that they are ‘actively investigating’ the involvement of drug dealers in organising dog fights, and Orla Aungier, of the Dublin SPCA, said such links were well documented and that the society had experience of them in a number of recent cases.
The farm was unoccupied at the time of last week’s raid and no arrests have been made yet.
Ms Aungier, who took part in the rescue operation, said the outhouses were ‘completely rat-infested – rat carcasses on the ground and in some of the pens – and the stench of urine and faeces was overpowering.
“The shelter was totally inadequate, with a leaking roof and a lack of proper bedding – and a number of animal skulls also littered the premises’.
The dogs were removed to a Dublin SPCA sanctuary. But the huge number of rats on the premises means they are at risk of having been exposed to Weil’s Disease. Each is being kept in isolation until they are examined by vets.
The operation put a heavy strain on the resources of the DSPCA, which has issued a special funding appeal to the public to help it cope.
“There has been a very positive response to that appeal,” Ms Aungier said. t is hoped that when the dogs are recovered new homes can be found for them.