‘Egregious case’ as local womanreceives lifetime animal ban

The application for the disqualification order was made the day after Kerri Ogilby was convicted of two charges.

Ogilby was found guilty of causing unnecessary suffering to an animal and abandoning a dog after she failed to attend court and a warrant was issued for her arrest. The offences were committed in December, 2017.

Derry Magistrate’s Court had heard that the dog was kept in a basement flat with no access to food or water.

The defendant had not been seen for several days and concerns were raised for the dog.

Attempts to contact Ogilby were unsuccessful and when an officer attended the flat a dog could be heard barking.

A decision was made to force entry to the flat and the dog, a Shih Tzu, was found locked in a small bathroom and displayed signs of neglect.

Granting the Disqualification Order, which bans Ogilby from keeping animals for life, District Judge Barney McElholm said it was a ‘particularly egregious case.’