Dog cruelty woman got €30k funding from state
The operator of East Galway Animal Rescue – who was convicted of cruelty to dogs in her care – received up to €30,000 in funding from the Department of Agriculture, it has emerged.
The annual ex-gratia payments – €4,000 in recent years – are provided by the Department of Agriculture to “assist animal welfare organisations achieve high standards of animal welfare”.
The Connacht Tribune has learned that Sarah Gunther received the Animal Welfare Funding annually over the past decade, with the total estimated to be in the region of €30,000.
She is now on a Department ‘watch list’ to ensure she does not resume operating the animal rescue, after being convicted last month of ill-treating eight dogs in her care.
She claimed in court that she relied totally on donations from the public to provide the service, and her website claims: “We survive on donations and much of our own money goes into the daily running of our rescue”.
However, checks by this newspaper reveal she received €4,000 annually between 2009 and 2012 (inclusive) in Animal Welfare Funding; €2,000 in 2008; €3,000 in 2007 and €3,000 in 2006.
It is understood that she also received funding in 2004 and 2005 – the year she registered EGAR as a business name – but these figures are not available.
Ms Gunther, from Kylebrack, Loughrea, was fined €250 on one summons and ordered to pay €600 in witness expenses. The court heard that Gardaí seized eight dogs from the EGAR sanctuary following complaints from the GSPCA.
Read more in this week’s Connacht Tribune