Courts / Ireland / Report
Man suffering from mental disorder seeks return of puppy
Summary
A man detained under the Mental Health Act has filed a High Court challenge against the Garda Commissioner to recover his puppy. The man, whose name is withheld for legal reasons, suffers from a mental disorder and was admitted as an involuntary patient to a psychiatric facility after a disturbance at his home. While he was detained, the Garda obtained a court order preventing him from keeping pets, leading to the removal of his puppy and its transfer to the DSPCA. He claims the order was unlawful and seeks a High Court order to return the dog, quash the District Court orders made under Section 61 of the 2013 Animal Health and Welfare Act, and a declaration that those orders breached natural and constitutional justice. The case was granted ex‑parte permission by Mr Justice Charles Meenan, with a hearing scheduled for October.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Man suffering from mental disorder seeks return of puppy. Procedural stage: sentence
When:
- 2020-09-21 Publication
Case subjects
Applicant
Outcome: The man, who is separated from his wife and family and had lived alone, said at the time of his detention that his home "might have been untidy" but was in no way hazardous for the dog.
Places mentioned
- High Court
- The District Court
Topics
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