An Irish Kennel Club director was yesterday ordered to stop the nuisance caused to one of her neighbours by the barking of seven dogs in her Dublin home.
Ms Rita Beattie was told if she failed to deal adequately with the problem she may be required to reduce the number of dogs she keeps.
The order was sought by her neighbour, Ms Helen McCusker, who lives at Castlewood Park, Rathmines. Dublin District Court heard Ms Beattie keeps four Bichon Frise toy poodles, a boxer, a Yorkshire terrier and a Pappillon.
Ms McCusker said they bought the house five years ago and their lives had been made "unlivable" by the dogs.
Judge James McDonnell said that as an experienced dog owner, Ms Beattie should be able to abate the nuisance and granted the order requiring her to do so. He gave Ms McCusker liberty to re-enter the matter if Ms Beattie fails to do so.