Belfast woman banned from owning animals for 10 years

By Hiyastar Newsroom

Published 26 May 2026

A Belfast woman has been given community service, probation and a 10-year ban on owning animals after being convicted of animal welfare offences linked to a dog found in need of veterinary care.

Amanda Walker, of Bentinck Street, Belfast, was sentenced at Belfast Magistrates Court on Tuesday, 26 May 2026, following an earlier conviction for three offences under The Welfare of Animals Act (Northern Ireland) 2011.

Sentence handed down at Belfast Magistrates Court

The court sentenced Walker to 80 hours of community service and 12 months of probation. She was also ordered to pay £174 in legal and court costs.

Walker was disqualified from owning any animal for 10 years, a restriction that prevents her from keeping animals during that period. The outcome follows a prosecution brought by Belfast City Council.

The case is part of local enforcement work where council animal welfare officers can investigate concerns and require owners to take specific steps when an animal’s needs are not being met. A previous report on the Belfast animal welfare case set out the court outcome and ownership ban.

Dog found in need of veterinary care

Belfast City Council said its officers visited Walker’s Bentinck Street home in October and November 2025.

During the initial animal welfare visit, officers found a Collie-type dog that needed veterinary care. Walker was served with two Improvement Notices instructing her to seek veterinary treatment for the dog and provide proof that care had been obtained.

The council said Walker failed to provide evidence of the requested care.

Convictions under animal welfare law

Walker was convicted of two counts of failing to comply with an Improvement Notice under Section 10 of The Welfare of Animals Act (Northern Ireland) 2011.

She was also convicted of one count of failing to ensure the needs of an animal under Section 9 of the same legislation.

Belfast City Council confirmed the sentence after the hearing at Belfast Magistrates Court.

Source: Belfast Scraper