The Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ISPCA) has suspended two staff members of a Roscommon dog pound after allegations that 10 dogs were left without food or water over the August bank holiday weekend.
The dogs were left alone in the shelter over the three-day weekend.
A preliminary investigation was carried out after a member of the public alerted gardaí on Monday, August 4th.
Gardaí and veterinarians removed the 10 dogs from the shelter, which is run by the ISPCA and Roscommon County Council.
Speaking on RTÉ's Morning Ireland, ISPCA chief executive Dr Andrew Kelly said the animals are in good health. Five are in the ISPCA centre in Longford, one has been reunited with its owner and the rest will be "re-homed in due course".
Dr Kelly said the two staff members were suspended after a preliminary inquiry into the incident. The ISPCA is planning a full inquiry into allegations that the dogs were left without food or water.
Roscommon County Council is also involved in the investigation, according to a council spokeswoman.
Dr Kelly said the broader issue at play is responsible pet ownership. Some 16,000 dogs in Ireland ended up in local authority services last year alone, he said.
Dog abandonment is “still a major problem in Ireland”, he said. The problem is complicated by the fact that many animals are not microchipped, so it is even more difficult to reunite lost dogs with their owners, he added.