Belfast woman banned from animals for 10 years

Niamh Hughes 2026-06-04 22:02 2 min read

High-angle view of Belfast City Hall with its green dome and surrounding park.

By the demoduck.co.uk news desk

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 after an earlier conviction under The Welfare of Animals Act (Northern Ireland) 2011.

Sentence at Belfast Magistrates Court

The court ordered Ms Walker to complete 80 hours of community service and placed her on probation for 12 months.

She was also ordered to pay £174 in legal and court costs. The 10-year disqualification means she cannot own any animal during that period.

The case was brought by Belfast City Council following animal welfare visits to her home in October and November 2025.

Dog found in need of veterinary care

Council officers said they found a Collie-type dog that required veterinary attention during an initial visit to the Bentinck Street property.

Ms Walker was served with two Improvement Notices. Those notices instructed her to seek veterinary treatment for the dog and to provide proof that care had been arranged.

According to the council, she did not provide evidence of the requested care.

Convictions under animal welfare law

Ms 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 said it prosecuted the case after the visits carried out in late 2025.

Source: Belfast Scraper

Context & actions About this article

Source check Source trail

This report is based on Belfast City Council's account of the court sentence and the animal welfare prosecution.

Checks

Checked the sentencing date stated as Tuesday 26 May 2026.
Matched the court named in the source as Belfast Magistrates Court.
Kept the offences tied to Sections 9 and 10 of The Welfare of Animals Act (Northern Irelan...
Reported only the sentence, costs and ownership ban stated by the council.

Belfast City Council Check related coverage