Kerry animal rescue group says kittens are being sought as bait for dog fights

An animal rescue group believes it's been approached by people seeking kittens who want to use them as bait in dog fights.

Kingdom Cat & Dog Rescue claims dog fights, which are illegal, are taking place in Kerry and other parts of the country.

Kittens, puppies and other small animals are used as bait for fighting dogs who are also treated cruelly.

Sabine Batternay is with Kingdom Cat & Dog Rescue.

She says they've received suspicious approaches from people who want to adopt multiple kittens, sometimes up to ten animals.

Ms Batternay says the people behind such approaches usually claim to be such animal lovers they want to take all the kittens or that they need lots of cats to kill rodents.