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A HORSE WAS discovered yesterday in the Hillview estate, Ballyguile in Wicklow with two broken legs which is believed to be as a result of animal abuse.
The horse was discovered at about 4pm yesterday but had to be euthanised by a vet. There are conflicting reports circulating that the horse was beaten by a group of people, while other reports suggest the horse refused to leave the horse box, and when a group of men accelerated the vehicle to force him out, the horse tumbled out of the trailer and sustained the injuries.
Appeal
Gardaí said they are currently investigating the incident and are asking anyone with any information to come forward. They confirmed that the horse did receive two serious injuries to two of its legs and had to be put down as a result of the injuries.
Speaking to TheJournal.ie Wicklow Town Councillor Garrett O’Reilly said it was “simply not acceptable,” adding that these occurrences were becoming more and more common and that he thought people were afraid to come forward with information.
He said people could come to him with any information about the death of the horse and he would pass it on to the authorities. He said he felt the council had to look at a long term solution for the management of horses in Wicklow.
Horses
“Last week, 63 horses were rounded up by the council, in an operation that involved more than 20 gardaí. The sheer cost of an operation like that is just not sustainable,” he said.
He said he believed the majority of those horses that are brought to a pound are later put down. “There is enough council land or land that is in NAMA that could be used by these horses. We need a long term solution for these horses, so that cruelty like this can’t happen again,” he said.
Eight horses remain in Hillview estate and have received care from the Irish Horse Welfare Trust.
Well-known vet Pete Wedderburn said on his Facebook Page today:
More animal cruelty, this time in Wicklow Town, involving a horse which was euthanised by a vet yesterday after being found in trouble. We all need to act together, gathering evidence for prosecutions, to stop episodes like this in the future.
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Why can’t there be an enforced license system for anyone to keep a horse???
Travellers love and care for their animals my friends this is the usual suspects council estate lad no doubt.
There is a license system in the form of a horse passport that has to be paid for and maintained with vaccinations and stuff like that. It’s only really being enforced by horse seizures of horses as mentioned in the article above and as happened in the north side of cork city a few weeks ago.
Unfortunately when the horses are seized you always get people screaming about the rights of the minorities and how horses are part of their cultural heritage. It seems however that taking care of horses isn’t such a strong part of their heritage.
Personally I don’t think giving people state land (NAMA) to let their horses be neglected on is the right thing to do. It’ll only make us all culpable in the brutality visited on these poor animals by sub human s€um.
Willlllbur
Travelers love their animals?? Are ya kidding me?? They are the worst at abusing animals!!
This may be true for dogs and other animals but travellers horses are worth more than some peoples houses and they keep them in great condition. At the end of the day whoever done that to the horse is only sc*mbags that should have their 2 legs broken.
Last week 63 horses were taken from council land that was being used by travelers. These horses escaped on daily basis onto the road and the travellers told people to f off when it was put too them.
I also hear they had a claim on the land in kinda squatters rights frpm grazing horses. Land worth millions.
They are travellers and criminals. About time they got hit with law.
Well done the guards and other agencies
Bet the horses were well looked after tho.. I dont care weather they were travellers or foreigners or Irish that done it to the poor animals.. I care about the animal and what justice it gets… There was another horse kicked to death aswell that this journalist forgot to mention
This was people from the travelling community and those horses are not kept on good conditions they Are kept in dirty fields and on the road tied to fences! They had horses removed from them earlier that day and recorded themselfs harming that poor pony! It was left their all night and wasn’t put down till the next day everyone in Wicklow is disgusted with this and there had been a lot of problems on the housing estate with horses
Wicklow has had traveller problems for years. I don’t know why we tolerate their ignorance. Sponging off the state and harming animals.
Or am I being racist? Travellers are behind most break ins. They don’t give a toss about you or the law. Just once your tax pays their welfare. How many of those travellers in wicklow pay taxes?
Disgusting.
Well Wicklow must be a lot different to where i live.. The travellers near my area keep their horses well looked after.. But same as any community there is sc*mbags and you cant brand everyone coz there is a few bad ones. And as for the break-ins yes some of them are travellers but also foreigners and some Irish too.
Yeah there are some that take great care of them but I mean u are by law required to have a passport for a horse and they get away with not having it or not having them on licensed property I mean if I had horses tied up in my garden I could be guaranteed I would have the authorities knocking on my door!! Their was a few horses takin off them that morning and they where told of they want them back they need to produce a passport I doubt they did
Iv had passports for all of the horses i had.. They were kept in stables and well looked after, not because i had a passport but because i loved them. Just because they have passports doesint mean they cant be abused
Gary I live on the estate the poor horse was found and it wasn’t any council estate dweller here, it was a member of the traveling community who owned the horse, there are conflicting stories doing the rounds and its giving a bad name to those who do look after their horses
The land is not worth millions why do you think 2 council estates are built on it because no one else would build on it, if the land was properly fenced the horses would not get out, the horses have been there for 20 years or more, they’ve ploughed best part of it up and if we have any substantial rain fail Rose Hill going to get most of it
Well how u look after yours is different than these people that’s the point
Land is worth millions. Sure you have hill view and ballyguile that are not great but ob tge other side of that field yoy have the high end private houses with views of the bay.
Also there is no duch thing as decent traveller. Never met one. All sponges and criminals
If it was amazing land do you not think it would have been sold by now ? Its been on the market for quite some time
I understand what you are saying Ali and while I don’t want to tar a community with the same brush, I must say a lot of the neglect cases when I briefly worked at a welfare yard were from traveller backgrounds. I agree a larger percentage are treated well, but there are many other complications- not necessarily neglect cases but, equally important is the horses passports. The number of horses you see people posting questions about with regards to their age and whether or not their details are correct are 9/10 time wrong. It depends in the region, as further up to the midlands, I rarely see anything of the sort and I think it’s equally the fault of the purchaser, but they never really have any background information on the horse. All fine and well if the horse is healthy, but if the horse has just come from a herd with strangles, it can be fatal if not costly. Horses are not disposable and as such, no-one, regardless of who they are should dispose of an animal. It’s barbaric and no animal should suffer through the ignorance of a person. There just aren’t enough sanctuaries out there to save them and a lot have a short, sharp end.
Ali,
Think you’ll find it’s the same case.
The Horse had better breeding than the people who did this……
The voice,
THats not difficult and it doesn’t make any difference what culture they’re from
When you see how badly some people treat their pets/animals you would wonder how they treat their children. Probably in the same violent/ brutal way
I have been concerned about horses left to their own devices here in Bray, for two years now. I have run up my phone bills trying to find anyone who will help. I have kept a terrified horse company in the early hours of the morning because she was so defenseless against some who think it’s amusing to throw ‘bangers’, bottles and cans at her. I have had to watch 4 or 5 horses wander around with two foals trailing after them, on a site with no grazing or water. I have been informed that there ARE laws in place to protect them but no resources or adequate staff available to enforce them. My last phone call ended with me saying, “Do we have to wait until each and every one of these horses becomes ‘newsworthy’, i.e. mutilated, starved, burned, or killed, before anything will be done?”. Why are we all now shaking our heads in sympathy and disgust over this latest atrocity, when we know it is going to be repeated over and over. I despair, I really do.
There should be a requirement that horse owners require a licence, and enforced with stiff penalties, it’s outrageous what these animals have to suffer.
There is a licence system for dogs and this doesn’t stop cruelty to them . A few years hard labour for those clowns driving the horse box be better solution !!
Really hope they find whoever is responsible and bring them to actual justice rather than a slap on the wrist.
If you see animal cruelty – report it, same way you would (or should) if you see someone getting beaten up.
Sure they will only get a slap on the wrists at best from the courts, but hopefully someone will treat them how they treated this poor animal and do their kneecaps in!
Oh God, i felt sick reading this. The poor horse, the poor animal..this cannot become regular news.. How the hell were these people raised?!
Nollaig…they were dragged up!
I hope whoever is responsible for this dies horribly and slowly.
Until it is law, that all dogs and horses should be micro-chipped, this will continue to happen! It should be stated in that law, that any animal found to be without a micro-chip, can be immediately removed by proper authorities, simple as that!
Its the people who did this that should be micro chipped or tagged….
Whatever about chipping animals it’s already done
But chipping people
ARE YOU CRAZY OR JUST PLAIN STUPID?
“Removed by proper authorities” generally leads to horses being destroyed (ie. sent to the factory) though. Plenty of unregistered horses and ponies out there that are treated very well, doesn’t seem fair that they should be taken from a good home and sent to the factory for not being chipped!
and perhaps break their legs!!!!!
ok Ruth, lets let them die in agony with broken legs instead, much better idea! If you are a responsible pet owner and look after your horse, having it chipped should not be a problem!! The idea is to protect the vulnerable animals, not the pampered ones, who clearly don’t need looking after!……………..Think about it!
I said nothing about letting horses die in agony with broken legs??? They need more than a microchip for protection. I’m not disagreeing with you, animals should be chipped, I just don’t think it’s a solution. The “authorities” already have the power to remove animals that are being mistreated, chipped or not. Think about it!
Well I’m pleased we agree on that. Chipping may not be a solution to animal cruelty, but I believe, maybe I am wrong, but it would act as a deterrent, currently there is no accountability as these animals are not registered. If you take an example of the estate that horse came from, if the authorities could go scan those animals and remove the un-chipped animals, it would make those people think twice about getting a horse. They do it to un-taxed cars!! Think about it! :)
The people who did this should be put down not chipped
Ruth fennal, if they were in a good home this would not be happening. Any animal without a good home should be removed from public areas right away. Owners should be required to prove they have the resources and facilities to keep and manage the animal
It is the law that all horses need to be passported, microchipped and lands where they are kept registered. Problem is the law is not enforced
Sarah you have been mis informed
Don’t believe so..pretty clear on Dept of Agri website. Since 2009 all equines must have passport and all equines issued with passports must be chipped.
I see what your saying, kinda like all dog owners must have licences…………..
I think this comment was aimed at me (can’t be sure because you spelled my name wrong) but I don’t really understand why you’re replying to me with this statement-it has nothing to do with what I said about microchipping horses? I agree, you shouldn’t have an animal you can’t keep and treat well. But most horses that are seized by authorities, whether it’s a case of abuse or something like grazing on NAMA land (where there is nothing wrong with the horse, no abuse/neglect etc.) are put down within a fortnight. It’s a sad reality that healthy well-kept horses are being killed after seizure. SPCA and other similar bodies don’t have the resources and facilities to keep animals either! So I don’t know where you propose the horses are removed to?? And let the downvotes begin…
There is no deterrent, nothing will happen to the bast***s who did this or any of the many many other similar incidents we are hearing about lately . The ISPCA dont have the resources or the backing to tackle it and the law doesn’t really give a shit . The people who did this ( and we probably are right about who they are ) are completely above the law in so many ways , abusing animals is only one of the things they get away with in this country because the guards are terrified of them using the racism bull***t card on them . All these horses need to be taken out of these situations before this happens to them , it is becoming far too common , it is terrible but unfortunately if they have to be humanely euthanized in the end it would be much kinder than leaving them to starve or be brutalised . Something has to be done soon before any more defenseless animals suffer like this .
Mandatory horse training day (MHTD) like the IBT for motorbikes, EDT for cars. charge those caught riding horses on public roads especially those out at rush hour putting the poor horse through unnecessary stress and anxiety just to look big in front of others when there half beating horse wins pulling a fat traveller or skanner with a heavy homemade frame on wheels.
You shouldn’t need training to know not to let a horse starve to death or break its legs.
Getting to common its disgraceful the laws should be brought in to seriously treat offenders. Sick bastards
Poor thing.
I totally agree about a long term solution being needed – I wrote to Stephen Donnelly about it – I went to look at horse rescue websites and realised anything I can give will be a drop in the ocean – this shouldn’t be an issue of individual donation or charity, the government needs to get involved and take responsibility for the members of our society that have descended into this sort of cruelty and torture. And take responsibility for the victims of it, animal or human.
I’d be interested to hear what Stephen Donnelly had to say about this very serious matter.
When is this cruelty ever going to end, what sort of people beat and kick a horse to death, setting fire to them last week, it’s just so tragic, lengthy jail sentences must be brought in! So sad
It’s bad enough to read horse ‘may have been beaten by a group of ‘people” then u get to d next part -imagine d fear of that horse in an open box with d vehicle accelerating away, it’s like shaking fish fingers out of a box.
Cruelty, inhumanity, thickness, stupidity there r no words to cover this.
They r sick bastards and I don’t care who reads this. I would do time to have a go at them.
Sicko who ever ther where, no one know if they where from the traveling community.I have known settled people keep horses and not look after them.
Sick. What’s wrong with Irish people…..
It’s not just an Irish problem. Horrible sick bastards everywhere.
Love/hate started all this giving working class sc@m ideas and encouraging them to harm animals.
Ye…because no one ever harmed an animal before love hate aired…
No. Love/Hate depicted/represented the existing issue of violence towards animals in working class society. Did you never read the news before that episode?
No only starting reading the news in November
All the sc*m of this country should be rounded up, put into a pit, have petrol poured on them and set alight. Instead, the ones that are caught get free meals,free healthcare, and free everything else in “prison” which is more like a hotel. It makes me sick to my stomach to yet again read of another case of vile animal abuse.
The law needs to change NOW, both with regards to the perpetrators of such disgusting crime AND ownership of animals.
Feeling very apprehensive of the ever decreasing lack of humanity in this country….
no wonder he only has 65 facebook friends with ‘jokes’ like that.
Well said Pete, until the authorities in this country start treating animal cruelty as a serious crime with real consequences these disgraceful acts will continue. It time people spoke up and named those responsible for this before some other poor innocent is their next victim. I would urge anyone who has any information to do the decent thing and come forward.
The people responsible for this evil abuse should be buried alive, more and more of this horrific abuse to animals on a weekly basis because of this pile of filth people getting away with it !
Travellers written all over it
It really upsetting me when i read the link – totally unacceptable… Why can’t do they do that poor horse ! Hope whoever does , should be named and shame !!!
This happened up the road from me and the girds where rang at four o clock that evening when this horse was beatin they didn’t bother to come up and the poor animal was left all night in that state! I heard the people who did it even recorded it and put it on Facebook! Appealing for information!?! Sure the neighbours rang them and they didn’t bother to even call out!! Disgraceful!
I just… I STILL don’t understand how people can do this to other animals! Just, WHY?! How can people be that cruel?!
Ireland the only country in europe without a proper regulations for these animals. Ireland is the only country in Europe that does so many stupid thin
Have e mailed all local TDs only a reply from Billy Timmins……….
The way we treat animals is indicative of the way we treat our fellow human beings whenever we can get away it. Mind you, humans can be more DBS than animals in that the continue to doff the hat to their perpetrators by putting them back into power.
I shiver at the thought of treating animals this way, how could they do it. I’ll never know. Karma will bite them in the ass, well hoping it does anyways!
The Dirty rotten bastards that did this should be shoot!
How is this even news?
Excuse me, could u expand on that question?
SURPRISE! We eat BACON! consume DAIRY go to RACES. This whole culture is based upon unnecessary animal abuse. Cutting tails with no aesthetics, taking babies from their moms, disposing of animals when they don’t bring trophies anymore. WAKE UP
http://www.blindfoldsoff.com
Ah pet rescue, I wonder will they show that programme again
People who are abusive to animals find it so easy to be abusive to fellow humans, they MUST be stopped !!!!
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