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Bullock with serious injuries left unaided and alone at Mayo cattle mart for 10 hours

The animal was euthanised after being left in distress from morning until evening after sustaining a broken leg.

Warning: The following post contains an image of an injured animal in distress

A CRITICALLY-INJURED animal was left unaided for 10 hours before being put down at a cattle mart in the west of Ireland.

The bullock (a castrated bull raised for its beef) in question sustained one broken hind-leg and seriously injured another at the Mayo-Sligo mart in Ballina, Co Mayo, according to Kevin Forde of industry site That’sFarming.com.

The animal was left to fend for itself after sustaining the injuries from roughly 10am on the morning of Tuesday, 15 August, until 9pm that evening when it was eventually euthanised.

The Ballina mart said that it would be providing no further comment on the story.

Previously, Billy Loftus, the head of the mart, told That’sFarming that “the vet was called out immediately that morning and he gave him a shot of something for the pain”.

“He said he would come back later that evening as there were too many people around.”

It’s understood that the animal injured itself while attempting to jump a gate at the mart. The bullock was subsequently moved to a pen on its own for the remainder of the day.

IMG_0822 The injured bullock, pictured in a pen on its own at the Mayo-Sligo mart on 15 August Kevin Forde Kevin Forde

In response to a request for comment, a spokesperson for the Department of Agriculture confirmed that the “incident is currently being investigated”.

When asked why the animal hadn’t been humanely dealt with that morning, Loftus meanwhile said “we couldn’t do anymore with all the people around”.

“We have health and safety to worry about as well. It’s not in our interests to have an animal suffering.

We have a standard procedure where we usually house injured animals in a bedded shed but we couldn’t move him with all the people around.

Regulations

The standard code of practice for dealing with such an incident is for the injured animal to be put down immediately to prevent further suffering.

“It would be down to the mart, or at least the local mart here anyway would be insured, and responsible,” a local vet told That’sFarming, adding that “animal welfare regulations are always in favour of the animal”.

If an animal has come in and is given a number, it seems to be the responsibility of the mart to have it slaughtered on the premises.

Non-statutory body the Farm Animal Welfare Advisory Council (FAWAC) said that it is “aware of the situation” when asked for comment, and added that the matter is “being dealt with in the appropriate manner”.

Industry body the Irish Farmers Association (IFA) declined to comment on the incident and referred a query to the Department of Agriculture.

Previously, IFA president Joe Healy told That’sFarming that he had always found the Ballina mart to be “very professional”.

Of the bullock itself, Healy said: “Look it was under supervision.”

“It’s in any farmer’s or mart’s interest to treat animals in the best possible manner, and the mart managers I know, that’s what they do,” he said.

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    Mute Paul
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    Nov 28th 2013, 11:08 PM

    Ahh such a pity, some anti climax tho

    47
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    Mute joe power
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    Nov 28th 2013, 11:13 PM

    We nearly got killed ya mad man, have you not seen deep impact shocking stuff

    14
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    Mute Ruairí O'Mahony
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    Nov 28th 2013, 11:13 PM

    That’s an impressive trail of debris. it also seems to brighten in the final frame.

    http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5480/11106507235_ec20b425d7_o.gif

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    Mute Ruairí O'Mahony
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    Nov 28th 2013, 11:26 PM

    More recent footage… Looks like at least part of the comet is still on the move…

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IrqwsA01o5k&feature=youtu.be

    15
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    Mute Chewey Bacca
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    Nov 28th 2013, 11:39 PM

    A minutes applause for comet ISON

    15
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    Mute Shanti Om
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    Nov 28th 2013, 11:50 PM

    More like a minutes silence :(

    21
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    Mute Ciaran Cahill
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    Nov 28th 2013, 11:12 PM

    The best result, for me, would be a break-up on its trajectory towards the Sun as we would get much more data that way. A survive & pass around the Sun would yield much less for spectroscopy.

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    Mute Paul
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    Nov 29th 2013, 7:32 AM

    You realise that nobody is gonna know what spectroscopy is

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    Mute O' Loughlin Ronan
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    Nov 29th 2013, 8:06 AM

    @paul, I wouldnt say nobody!

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    Mute Carcu Sidub
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    Nov 29th 2013, 9:06 AM

    Paul

    You should have said

    You realise no normal person is gonna know what spectroscopy is

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    Mute O' Loughlin Ronan
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    Nov 29th 2013, 9:50 AM

    Oh wait got a red thumb, that must be the dumb ass that doesnt know!

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    Mute O' Loughlin Ronan
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    Nov 29th 2013, 11:09 AM

    And again!

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    Mute Matthew Malloy
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    Nov 30th 2013, 2:13 AM

    You must be much more cleverer than the rest of us!

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    Mute Homo Erectus
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    Nov 29th 2013, 9:09 AM

    Sun-grazing comet likely to have broken up: “it’s not you, it’s me…”

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    Mute Sean Buckley
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    Nov 29th 2013, 9:16 AM

    It’s alive a fragment has survived. In the words of Fr.Jack Hackett ” I love my brick”

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    Mute John Donagher
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    Nov 28th 2013, 11:09 PM

    :(

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    Mute Richard Curtin
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    Nov 29th 2013, 12:32 AM
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    Mute Michael
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    Nov 29th 2013, 12:12 AM

    Does that mean it contains regular water or heavy water? anyone know

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    Mute Joseph Siddall
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    Nov 29th 2013, 3:37 AM

    Water is weightless in space.
    Sorry. Hat, coat, door.

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    Mute Stephen Harmon
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    Nov 29th 2013, 10:09 AM

    Nothing is weightless in space, there is gravity everywhere in space. That’s what keeps the moon orbiting the earth and the earth orbiting the sun.

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