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THE ISPCA IS warning that many equines will starve this winter due to neglect – and that their owners may have abandoned them or not provided adequate feed and shelter during the harsh winter months.
It is launching its hay drive today in order to raise essential funds to help the ISPCA “cope with the distressing deluge of horses, ponies, donkeys and foals that have been dumped or left to die”.
ISPCA Chief Inspector Conor Dowling said that last year the ISPCA saw a dramatic increase in the number of starving animals requiring the assistance of its inspectors.
“The number of equines admitted to our rehabilitation centres increased by over 100 per cent compared with the previous year,” he explained.
In 2013, the ISPCA received and responded to 1,933 equine distress calls related to cruelty, neglect or abuse to horses, ponies, foals and donkeys.
He said that the ISPCA is regularly stretched beyond capacity, which is why it needs the help to continue its work.
In addition to its Hay Drive, the ISPCA said it is continuing to call for strong enforcement of regulations governing identification of equines and the registration of premises where they are housed “in order to promote responsible equine ownership”.
The ISPCA is asking people who want to donate to text Hay to 50300 to donate €4 or make a monthly gift of €4 through its website. They say the money will buy a bale of hay and feed a neglected horse.
Why are horses permitted in residential urban areas to begin with? It is clear that the average urban dweller lack the proper accomadations for a horse.
When will laws be drawn up and enforced that insures the saftey and well being of horses?
Ive donated €20 by texting “hay” 4 times to 50300.
The greatness of a nation and it’s moral progress can only be judged by the way it treats it animals – Ghandi
5 times.
How many phones have you borrowed to do this?
Fair play!
I know I’m going to get a lot of red thumbs but it could be better to put a lot if these animals to sleep. I would love to think in an ideal world that these animals will be rehomed and live happy lives but unfortunately the reality is that they will suffer due to lack of resources and money. I would rather see a horse humanely euthanised than be in pain due to neglect.
I agree 100%. Instead of donating money for hay, why not give money to the Irish Cancer Society or Crumlin Childrens hospital or any of 1000 more worthy charities.
Money will now be spent on feeding unwanted animals with no possibility of any future home or owner. Utter waste of money.
@Nash Bridges, so what would you suggest should be done, leave them to starve?
They are innocent defenseless animals that have found themselves homeless, hungry and cold through no fault of their own! ! Would you suggest the same strategy for the hundreds of homeless sleeping rough on the street also cold and hungry because there are no resources to help them? Sorry but i find your suggestion cruel.
People like you is why are country is the way it is. Get off this article of young you are not going to help. Go on the cancer sites. We do not go on topics like that and give out about money being raised for people. Sick of ignorant a*sholes coming on welfare articles for animals and giving out to people who actually care and help. People who don’t care about animals normally don’t care about anything but themselves.
@ Pauline.
Very simple solution, put them down humanely. Unwanted horse problem solved. I clearly stated that I agreed with the proceeding comment to put them down, no where did I mention starving them. Try reading the comment before replying in future, making false assumptions about other peoples opinions just makes you look silly.
@ Cathriona
Horses are not people. That is why they are treated differently.
Would you put a bridle on a homeless person and whip him until he jumped over a fence? Would you?
@ Nash Bridges, in your 1st comment you disagree with people spending money on helping neglected horses you state that the money would be better spent if donated to cancer charities etc… You do not mention having the horses euthanized.
Maybe you don’t realise the sheer size of the problem. There are 15,000 to 25,000 horse, ponies and donkeys in need of help in this country and sadly I agree that there will have to be a cull of these unwanted animals. But it isn’t as simple as saying put them all down, problem solved. The cost alone would be staggering, about €5 million possibly more along with the organization and roundup. How long do you think the powers that be in government would take to organise something like that? And in the mean time what happens to the horses, should they be left to starve or should they be helped?
Hi Pauline,
Please see the 1st three words of my 1st comment,
“I agree 100%”
in reference to the preceding comment.
Let me know what part of that you are having trouble understanding.
Reading that it looks quite nasty. Didn’t mean to be so abrupt.
My position is simply that it is utterly futile to keep feeding unwanted animals. They should be destroyed. If someone wants to give to charity they should give to more deserving organisations.
@ Nash Bridges, Yes I saw that you 100% agreed but it was the rest of your comment that I had trouble Understanding!! And so did many other people by the looks of all the red thumbs you got.
Sorry id rather pay for the cause than a bunch of fat pocketed ceos, who arent in it for the cause but for the money.
No because a decent animal lovin person wudn, only the lil scrote bags.
@ Nash Bridges, don’t worry about being nasty or abrupt, it’s okay, I know that it all goes hand in hand with leaving comments on a public forum like this.
But I think you and I will have to agree to disagree.
I don’t think its futile to keep feeding unwanted animals because the alternative is that they starve to death and that to me is horrific.
I do agree that there will have to be a cull but its not going to be as easy as just rounding them all up and putting them down as I already stated in an earlier comment.
And I don’t think one charity is more deserving of another, people give to charities that they feel are deserving of their money and be they an animal or human charity the money will be put to good use regardless.
Oh nd nash they already have a cure for cancer just the pharmacy industry makes to much money from it so why release it when people will be cured nd wont rely on drugs anymore nd loose millions of profits
I have to disagree with this statement. This is saying because the animals are unwanted they should be left to die. So if a child was unwanted would you leave it to die ?? The ISPCA is a very worth cause they take in and look after all of Irelands unwanted/abandoned and abused animals and they do it all though donations. Many animals are also rehomed. These animals did not ask to be bought, it is not their fault they are abandoned/ rehomed and abused. They all deserve a second chance
I remember a news piece here about two weeks ago concerning Minister Simon Coveneys’ announcement that the Department of Agriculture does not believe horses are being abused and neglected in this country.
Not the best informed minister in the country, though it seems, he’s not alone in that.
The hay drive is a great idea but it won’t fix the problems, Simon Convey needs to pull his head out of the sand and start to take animal welfare seriously.
I would have sad ass
What did the gay horse say?
HAAAAYYYYY
I’ll think you’ll find that there are no gay horses.
I am so sick of the welfare system
In Ireland along with the attitudes of the spcas .. All weekend people have been contacting these services for horses in tallaght, coolock ect. They do not provide weekend services. They receive the most money from the government and don’t respond quick enough. AHAR get a call and they are out straight away no matter what time or day it is. I myself had an incident with a dog who was knocked down and left on side of road. No spcas were available. This is not good enough. Give more funding to the rescues who dont run it like a business. Simon coveney you ignorant man look at the state this country is in. I don’t know how you sleep at night coz I certainly don’t. To anyone who witnesses an animal in need please don’t walk away.
And if the horse is on council land the charities cant rescue them, the councils have to, which means pound nd death. Nd they charge extortionate amounts to get them out when there going to put em down anyway. Cruel country there us a portion of animal lovers to the cruel heartless people makin it hardee for us
I was going to say ass too Yo, but he’s more like an ostrich burying his head in the sand until the trouble has passed him by.
Just make burgers out of them! Stupid animal anyway
Are the many Hunts,Pony Clubs,Race Horse owners etc organising anything or is the long suffering public going to have to clean up yet another Celtic Tiger mess?
About time
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