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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