Charity calls for garda animal crime unit after horse had to be put down

The charity’s call to action comes due to the high level of animal cruelty cases going unpunished.

Recent cases the charity has seen without sanction include the sexual abuse of a horse so acute that the animal had to be euthanised; another horse was left to die and rot on a tarmacked, disused space in Glanmire, Cork, as other horses starved around it; and a pony was left trapped in a big chunk of metal on scrubland in Limerick.

Martina Kenny, the co-founder of My Lovely Horse Rescue, said that without more gardaí to tackle these crimes such appalling cruelty will increase as people assume they can evade punishment.

A horse the charity cared for recently had to be euthanised due to severe sexual abuse, including with an implement, in the West of Ireland.

The man responsible was never sanctioned.

“People are getting away with such awful crimes,” Ms Kenny said.

She was “disgusted” that there were no sanctions for those who owned horses left to starve on tarmacked wasteland in Glanmire, Co Cork, recently.

“Animal welfare has to be held up as a bigger priority, because it is currently so bad that younger people are going to start thinking it’s acceptable.

There has to be some sort of justice

Ms Kenny said there are not enough gardaí trained and available to deal with the existing levels of animal crime.

“But if this garda animal crime unit was in place, they could enforce the legislation that’s already there,” she said.

Nominated inspectors

An Garda Síochána said animal health and welfare liaison inspectors are nominated in each garda division.

These inspectors liaise as necessary with the Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ISPCA), along with veterinary surgeons employed by the Department of Agriculture, Food, and Marine to assist gardaí in their duties, a garda statement said.

“An Garda Síochána takes animal welfare matters seriously and encourages anyone with concerns for the safety and welfare of animals in their area to contact their local garda station or call the Garda Confidential Line at 1800 666 111.”

Conor Dowling, of the Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, said that penalties for animal cruelty in Ireland are reasonable by international standards.

You’re talking up to five years in prison and up to €250,000 fine

"That’s on indictment in a higher court, the Circuit Court,” Mr Dowling said.

The majority of cases are taken in the lower District Court, where the maximum penalties are six months imprisonment or a fine of up to €5,000, he said.

“We’ve seen stiffer penalties in recent years, more custodial sentences, and disqualification orders,” Mr Dowling said.