My experience: Reporting Equine abuse & neglect in Ireland

3 days ago

5 min read

Animal abuse is a growing conern on the island of Ireland, we all see the distressing images on social media. But, what do you do if you are concerned about a horses' welfare and what steps can you take to get help?

"Nearly 20,000 horses and other equines were euthanised in the Republic of Ireland over a ten-year period after being seized by local authorities." 2010-2020. (The Journal, 2021)

I was in this position a few months ago, I want to share my experience first hand about what I did, what I would do differently and how I got a suffering pony to safety.

Just to clarify, this was not a case of the pony didn't have a clean stable with big fluffy shavings or it only had 1 rug instead of 2. This was a case of utter neglect, basic needs were not being met, the pony was suffering from Laminitis caused by lack of hoof care and was in acute pain.

"Under the Animal Health and Welfare Act 2013, a person responsible for an animal has a duty to safeguard its health and welfare. The Act specifically requires adequate food and drinking water, and makes provision for shelter and other welfare needs."

The sitution

I was made aware by locals of a pony they though 'didn't look right'. These people did not know about horses and reached out to me knowing that I have experience. I said I couldn't just go off their word alone and would need to see for myself or at least get pictures. As the pony was on private land, access for me was difficult, but the reporting party were friends of the owner of the pony. A few weeks had passed and the pony's condition did not improve. Pictures and videos were sent to me and what I was sent was absolutely shocking!! The situation had got so bad the pony's feet were severly overgrown, suffering from acute Laminitis, he was lying on the ground, groaning in pain unable to stand. There was no forage, water or shelter available. I believed the photos and videos I had was enough to get the ball rolling and the pony was in a bad enough state to be ceased.

On a side note to this - I had reported neglect a few years previous to this for a skinny horse in a riding school. The inspector told me that the situation was bad, but not bad enough.

Timeline

Monday 8pm - I emailed pictures to the Department of Agriculture and the local dog warden. I also sent the pictures via Facebook Messenger to my local SPCA.

Tuesday 8.30am - Department of Ag. vet rung me to say he was on the way to the location. I explained that the pony was not accessible as it was behind a private house. He said he would try anyway.

Tuesday 8.50am - Local SPCA lady rung me explaining she does not deal with equine cases but she is willing to help in anyway she can (super lady!!) She advised I also alert My Lovely Horse Rescue.

Tuesday 9.05 - Pictures sent to MLHR. Within minutes they had a jeep and trailer on route.

Tuesday 9.30 - Department vet said he could not gain access to pony as there was a German Shepard barking at him.

Tuesday 9.50 - SPCA lady met vet onsite and climbed through hedges and ditches to get to pony (super SUPER lady!!) She would not stop at anything!

Tuesday 10.15 - Vet rung me and agreed that pony was in a very poor state and would need immediate medical attention, he was very empathetic, which is sometimes rare in to see in vets. We both agreed that the pony did not get in this condition overnight and it was clear that the neglect had been going on for some time.

After some phone calls I got hold of the property owners number and sent it on to the vet. Would you believe the owner tried to justify the situation by saying it was the child's pony and it's 'nothing to do with him'. He tried to say he had the farrier out last week to trim the pony's feet........pffftt, pull the other one!! After some debating over the phone, the owner agreed to surrender the pony. PHEW!

Tuesday 1pm - My Lovely Horse Rescue turned up with a horse box and their team along with 'Super SPCA lady' (the vet was called to other cases and had left) gained entry to the field and carefully loaded the pony and took it into their care. They reported the pony could not walk on the gravel lane he was in so much pain.

I never heard what happened to the pony after this, I kind of assumed that due to the severity of the Laminitis, it was too late. But it was never confirmed. All I knew was the pony was not suffering anymore, were ever it was.

So, what happens to the sick, twisted, evil b*stard that did this to the pony? A fine, prosecution, criminal record, community service? NOTHING......NOTHING.....absolutely NOTHING!! They don't even have to pay for any veterinary or transport costs. Gets off scott free. So what will this person learn from this experience? NOTHING, NADA, ZILTCH!!!

No accountability, no repurcussions. So, the cycle continues....

Here are my TOP TIPS for reporting equine neglect in Ireland

Collect photographic and video evidence documenting the horse's condition and the circumstances visible from the public area.
- Keep the original files.
- Don't edit or enhance the originals.
- Record the date/time and location of each item where possible.
Contact the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) and supply photographic evidence. DAFM is responsible for animal welfare enforcement, and its current animal-welfare guidance provides a dedicated reporting route for suspected animal cruelty. animalwelfare@agriculture.gov.ie
Contact a local animal rescue organisation. This is a fail safe incase DAFM do not act quickly enough. Not all local rescues are equipt with dealing with equine cases but they may be able to offer support.
Record the precise location, including coordinates/pinned location, so that an authorised officer or other appropriate person can locate the horse.
Assess potential access from the public road, without entering the private property. This could potentially be useful to an investigating officer, particularly if access to the horse is difficult.