Taoiseach urged to take up horse neglect case

A LEADING West of Ireland animal welfare activist has called on An Taoiseach Enda Kenny to ensure that those responsible for beheading a horse dumped in a river in Castlebar are tracked down by the authorities. 

Councillor Gerry Ginty, who is a member of the North Mayo Horse Sanctuary, issued his plea after The Connaught Telegraph highlighted the grim discovery in this week's issue. A video of the scene is also screened on the newspaper's Facebook site.

Speaking to broadcaster Tommy Marren on Midwest Radio this morning, Councillor Ginty said he was shocked to the core when he learned how the animal was treated.

He hit out: 'I am embarrassed by the way horses are treated in a country that prides itself on the breeding and selling of bloodstock. The level of negect that I have witnessed over the years is astonishing.

'I think there is an onus to track down the perpetrators of this cruelty case in Castlebar and I think our Taoiseach should do everything he can in that regard.

'There is a lack of enforcement by the Department of Agriculture of the laws governing the ownership and sale of horses. Our elected representatives have a huge responsibility to ensure this enforcement starts to happen.'