Dead horses found at several Tipperary sites

Concern has been expressed in Co Tipperary over the discovery of dead and dying horses at a number of sites.

The latest find, on Wednesday, was a decomposing horse beside an isolated walkway at Suir Island in Clonmel. The animal is thought to have died of malnutrition.

The remains of seven horses were found in a field in the Knocklofty area on December 18th. The horses were in various states of decomposition, with one foal standing by the carcass of a mare that may have been dead for up to a month.

Up to 14 horses were discovered in the field alongside the dead horses’ remains and they were taken to an Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ISPCA) compound in Cork.

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Action for Animal Welfare Ireland (AAWI) said it would be able to rehome the horses taken to Cork.

Cllr Catherine Carey, who was one of those who came across the scene in Knocklofty, said the sight moved her and others present to tears. She made a video of the scene and took some photographs of the dead animals for the authorities.

The dead animals were removed on December 20th by Tipperary County Council.

Microchipping foals

Ms Carey has called for additional staff at the Department of Agriculture to ensure all foals are microchipped, as is required under Irish and EU law .

The decomposing remains at Suir Island were found by two women who were walking their dogs. They contacted Cllr Carey and Tipperary County Council arranged to have the horse’s body disposed of on Thursday.

A dying horse discovered at Cahir Road in Clonmel was put down on December 26th.

The abandonment of horses is not confined to Co Tipperary, and before Christmas a number of horses described as thoroughbreds were found in Donadea Forest Park in Co Kildare.

A spokeswoman for AAWI said there appeared to be a particular problem with one field where the dead horses were found. “We found remains that were at least a year old and some that were just three months old,” she said.

The issue of animal welfare in the Clonmel area was due to be discussed at a meeting of AAWI on Thursday night at McCarthy’s in Fethard.