78 horses put down in Mayo in last year

78 horses ‘killed’ in Mayo in last year


Mayo County Council have agreed to sanction €12,000 to two animal welfare groups after it was revealed that 78 horses  were put down in Mayo in the last years.
The decision to allocate €2,000 to Ainmhithe Animal Rescue and to €10,000 to North West SPCA was unanimously backed by the councillors in the chamber and praised the work by Independent councillor Gerry Ginty for highlighting the issue.
The Ballina-based councillor commended the work of the two groups and said he was heartened by the news the only six dogs had been ‘killed’ in the last year but was ‘sickened’ that 78 horses have been killed.
“We are supposed to be a nation which prides itself on its bloodline of horses and when the Queen of England came here she wanted to see these horses. I’m not a big fan of the Queen but if she was brought to see what happens to horses all over this country, she would not want to come to visit this country,” he said.
Cllr Ginty added that the two animal welfare groups are run by volunteers and urged people who have money to spare to donate to these organisations.
Cllr Michael Kilcoyne said a lot of these horses were abandoned by people ‘who should know better’ and that they had bought horses to ‘look as good as the people next door’.
Cllr Michael Holmes said the abandonment of horses was a big problem which was only going to get worse following last weeks budget and the decision by the Minister of Agriculture to except horses from the Area Based Payments Plan.
County Manager Peter Hynes said money would be available in the budget and praised the work of Cllr Ginty and the animal welfare groups.