Gardai come to rescue of yet another horse found in distress in Kilkenny city
Gardai in Kilkenny have come to the rescue of yet another horse in Kilkenny city.
This poor pony, named ‘Lydia’ by her adopted carers, was discovered with a trap attached to her by Sergeants Burke and Goode while on the beat in the city yesterday.
After inspecting the animal, the pony was taken into protective custody under Section 12 of the 2013 Animal Welfare Act.
A local Garda spokesperson said: “You can’t always get a horsebox when you need it so our skippers walked her back to the station. Arrangements were then made between the local authority and My Lovely Horse Rescue and now Lydia (they named her) is starting a new life in greener pastures. A sincere thank you to all parties who made this possible.”
Several people took to social media to praise the actions of the officers.
The chairperson of Kilkenny County Council, Cllr Andrew McGuinness, said: “I want to commend Sergeants Burke and Goode for enforcing the Animal Welfare Act and for ensuring this pony was brought to safety. They have done a fantastic job and deserve great credit for their efforts. Also, to My Lovely Horse Rescue who do great work and have given this pony a new life. It was a very positive outcome,” said Chairman of Kilkenny County Council, Andrew McGuinness.”
Proposals by Cllr McGuinness resulted in significant changes to Kilkenny’s Control of Horses bylaws, which helps gardai to deal more effectively with animal cruelty cases.
Cllr McGuinness (pictured below) added: “Over the coming weeks we will have our first meeting of Kilkenny’s new Animal Welfare Charter Committee, which will pay particular attention to the treatment of horses and dogs, bringing together all of the groups that are involved in dealing with animal welfare issues. The aim is to work together to help stamp out the horrific cruelty we have seen in recent years.
“I am 100% dedicated to this issue and I will not stop working towards a positive result despite the frustration of seeing horrific cruelty time and time again. I want our laws and our tenancy agreement enforced strictly and for the message to be loud and clear – we will not tolerate animal cruelty in Kilkenny.”
