ANIMAL welfare groups this week lobbied Dáil Deputies and Senators ahead of a peaceful demonstration outside Leinster House on Thursday, October 4th next, to mark World Animal Day.

Spearheaded by the Tipperary-based Action for Animal Welfare Ireland group, the groups will be calling on the government to enforce the existing animal welfare and protection legislation in the wake of disturbing cases of animal cruelty and neglect, many of them involving horses, ponies, donkeys and dogs. The peaceful protest will be held from 2pm to 4pm.

“We are demanding that the present welfare laws are enforced and a proper policing of animal cruelty with accountability. Enough is enough,” said AFAWI spokesperson Anne Williamson.

Earlier this week, AFAWI, the group who highlighted the shocking case at Knocklofty last Christmas where seven horses starved to death on lands at Clonmel, held three meetings with concerned TDs and Senators to highlight the situation.

Nobody was brought to justice for the Knocklofty cruelty case as the Gardaí could not trace the owners. Unbelievably, horses have now been moved back into the same lands.

WARDENS AND INSPECTORS

“We demanded a horse warden or inspector for every county to stop the abuse and checks for proper microchipping and for the present welfare laws to be upheld,” explained Williamson. They are also pushing for all horses to be passported and microchipped in accordance with the laws and that people who abuse or neglect animals are held accountable for their actions.

Among the public representatives the delegation of Williamson (Cappanagarrane Horse Rescue), Sue Walker (PAWS Animal Rescue) and Tipperary Cllr. Catherine Carey met at Leinster House this week were Dublin Central TD Maureen O’Sullivan, Dublin Senator Fintan Warfield, Victor Boylan, Westmeath Senator Paul Gavan and Galway Senator Gerard Craughwell. It’s understood that the politicans all pledged to help highlight the issues inside the Dail and Senate.

RESOURCES STRETCHED

Earlier this summer, the country’s main animal rescue charity, the ISPCA, announced at the launch of their National Report that their resources were at breaking point due to the number of animal welfare abuse cases they were dealing with.