LATEST figures show that the vast majority of 1,177 horses and ponies seized in the State in 2017 were euthanised with only a fraction – less than 10% – reclaimed by their owners.

The cost to local authorities and the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine of dealing with unwanted horses and ponies seized under the Control of Horses Act 1996 stands at €4.5m from 2014-2017.

Between January and September 2017, some 1,177 horses and ponies were seized by 31 local authorities nationwide but of these, only 94 were reclaimed by their owners, while 176 horses and ponies were rehomed. In that nine-month timeframe alone, 903 unclaimed horses and ponies were euthanised – a rate of almost three a day.

The latest horse seizure figures and breakdown into each local authority area were released to The Irish Field by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine which reimburses local authorities on their costs of dealing with seized equines.

The major population centres of Dublin, Limerick and Cork between them accounted for the majority of equines seized at 613.

Not surprisingly, the capital’s four local authorities of Dublin City Council (85), South Dublin County Council (176), Dun Laoghire/Rathdown County Council (6) and Fingal County Council (134) dealt with the highest number of seized equines, totalling 401, following by Limerick City and County (117) and Cork City Council and Cork County Council with a combined total of 95.

HOUSING PROJECTS

The figures for the capital and Limerick would be undoutedly much higher if the Department was not also footing the bill for the urban horse projects, with €500,000 funding going to the flagship Dublin Urban Horse Project in Clondalkin alone.

The overall national figure for seized horses nationwide under the Act has dropped from 4,923 seized in 2014 of which 246 were reclaimed by owners, 416 rehomed and 4,231 euthanised.

Tipperary, which hit the headlines nationally recently with several disturbing incidents of dead and starved horses and ponies found around Clonmel, seized 66 of which four were reclaimed, nine rehomed and 53 euthanised.

A public meeting is being held in Hearnes Hotel on Monday in Clonmel at 7pm over animal welfare to which all are welcome.

Surprisingly, 90 horses were seized in Kildare in only a six-month timeframe from January to June 2017, 85 of which were euthanised with only three being reclaimed by owners and two finding new homes. Wicklow County Council dealt with 25 seized animals in the same six-month timeframe, 22 of which were euthanised.

Meanwhile, Meath County Council seized 51 animals, 16 were reclaimed by owners, two were rehomed and 33 euthanised.

The lowest figure recorded, was just one horse seized and euthanised by Cavan County Council while Sligo County Council rehomed two of just four horses seized. Leitrim County Council rehomed seven of nine horses seized. Mayo County Council dealt with just two seized horses, both of which were rehomed. No figures at all were recorded for Roscommon County Council.

In addition, Minister for Agriculture Michael Creed’s Department provided €2.4m in funding to some 137 animal welfare organisations in 2017.