Cavan is only county to not kill unwanted horses

Patrice Brady

Public money made available for putting down unwanted horses is not being made available to help keep them alive, much to the annoyance of the animal welfare groups who have ensured that Cavan was the only county in Ireland to not euthanise a single horse in the last five years.

Reports released last week confirm that no group in County Cavan has availed of any of the €12.5 million spent nationally on euthanising horses since 2008. The commendable statistic is the result of tireless effort of groups like the Cavan Branch of the ISPCA working alongside Cavan County Council. However, despite these organisations not availing of funding to put down horses, neither do they receive any extra funding for keeping horses alive.

The release fee for a stray horse is €700 and under the Control of Horses Act if the owner does not come forward within seven days of seizure and no charities can take them in they can be legally euthanised.

Stray horses in counties neighbouring Cavan fared worse. Sixty-nine per cent of stray horses (190) found in Meath were euthanised over the last five years, at a cost of €136,127, while 49% of stray horses (24) in Monaghan were euthanised in the same period, at a cost over €6,296.

A growing number of animals bought during the boom are being abandoned because of the high cost of looking after them. In the first four months of this year 1,000 horses have been put down nationally. Almost 80% of stray horses have been put down since 2011, and the problem is only getting worse.

'Most of the horses that have been taken in have been re-homed or else I have passed them on to the Cavan County Council,' Tina Boyle of Cavan ISPCA told the Celt. 'The cost of it is the most important factor. It is so expensive, not just with feeding them, but most of them are in such a bad condition when we find them that there are vet bills as well.

'Most of them have never had a home or any human contact, so I keep them for six to seven months. They need constant care, it takes a long time for a horse that has been in a very bad condition to get well again. That’s what charities need to be careful of - you can’t just give a malnourished horse food and send him to another home.'