VIDEO: Gardaí urged to probe M3 incident in which five hounds were killed
A campaign group has lodged an official complaint with gardaí calling on them to investigate an incident in which five hounds were killed after running loose on the M3 motorway in Co Meath.
Video footage of the incident between Navan and Skryne earlier this week shows cars slowing as hounds run towards them, while the bodies of injured dogs can also be seen. According to the gardai no motorists were injured in the incident.
The road was closed for a short period on Monday, while Gardaí and Meath Hunt dealt with the situation.
One car sustained significant damage and had to be towed away.
Janet Williamson, secretary of the Meath Hunt, said it was a really unfortunate incident, but the first of its kind in the 15 years the motorway has been there.
However the Irish Council Against Blood Sports (ICABS) has told the Celt they have lodged a formal complaint with the gardaí calling for a full investigation. Gardaí confirm they are investigating the incident.
Donna Griffin was traveling back to Dublin from Navan on the M3 when she came across the hounds.
VIDEO: Courtesy of Donna Griffin
“At about 3.30pm we noticed a dog running against the traffic in the hard shoulder," she told The Meath Chronicle. "We didn’t have a clue what was going on.
“A few seconds later we saw the two poor hounds dead in the overtaking lane, and right across from those it looked like there was another one behind the barrier on the side.
“You could then see loads more hounds running towards traffic. We had already put our hazard lights on, stopping the traffic behind us. There were about 12 hounds altogether there. It appears they came out from a field beside the motorway,” she said.
She explained her partner got out at some stage to try get a dog but it ran too quickly.
“Traffic behind us was stopping, so I hope no more of the running dogs where hit.
“I think the ones ahead of us had just been hit, as there was very little traffic stopped when we arrived.
“There appeared to be a vet of some sort stopped as well. They may have been caught up in the accident”.
Ms Williamson said that the Meath Hunt has road marshals and people on foot, keeping the hounds away from the motorway, but on this occasion they got away too fast, through difficult conditions and the people on foot found it difficult to get around them.
“The Meath Hunt is indemnified against any incident like this and any damaged vehicle will be repaired and looked after.
“Our hounds are looked after well by a whole team of experienced staff and nobody wants to see this kind of thing happen. We are co-operating with the gardai.”
A garda spokesperson told The Anglo-Celt: "Gardai in Dunshaughlin, Co Meath are investigating a road traffic collision that occurred on the M3 at Skreen Dunshaughlin on the 5th of February 2018 at approximately 3.20pm. It involved a number of cars and up to five dogs that were on the road, all five dogs were killed. No one was injured in the collision."