Shocking animal cruelty in Cork city; another horse found with disturbing injuries

ANOTHER horse has died in Cork after months of mistreatment and a warning has now been issued that the city has a severe animal cruelty problem.

The horse, named Trudy, was the second to be found by the volunteer group, My Lovely Horse Rescue, in recent months.

Kelly Mellerick, who runs My Lovely Horse Rescue Cork, said the animal was euthanised by the vet immediately due to the extent of the injuries.

Trudy was found behind a ditch, by a woman walking her dog. Kelly said the horse had been left there to die.

“Months of being starved and under-fed, months of beatings and cuttings, many old but some fresh and still oozing.

“Months of being ridden too hard, her legs in bits from it. And then her beautiful eyes, her delicate mouth, burnt. Her two front legs, burnt.”

The animal rescue organisation said that the situation is escalating in the past six months and something needs to be done in order to protect these animals from neglect and abuse.

Ms Mellerick and other concerned members of the public who want to report mistreatment of horses are told to call the Traveller Housing Accommodation Unit in City Hall, a situation they say is unacceptable.

They have also been told that the pound service has been outsourced to Longford, 260km away.

Ms Mellerick said that her organisation currently has 24 horses in their care, with another 10 to 15 in foster homes.

“Something has to be done. Things are getting worse, the levels of neglect are a lot worse.”

She said what is happening is horses and ponies are being indiscriminately bred and unwanted foals are being sold off to children with no concern for what happens to them.

Ms Mellerick said she had a report of 15 young fellas riding a small Shetland pony up and down a green and being flipped over for fun.

“The last two weeks have been crazy, every single night we have gotten calls about horses galloping around estates, horses kept in the back of vans, down alleyways or in ditches,” she said.

Gardaí are calling the volunteer-run charity because the pound service contracted to the city council is not answering the phone or unable to react.

Ms Mellerick said it makes no sense that complaints about animal cruelty are put through to the Traveller Accommodation Housing Unit in City Hall.

Cork City Council said that the city shares a vet service with the county council.