The court heard evidence from ISPCA Inspector James McCormack who described responding to a report regarding a horse in a field off Hand Lane, Maddenstown, Co Kildare in January 2023. He told how he found a Chestnut gelding that was visibly underweight with its ribs, hips and spinal bones protruding. The horse was very unsteady on its feet and standing with its legs splayed. Its stomach was making noises, and it defecated a spray of faeces that covered part of its tail and legs.
Inspector McCormack organised for a vet to examine the horse in situ and the vet confirmed that the animal was unwell and needed immediate veterinary attention. It was recommended that it be moved to a local equine veterinary hospital for further assessment.
Inspector McCormack described how, as arrangements were being made for the removal of the gelding, he was approached by a woman who introduced herself and said she was the owner of the horse. She said that she had the horse since the previous November, and that its condition had been deteriorating over the previous number of weeks. She admitted under caution that the horse had not received veterinary attention saying that she didn’t have money for a vet.
The horse was seized and transported to a veterinary hospital, where the examining vet found that it was extremely emaciated with no fat evident anywhere. It was so underweight that the vet assigned a body condition score of 0 out of 5. It was diagnosed with chronic colitis and was later euthanised to prevent any further suffering. The vet was of the view that it had “suffered greatly”.
Inspector McCormack described how he later called to the defendant’s home to conduct an interview under caution and there met a man who claimed that he was the owner of the horse. The accused again admitted that the gelding had not received veterinary care but said that she had bought it a new rug and wormed it. The man was interviewed on a later date and claimed that the horse’s condition had declined rapidly in the days prior to its seizure. He too admitted that veterinary attention was not sought.
Viewing photographs which he described as “depressing”, Judge Desmond Zaidan said that the horse “must have been in hell” and suffered a lot of pain that could have been prevented with early intervention. He said that he could not get his head around the fact that both defendants worked in the equine sector and had knowledge, saying that they “let the horse down badly”.
Judge Zaidan imposed five-month custodial sentences for each of the three charges on both of the accused, with the sentences to run concurrently. He also ordered that they pay €1,028.59 to cover vet fees incurred by the ISPCA. The Judge commented that horses feel the same pain as humans, but they do not express it orally, and that this horse “had no one to speak on its behalf”.
An appeal was lodged after the hearing.
Inspector McCormack commented: “This was a very sad case to see a beautiful horse in obvious pain and suffering that went on over a period of weeks, and it led to the horse having to be euthanised to prevent further suffering. It is not okay to allow an animal to suffer such pain and it is every animal owner’s responsibility to provide a level of care and kindness to all animals in their care. We continue to work on behalf of all neglected animals and we will continue to bring these cases before the courts”.
The ISPCA urges the public to report any suspicions of animal cruelty, neglect or abuse to its confidential National Animal Cruelty Helpline by calling 0818 515 515, reporting online here: https://ispca.ie/report-cruelty/ or by emailing [email protected]. Together, we can continue to protect Ireland’s most vulnerable animals and bringing those who harm them to justice.
