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You are > Home > Cruelty call-outs doubled in 2009
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Thursday, March 04, 2010
Cruelty call-outs doubled in 2009
AN ANIMAL rights organisation attended 111 call outs on cruelty cases in 2009, the highest recorded figure, and double the number for the previous 12 months.
The Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the North Wexford Society of Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (NWSPCA) was held in the Loch gCarman Arms on Monday night.
The meeting heard from the inspector’s report which stated: “What is an extra cause of concern is the number is double the fifty-five cases dealt with the year before. We are now dealing with an average of two cases per week. While a rise in awareness of animal welfare issues can account for some of this increase, a rise in equine cases represents a real increase in animal cruelty in North Wexford.”
The Society reported that despite the odd exception, they received a good reception at the doorstep. The emergency response line received 1,221 calls on a wide variety of issues and Teresa and Ann were thanked for maintaining the phones and recording the cruelty calls.
The last year the NWSPCA saw a dramatic increase in the number of cruelty calls relating to horses, ponies and donkeys.
The cases vary from concern over the state of the field accommodating the horse to serious neglect, in one case resulting in the horse been destroyed.
The downturn in the economic climate is cited as a contributing factor in these cases, but in reality there can be no excuse for animal neglect, the Inspector’s report stated.
“Ownership of a horse brings the biggest responsibility for an animal owner, a level of commitment, which we have seen in cases, is not being provided.
When you go into a site and see such appalling equine neglect, it is really the most difficult part of being an inspector particularly over the cold winter period, where fields became very muddy making grazing difficult and basic horse care is not applied. Even a blanket and extra feed should be supplied and the horse kept clean at all times.”
While an inspector needs to remain professional, it is still very emotionally upsetting to see a horse fall to the ground as the vet has to humanely destroy it, the meeting heard.
Ownership of a horse also requires space and shelter, which may sound basic, but possibly all the equine call-outs this year involved horses on other people’s land.
Some, such as County Council Property or undeveloped housing sites, the landowners were not aware the horses were there.
The inspectors have called on Wexford County Council to meet with the Society to establish a plan of action to deal with horses dumped on these sites in future.
The society will invite other animal welfare groups and the Garda Síochána to attend.
Following on from an inspection of a cruelty case, the Inspectors only had to formally ask the Garda Síochána to investigate one case, which also related to horses.
A second equine case from 2008, relating to eight horses in Craanford, was finally brought to court last February and will continue at the next court sitting this month.
Last year, the Society also saw an increase in the number of dogs stolen and issued a warning in the media on a number of occasions.
“We call on people to ensure their dogs are micro-chipped, to help tackle the rise of dog thefts in North Wexford. Pet owners are reminded to make sure these details are kept up to date, with new addresses or ownership details if they change. If you lose or find a dog, remember to contact the local garda, Dog Warden and ourselves with the details and so we can hopefully re-unite owners with their loved pets.”
The Inspector service is part of the early warning system for possible animal welfare issues in the farming community operated in conjunction with the Department of Agriculture and Food and the Irish Farmers Association.
“This process has not worked well and certainly not to the outcome the Society was expecting when entering the scheme. Our continued participation in the scheme will have to be reviewed in the coming year.”
The Inspector service, along with various Committee members and dogs from our centre, visited eight schools in the last year educating the next generation on animal welfare issues.
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