HUNDREDS of animal lovers and rescue volunteers from all over the country gathered outside Leinster House on Thursday to urge the government to enforce Ireland’s existing animal welfare legislation.

Marking World Animal Day, buses were organised from Munster, joining groups nationwide with posters held aloft from Monaghan, Cavan, Limerick, the west and the south east, and 11,500 live signatures urging Minister Michael Creed to take a closer look at animal welfare were delivered to the office of the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine.

The Action for Animal Welfare Ireland (AAWI) group, which highlighted the shocking Knocklofty cruelty case, where seven horses and ponies starved to death on private lands in Clonmel just before last Christmas, organised the mass protest.

Speaking on behalf of the group, Sue Walker told The Irish Field that animal cruelty is continually increasing. “It is great to see so many groups out today, every county in Ireland is represented here, north and south, here at the gates of Leinster House to say enough is enough, we want the laws of the country to be properly enforced on animal welfare,” she said.

“We will not let this drop. We will make it an election issue. They (politicians) are deaf in there (the Dail) but we will make them hear us. We are not going to go away.”

Anne Williamson, also from AAWI, reiterated the need for a horse warden in every county. “We are calling for the politicians to do their job. Enforcement of the existing animal welfare laws is what’s needed. A lot of money is being spent but the problems are still there. There was €155,000 spent in 11 months in our area (Tipperary) on seizing horses and pound fees. That kind of money would employ three horse wardens.”

Scenes from Ballinasloe, including very young animals pictured being ridden by youths and adults, as well as the ongoing trade in puppies, prompted criticism. Georgia Murray of Kingdom Cat and Dog Rescue, Co Kerry, attending the Dail protest, called for action to be taken on equine welfare and for “a stop to be put to some so-called rescue groups who are actually fuelling the puppy trade by buying them.”

CALLS EVERY DAY

One animal rescue group currently receiving €12,000 from the government is the My Lovely Horse Rescue (MLHR) group. Volunteer Maddie Doyle said: “We are here today to try and convince the government to enforce their own legislation. Every single day of the week we are getting calls about animals that are abandoned, dumped, animals in pounds, mares and foals, we are just overrun.

“We get Department of Agriculture funding once a year through their grant scheme for rescues. This is our third year in receipt of that. We started the first year and we got €2,000. The second year we got €10,000, the third year we got €12,000.

“But just to put that in perspective, our winter hay bill last year was €26,000. The majority of our money is raised through donations and fundraising.

“In our care between our two locations, we have between 100-120 animals and then up to 70 places in foster homes that we are also responsible in terms of vet bills, farrier bills,” Doyle said on behalf of MLHR.

Debbie Murphy of Wexford SPCA said: “We are here because we are fed up of the abuse. We’re here because the government are doing absolutely nothing, they are not funding, they are not putting the animal inspectors on the road, and they’re not acting on behalf of the animals in Ireland. We need laws enforced.”

Independent TD Maureen O’Sullivan and Tipperary councillor Catherine Carey attended the protest, as did Independent.ie columnist Amanda Brunker who took the microphone to say, “Nobody inside (Leinster House) cares. Nobody is actually taking ownership of sorting out the problem of animal welfare in this country.”