Demand Justice For The Horses Abandoned To Die In Ireland
30,630 signatures toward our 50,000 Goal
Sponsor: The Animal Rescue Site
The Irish government must prosecute those who leave animals to die in Dublin's 'Killing Fields'!
Call for Chief Justice of Ireland and the An Garda Síochána Commissioner (the head of Ireland's National Police Service) to prosecute those who have abandoned dead and injured animals in "The Killing Fields" of West Dublin.
Dogs, cats, goats, and countless horses have been slaughtered or left to die on 80 acres of land owned by the Irish National Asset Management Agency [1]. Reports of animals being beaten and ruthlessly tortured by teenagers and adults have been met with little action from local authorities.
Even after the perpetrators of a pygmy goat slaughter were outright identified by parts of the motorbike they used to run the animals over in 2015, no recriminations followed [1].
The land was once designated for a housing development, which has since stalled, leaving the future ownership of the property in question [2]. Since then, abandoned animals have populated the property. And, while some animal advocacy groups have attempted to care for the abandoned animals, they haven't been able to curb the violent incidents of animal cruelty that happen almost daily.
The South Dublin County Council has asked for the help of the Dublin City Council in forming a horse welfare working group [3], but a group of caring volunteers has little power to prosecute those guilty of animal cruelty.
Ireland's animal cruelty laws once dated back to 1876 [4] before they were supplemented in 2014 [5], and have been criticized for being too lax. While cases of horse neglect and starvation originating from local farms have been brought to the court system, individual events of cruelty like those reported in the Killing Fields are rarely investigated.
In order for this killing to stop, law enforcement authorities in West Dublin must enforce current animal cruelty laws and follow up on reports of torture.
Stand by the horses of Ireland, and demand their protection today!
[1] Eden Farmed Animal Sanctuary (2015, October 5), "The Killing Fields." Retrieved Nov. 17, 2017 from http://edenfarmedanimalsanctuary.com/the-killing-fields/
[2] Kendra Richards (2016), "Horses Dumped in Killing Field and Left for Dead Deserve Justice." Retrieved Nov. 17, 2017 from https://forcechange.com/287985/horses-dumped-in-killing-field-and-left-for-dead-deserve-justice/
[3] Sylvia Pownall (2017, August 7), "Irish councils joining forces to stop sick thugs torturing horses." Retrieved Nov. 17, 2017 from http://www.irishmirror.ie/news/irish-news/irish-councils-joining-forces-stop-10942450
[4] Irish Statute Book (1876, August 15), "Cruelty to Animals Act, 1876." Retrieved Nov. 17, 2017 from http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/1876/act/77/enacted/en/print.html
[5] Gordon Deegan (2016, November 28), "60 cases of animal cruelty in court since laws." Retrieved Nov. 17, 2017 from http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/60-cases-of-animal-cruelty-in-court-since-laws-432591.html
The Petition:
Dear Chief Justice of Ireland and the An Garda Síochána Commissioner,
The torture and killing of horses that you've allowed to take place in West Dublin must stop today. I demand that you enforce Ireland's animal cruelty laws on the 80 acres of NAMA land known as the "Killing Fields," and prosecute those guilty of harming horses there.
Dogs, cats, goats, and countless horses have been slaughtered or left to die on this 80 acres of land owned by the Irish National Asset Management Agency. They've been beaten and ruthlessly tortured by teenagers and adults, none who have faced prosecution.
Even after the perpetrators of a pygmy goat slaughter were outright identified by parts of the motorbike they used to run them over in 2015, no recriminations followed.
The South Dublin County Council has gone so far as to ask for the help of the Dublin City Council in forming a horse welfare working group, but a group of caring volunteers has little power to prosecute those guilty of animal cruelty.
The animal cruelty laws put forth in 2014 are clear, and the gross violation of those laws in the Killing Fields can no longer be ignored, or tolerated. I demand you put an end to this killing today!
Sincerely,
