Kilkenny Gardaí called out 50 times already this year for horse-related issues

A Kilkenny Councillor say the Gardaí are working hard on dealing with animal cruelty but they need help from the Department of Agriculture

Kilkenny Gardai has been called out 50 times so far this year to deal with issues with horses.

That’s according to Superintendent Pauric Dunne who gave the figures to yesterday’s public Joint Policing Committee meeting in Callan.

Kilkenny Gardaí say this year so far has been very busy when it comes to animal cases.

They were called out specifically to deal with issues regarding horses 78 times in 2016 while in 2015 the figure was 133.

Chief Superintendent Dominic Hayes told the meeting that Gardaí are working with horse owners and families locally around animal cruelty and have offered to take unwanted horses away so that they can be cared for elsewhere.

Two horses died in recent animal cruelty cases with the issue prompting a peaceful demonstration in the city last weekend.

Separately, a man was arrested last week after he became agitated when a horse was being removed from a site in Kilkenny City.