Highlighting the increasing numbers of abandoned horses in the country, the Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals has called for a Government subsidised scheme to help with their removal. It is believed that those who were attracted to the idea of owning a horse when times were good are being forced into a rethink during the recession.

According to a society spokesperson, the cost of having an unregistered horse put down and its body rendered is €250 and owners unable to cope are releasing their animals. Although local authorities are given annual funding of €2m to deal with the problem, the ISPCA claims they are not doing enough. The issue is to be discussed at a meeting of county managers and the Department of Agriculture.

---

Using the buttons below you can save this article to your favourite social bookmarking site