The public are being warned to report any incidents of animal abandonment following the discovery of 20 abandoned donkeys in Galway.
The Head of Education and Media at the Dublin Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (DSPCA), Gillian Bird said that people are abandoning unwanted pets for a variety of reasons but are doing so in areas unsafe for the animals.
Speaking on RTÉ Radio’s Morning Ireland, Ms Bird said: “If people are going to abandon animals, they should do it in a place where they can be found, but really they should not abandon them at all.”
She urged people to take note of car registration numbers where possible, if they come across an incident of abandonment.
According to Ms Bird, there are many reasons people abandon animals. She said it could be seasonal, post-Covid, the increase in the cost-of-living or a move to new accommodation that did not allow animals.
Ms Bird claims that people are not prepared to ask for help from organisations like the DSPCA.
Whilst the DSPCA, like many similar organisations, are at capacity, Ms Bird insisted that “if there is an urgent case, we will help them.”
However, she did ask the public to be patient and said that it may take a while before they can take an animal.
It comes after 20 donkeys were found abandoned in a field in south Galway, including one that was discovered dead.
In a statement, Donkey Sanctuary Ireland described the case as a “watershed moment” due to the scale of neglect of the animals and the limited options that are available to animal welfare organisations seeking to rescue and rehome donkeys in crisis.
The animals were discovered by the charity’s welfare officers around Christmas.
Donkey Sanctuary director Laura Foster said the charity’s welfare advisers dealt with a number of issues in this case, including overbreeding.
“The donkeys were abandoned for a significant period of time, resulting in breeding despite the dire welfare circumstances,” she said.
Following the discovery, four pregnant mares and three foals arrived at the charity’s facilities in March after a complex rescue operation.
In the past two weeks, eight donkeys have been rescued and rehomed after receiving medical attention.
“Sadly four [of the 20] had to be euthanised on-site on health and welfare grounds,” the statement read.
