Donkey dragged by car
Seven animals rescued after horror footage emerges online
A VIDEO of a donkey being cruelly dragged along behind a car with a rope tied around its neck has sparked a rescue raid by gardaí.
Seven donkeys were seized in the early morning raid by gardaí on Saturday after the horrific video emerged.
Gardaí in the Laois/Offaly division worked with the charities Hungry Horse Outside and My
A woman pleads: ‘Stop! What’s wrong with you?’
Lovely Horse Rescue during the raid in the Edenderry area of Co. Offaly.
A Garda spokesman said: ‘An Garda Síochána is aware of footage in circulation involving an animal in Edenderry, Co. Offaly.
‘While we do not comment on its contents, Gardaí are currently investigating an incident under the Animal Health and Welfare Act. The animal has been checked over by Gardaí and is being recovered with their assistance.
‘An Garda Síochána takes all matters of animal welfare, and the criminality linked to it, very seriously,’ the spokesman added.
The incident in the video happened near Edenderry on Friday afternoon.
The donkey, which is seen in the video being dragged by a car on the grass verge adjacent to the Carrick link road in Edenderry, clearly looks distressed. A woman who is presumably filming the footage pleads with the driver: ‘Stop! What’s wrong with you?’
My Lovely Horse Rescue shared the footage on Twitter and said one of its volunteers witnessed the incident and gave a statement to the gardaí.
The Donkey Sanctuary Ireland said: ‘For anyone concerned about the donkey being dragged by a car in the video shared yesterday afternoon (Friday), we can confirm that we assisted with the seizure of this animal and six others.’
A Garda spokesman added: ‘We ask that any incident is reported to a local garda station where a complaint will be logged and fully investigated.’
The spokesman asked witnesses to call Tullamore Garda Station at 057 932 7600, adding: ‘If you have concerns about the safety of a person or animal, contact emergency number 999 or 112’.