Cry Stop!

This is a paragraph taken from a recent article in the Kilkenny People and this happened in our City! - "The innocent animal was brutally lashed and repeatedly hit with a stick, which was almost three metres in length. The horse spins around in circles in terror and fear as the driver continues to beat him indifferent to the pain he is causing."

As Mayor of Kilkenny I am asking Kilkenny Gardai and Kilkenny County Council to respond pro actively to the huge numbers of concerned citizens who have witnessed some of these brutal attacks on horses in Kilkenny and the many people who have shared video footage and photographs of such incidents.

I am also calling on the Government to introduce legislation to enable the Gardai to deal with the issue properly as a matter of urgency.

Dead and beaten horses are being found by the roadside far too often and those responsible continue to get away with it. It must stop now.

I’m fully aware that there is only so much the Gardai and Council can do. I am aware that they are under resourced. But lets face it, this is a horrific crime that happens all too often in Kilkenny. The evidence is contained in the high volume of photos and footage we see uploaded on social media by local citizens. It's just not good enough and must not be tolerated.

Communities throughout Kilkenny are in full support of the Gardai on this issue but its time for results. We want to see an end to this brutality and we want the perpetrators brought to justice.

I have never started a petition before, but, after raising my concerns on this issue through every forum available to me and after holding an emergency meeting with Gardai, Kilkenny County Council and those involved in the horse project in Kilkenny, without any positive conclusion, I feel that this is the last resort.

I hope the authorities take this petition as a positive contribution from those who sign it, to show the huge support the Gardai & Council have from the entire city and county, when it comes to stamping out this issue.

As Mayor, I’m making my office open to anybody who wishes to come forward with complaints or possible solutions to this issue and also to the Gardai should they wish to hold any public information evening or any other suggestion they may have.

Lets work together and put an end to this brutality once and for all.

Andrew McGuinness,

Mayor of Kilkenny,

City Hall,

High Street,

Kilkenny