A GOAT was killed by being run over with a motorbike in the latest instance of animal cruelty in an area of west Dublin that's become knowN as "the killing fields".

The animal was discovered by members of an animal charity responding to reports of a malnourished horse.

"The poor goat was killed after being hit by a group of kids on motorbikes ... it was awful," one person said on social media.

The land in Clondalkin near the Fonthill Road has become known as the killing fields by locals due to the number of dead and wounded animals being found there.

Several dead cats and horses and fatally-wounded dogs have been discovered there in recent months.

Tiffany Quinn (inset) from the My Lovely Horse Rescue charity was among the volunteers that found the goat's body on Thursday evening.

She said that there was a need for education about animal welfare, particularly for youngsters who own horses in disadvantaged areas.

"Our philosophy is that we work with people to prevent these kind of things from happening.

"We want to educate people that a horse isn't like a motorbike that can be ridden around and discarded whenever you're finished with it," Ms Quinn said.

"They have to be looked after and treated properly. They need proper food, water and nourishment, which they simply aren't getting from their owners," she added.

She said that many people that own horses do not mistreat their animals, but that some people feel they can keep horses in unsuitable conditions.

Idea

"This idea that people can keep a horse in a field, tie it to a pole and simply leave it there is just unacceptable.

"The more we reach out to younger people and show them that it isn't right, the more chance there is of stopping people from mistreating horses," Ms Quinn said.

Almost 1,000 horses were put down in all four Dublin authorities last year, at a cost of approximately €878,000.

Local authorities seized 1,022 horses in Dublin last year.

In total, 925 of these were put down - an increase of 38pc from 2013.

The authority with the highest number of horses seized was South Dublin County Council, which removed 469 animals from various estates.