Cork City Council spent over €93,000 on seizing loose horses in the city last year, with a total of 33 horses being seized. 13 of these horses were returned to their owners while 20 were re-homed through charities. No horses had to be euthanised during this process. A total of 87 complaints regarding loose and malnourished horses were received during the same period.

Kelly Mellerick from the charity My Lovely Horse criticized the term “rehoming” used in the context of council seizures, stating that it places a burden on rescues. She called for improvements in equine traceability to ensure accountability for horse ownership. Mellerick also noted that the number of stray horses reported to her rescue is much higher than the figures released by Cork City Council.

Deirdre O’Dwyer shared a personal story of her son narrowly escaping death after a loose horse broke through the back window of their car. She expressed shock that straying horses are still a problem and emphasized the importance of responsible horse ownership to prevent such incidents. O’Dwyer highlighted the need for accountability and care for animals to avoid costly seizures.