Dungarvan Animal Matters and Welfare Information

17/03/2026

Greyhound racing is to be banned in Wales after a vote in the Senedd today (17 March 2026).

39 Senedd members voted in favour of the ban, 10 voted against and 2 abstained.

Speaking in the Senedd, Welsh Liberal Democrat Jane Dodds stated: "By passing this bill, we will be saying as a nation that foreseeable and unavoidable harm to animals cannot be justified in the name of sport or in the service of gambling revenues."

The ban will come into effect between 1 April 2027 and 1 April 2030.

Huw Irranca-Davies, the Deputy First Minister with responsibility for Climate Change and Rural Affairs, commented: "Wales is a progressive nation, committed to ethical standards and forward-thinking legislation. This Bill strengthens our reputation as a leader on animal welfare and delivers the standards that the people of Wales rightly expect."

The ban was welcomed by the Cut the Chase coalition (comprising Blue Cross, Dogs Trust, Greyhound Rescue Wales, Hope Rescue and RSPCA Cymru).

Dogs Trust chief Owen Sharp described the ban as a "landmark moment" for dog welfare.

Blue Cross UK added: "Today’s decision is a huge step forward for greyhounds. Now it’s time for England to follow Wales’ lead and bring this cruel ‘sport’ to an end."

Read more at https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/czd899emn1yo

17/03/2026

I’m not sure if I know what to say about this. Is the treatment of these animals acceptable because they’re going to be killed anyway?

There should NO live export business in this country. It’s cruel and sickening. Even if we do eat animals, should they be treated in this manner in the name of profit?

Not only are these animals being forced to endure these arduous journeys and conditions, they are also going to face a slaughter without pre stunning in the name of religion. What kind of religion demands that an animal must be terrified and suffer a painful death? What kind of so called ‘god’ or prophet decrees same that is acceptable in the 21st century?

Any form of religion that requires an animal to suffer a fearful and painful death has nothing to do with any god.
It’s cruelty for the sake of cruelty and it has no place in civilised societies. End of. I, personally, don’t care who or what anyone worships, provided, that worship doesn’t entail cruelty to any animal.

Would there be an outcry should an animal sacrifice cult be discovered in Ireland? I’d assume so. Why then is there no such outcry from the public re any ritual killing of animals here? We should also, therefore, allow live animal exports to countries where animals are slaughtered so needlessly cruelly.
The Department of Agriculture, Food
and the Marine cannot distance itself from this cruelty.

🚨 The Saleh is due to dock at Greenore Port this evening so will likely load cattle tomorrow. There will be a protest at the port today and tomorrow at 11:30 if anyone wants to join.
Please note this protest is not organised by EFI and we are not a political group in any way. Our focus is the welfare of the animals.
If this shipment is going to Israel our friends at ישראל נגד משלוחים חיים - Israel Against Live Shipments will be able document the arrival hopefully, if they can do so safely.
This is what cattle look like after 10 days at sea 🐮
Shame on Martin Heydon and Doyle Shipping Group

17/03/2026

Well, well. Finally.


Martin Heydon
Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine
Irish Daily Mirror
Gript
Irish Examiner
The Irish Sun

The destiny of Irish greyhounds to Spain was exposed in the 90s.

Unfortunately, there was no www back then, nor sm. However, today, there is NO WAY that either greyhound owners/trainers, GRI or the Irish government can be unaware of what becomes of greyhounds sold (usually for peanuts) to Spain. They are being xd by the Spanish hunters, who dump/discard/kill in the region of 50k sighthounds annually.

Those who flog their wastage greys to the Spanish agents 💯 KNOW what they’re doing - they simply don’t care. They just want something back, regardless of the amount, for their investment in the dog - it’s almost like a form of punishment to the dog for wasting their money!

17/03/2026

No one is going to convince me that this horse wasn’t seen and ignored by passersby’s for weeks on end.

Were reports made to the Dspca, the Gardai or Department of Agriculture? Unless people come forward, it’ll never be known.

One thing is known, this animal did not get into this condition overnight. There was a deliberate and wilful act of neglect and cruelty inflicted upon her.

She won’t be chipped, because the authorities have failed to enforce the 30 year old control of horses legislation, just like the Dspca, Gardai and DAFM have failed to enforce the 2013 AHWA legislation.

If the bodies, appointed by the government as per the AHWA 2013 legislation are unwilling to act, then the government should appoint reputable independent rescues that will act.
No 9 people, no matter how hard they try or how smart they think they are, can possibly deal with the problem. None of these people are any smarter, or better qualified than anyone else who has been/is involved with animal welfare. But they think they are. They knew little about the legislation before being trained - ergo, there’s no reason why there can’t be equally trained individuals working for any other animal welfare organisation. Let’s stop this ridiculous snobbery that exists, this attitude of pseudo superiority that is portrayed, when some (truth be known) are barely qualified for anything.

The ‘official’ animal welfare system in this country is pathetic. Animal welfare in this country is reliant upon the voluntary animal welfare sector, and that needs to be remembered at all times.

It’s the voluntary animal welfare sector that needs to be supported in this country. People who set up and establish their homes/premises/organise volunteers/ etc. Not the ones that wouldn’t lift a finger to help an animal without being paid, or interfering with their days off.

There are many unsung heroes in this country who work tirelessly and for nothing- using their own money to help animals (often cats), to the best of their ability. They don’t turn around and say they will only take kittens and leave the female cat behind. They don’t cherry pick and only take what can be easily homed or will a handy fund raiser animal.

The Irish government, it seems, is trying to wipe out the private/independent animal welfare community. This has been on the cards for years. I’m not sure if the public fully understands the consequences of such utter stupidity as yet, but if it happens then everything that everyone involved with animal welfare in the last 40 years will have been for nothing.

Our politicians are either too lazy, ignorant or too stupid to look at how other Eu countries animal welfare works. My money is on all three, abetted by those who have ulterior motives. After all, whilst having enough money set aside for any unforeseen disaster is prudent , having millions in banks/investments etc isn’t helping animals - particularly when that money was given specifically to help animals. It’s wrong, and shouldn’t be tolerated by either the CRA or Revenue.

It’s the local animal welfare groups that need public support on a regular basis.

Please, don’t be blinded by PR stunts by those who have a legal obligation to carry out their salaried tasks on a daily basis.

I

17/03/2026

As the saying goes - seldom is wonderful.

No one would ever believe that this is, literally, their paid jobs. It’s not a favour.
The Ispca/Dspca trading as Nspca was provided with over 2m euro in government funding alone for 2026. It’s taken over the assets of the Ispca and is the (now) one and only appointed organisation as per the AHWA 2013.

Meanwhile, in the real world and right in front of the now so called national spca, MLHR had to rush to help a horse in serious trouble in DUBLIN today.

So, let’s not get blinded by bs and keep the focus on the remaining 365 days in every year. The days where calls are ignored, where animals are suffering and dying all because the authorised authorities don’t want to actually do the work they’re being paid to do. That is not to be taken as a dig at those who are employed as animal welfare inspectors, it’s not their fault that the governing body is unwilling to spend its millions on animals in dire straits.

Gardaí, the Garda Dog Unit, ISPCA and CSPCA joined forces for a day of action on animal welfare and community engagement in The Glen. More info via the 🔗 link in the comments. 👇

15/03/2026

REUNITED WITH
HIS OWNER.

Hi all. This Old Collie was found in the Farmleigh Estate on the Dunmore Road are of the City. The finder has the dog safe and warm at their house. Please text us on 0876551152 if you know its owner. Please share.

15/03/2026

Unfortunately, the ONLY thing that matters in horse racing is MONEY.

The horses have no choice. They are used and discarded by the horse racing industry at whim.

Will we ever beat this animal exploitation in the name of gambling? Not any time soon, there’s tooooooo much money involved. The horses are merely a means to an end.

Envoi Allen didn’t die in a place he loved and he didn’t die doing what he loved.

I know people say these things because it softens the reality. It helps us make sense of something uncomfortable. But the truth is that racing isn’t a place a horse chooses to be. It’s a place we put them, the same as any other performance horse.

A racecourse isn’t a field they wandered into because it brought them joy. It’s a place built around human ambition, entertainment and money. Horses don’t dream of fences, crowds, noise and pressure. They are trained for it, conditioned for it and expected to perform.

So when a horse dies in racing, saying they “died doing what they loved” feels like a way of making the humans involved feel better, rather than acknowledging the reality of what happened.

Envoi Allen wasn’t in a place he loved. He was in a place where the demands of sport, competition and profit ultimately came before the absolute guarantee of his safety and welfare. That’s the uncomfortable truth.

And I know this post won’t be popular. People will say racing people love their horses, and many of them absolutely do. But love alone doesn’t remove the risk that comes with asking animals to run at speed over obstacles for our entertainment and for the bookmakers profits.

Envoi Allen was an extraordinary horse who gave everything that was ever asked of him. The least we can do now is be honest about the system that asked it of him in the first place.

Rest easy, Envoi.

15/03/2026

Owner located- Dog returned home. 👍Little dog with a red collar found in Dungarvan town centre this morning 15.3.26, please contact Andrea at Dungarvan Garda Station if you know who the owner may be. Thanks

15/03/2026

Good advice to keep.