Animal rescue charity to protest outside Kildare abattoir featured in RTE documentary
Gathering at 11am tomorrow outside Straffan facility
A Kildare animal rescue charity is organising a protest outside an abattoir in Straffan, which featured in an RTE documentary this week.
My Lovely Horse Rescue said it will hold the peaceful protest tomorrow at 11am Saturday 15 June at Shannonside foods, Straffan, Kildare.
It said it will have ribbons for everyone to tie on the rails for all the horses lost.
The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine has reacted to the broadcast of the RTÉ Investigates programme 'Horses: Making a Killing', which aired on Wednesday, June 12.
Commenting on the alleged animal abuse content portrayed in the programme, a spokesperson for the Department said: "The Department takes the matters of equine welfare and the integrity of the food chain very seriously.
"The welfare of horses is protected by legislation, placing responsibility on owners and those who have animals in their possession or under their control to ensure the animals welfare."
The spokesperson continued: "This legislation also ensures that appropriate enforcement action is taken by the relevant competent authority where breaches or shortcomings are identified."
"As recognised in the programme for government, robust traceability is essential to ensuring equine welfare and therefore improving equine traceability has been and continues to be a priority for the Department."
"Any reports of welfare or traceability issues received by the Department, are acted upon and investigated as appropriate," they concluded.
Shannonside Foods Ltd has told RTE that any allegation of an equine being mistreated"will be fully investigated by the Company".