Limerick Council has spent €550k dealing with horse problem since 2015

THE council has spent over €550,000 on control of wandering horses over the past five years and the majority of these were seized in the city.

From 2015 to 2019, a total of 1030 horses were seized, 895 of these in the city, according to figures released this week show.

In that time, a total of 829 horses were euthanised or put down while just 46 horses were released back to their owners and 155 released to charities or elsewhere.

Over the same five-year period, a total of 2,390 dogs were seized, with 1082 being rehomed and 552 put down.

The figures, which were released to Cllr Elisa O’Donovan and Cllr Eddie Ryan show the extent of the problem and its cost. But the figures also show that the problem has been diminishing.

Last year showed the lowest number of horses seized: 85 in the city, down from 2014 in 2015. Nine were seized in Cappamore Kilmallock last year, three in Adare Rathkeale and 12 in Newcastle West. The cost also came it at its lowest, at €52,109.

The majority of these horses were rehomed, with just nine euthanised and three being returned to owners.

The number of dogs seized last year was 282, down from a high of 645 in 2016. More than half of last year’s dogs were rehomed