USPCA Statement: Tyrone man jailed for ‘evil’ stabbing of horse

Tyrone man jailed for ‘evil’ stabbing of horse - read story in full here.

The individual in this case carried out a truly disturbing and malicious act of animal cruelty – a ‘moment of madness’ that resulted in the loss of an innocent animal’s life. Whilst we welcome the seven-month prison term, we believe that the level of violence and brutality involved in this attack should face a lifetime ban from owning animals, not seven years.

The individual’s defence noted that he was under the influence of alcohol and other substances at the time of the incident in 2019, in no way can this be accepted as a justification for his actions. A number of animal cruelty cases here in Northern Ireland have raised our concerns regarding animal ownership bans – at present we do not have confidence in the monitoring of such bans as some individuals convicted of animal abuse in the past have ended up in the Courts again for breaches of their bans or other charges related to animal cruelty.

The establishment of a banned offenders register, to track such bans, would be a significant step in enhancing animal welfare legislation here in Northern Ireland and must be addressed and made a reality by our newly elected MLAs.