Martina Kenny, co-founder of My Lovely Horse Rescue Centre, has highlighted a crisis in animal cruelty in Ireland, with increasing reports of abuse ranging from hedgehogs to horses and a significant lack of enforcement. She calls for the establishment of a national animal guard crime unit, emphasizing that Gardaí are currently under-resourced, unfamiliar with relevant legislation, and lack facilities to properly care for seized animals, leading to systemic failures in addressing animal abuse.

Kenny also criticized the unequal distribution of government funding, noting that while some rescues receive substantial financial support, her organization operates on a mere €52,000 annually despite handling similar workloads. She urges the government to take decisive action by listening to frontline workers and providing adequate resources to effectively combat animal cruelty nationwide.