Footage of sulky horse-cart racing on public roads between Limerick and Dublin has reignited calls for a dedicated Garda animal crime unit to tackle animal cruelty. Videos shared by the charity My Lovely Horse Rescue show horses being pushed beyond their limits, including one collapsing and being forced to continue racing. The charity condemned the cruelty as blatant neglect and called for stronger enforcement of animal welfare laws, highlighting the ongoing suffering of horses on Irish roads.

Separately, Limerick councillor Sarah Beasley described her traumatic experience dealing with dead horses left in fields and criticized the lack of a full-time ISPCA inspector or Garda unit in the area. She emphasized that animal rescue groups are overwhelmed and that reporting abuse often leads to a frustrating cycle of referrals with no effective intervention. With over 14,000 signatures on a petition urging urgent government action, there is growing public demand for dedicated resources to address animal cruelty in Ireland.