A young foal was attacked and beaten to death in Galway last weekend, according to an animal welfare group.
Yesterday the Galway Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals said the animal had been beaten to death in front of its mother.
The GSPCA received a call last Saturday that the animal and its mother were being beaten by youths at waste ground in the Castle Park area of Galway.
When officials arrived at the scene, the foal was already dead and its distressed mother had apparently been moved to another location. An attempt had been made to burn the carcass.
“We believe the foal was attacked by youths with sticks and stones. The poor animal was just a few weeks old. It’s horrific to think that anybody would do something like this,” said GSPCA spokeswoman Margaret O’Sullivan .