By Claire Murphy

Thursday May 07 2009

It's a scene of unbelievable cruelty.

A donkey foal found apparently hanged on the city's westside.

Welfare officers were called to Con Colbert Road in Ballyfermot early on Tuesday and were shocked to discover the poor donkey tethered to a tree, strangled to death.

Liam Fitzgerald, from the Dublin Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (DSPCA), said it looked as if the animal struggled to get free after his torturers left him.

"Someone tied the donkey to a tree overhead. It appears as if they tried to hoist him up onto the tree to try and hang him, but gave up, maybe because of his weight," he said.

"The donkey walked round and round to get free, but cut off the airflow," he added. "We think it was just gurriers up to no good. They were absolute thugs."

The DSPCA officer said that the donkey's owners were distraught: "They last visited the donkey at 10.30pm on Monday night to make sure he had enough water and food. They are very good animal keepers."

Adopted

The owner of the donkey, Anna, said her family, all animal lovers, adopted the donkey and were looking after it in the field near to their home.

"It was coming up to Easter Sunday when we decided to take him. The kids wanted to name him Baby Jesus," she revealed. "They are completely inconsolable, they're devastated. I'm not the best for it.

"I can't understand it. Do these people have no value on life?" Anna added.

The 10-month-old donkey was in the field with two other horses and was extremely friendly with anyone who came to feed him or pat him. Anna said that her daughter (9) was even carefully training the donkey with a head collar.

"His eyes were as big as saucers. He would always make you laugh -- he was running around all the time," she said.

The DSPCA said that incidents of cruelty to horses are on the increase.

Strangled

"We had another horse in Smithfield on Sunday last who strangled himself in a horsebox," said Liam. "And in the Clondalkin area at the weekend there was another horse so badly emaciated that he could barely stand. I just asked the vet to shoot him immediately to put him out of his misery."

Mr Fitzgerald also said that last month another horse died of thirst in Bohernabreena in west Dublin.

"Someone just chucked him into a field and didn't think to give him any water," he said. "It's just disgusting."

clairemurphy@herald.ie