PHOTOS of a zebra foal and a pony being paraded through the streets of Ennistymon during the town’s annual horse fair on Sunday have sparked outrage and concern among animal welfare groups.
The viral images show a man, now identified as Johnny Cross, a horse trainer from Limerick, walking the zebra foal on a leash through the town, with bystanders watching in surprise. Later, another image shows Cross drinking a pint in a local pub while the zebra and a pony stand beside him.
Animal rescue charities, including My Lovely Horse Animal Rescue and Clare Animal Welfare, have expressed alarm over the treatment of the young zebra.
Clare Animal Rescue also shared the images to their social media writing, “This is not a hoax. This is going on in Ennistymon Co.Clare at the horse fair.”
The images circulating on social media garnered widespread attention, with many people expressing their shock and dismay at the treatment of the young zebra. The first image shows the zebra being led through the town on a leash by Cross. The second image shows a child approaching the foal to pet it. The third image depicts Cross in the pub with the zebra and pony, as he enjoys a pint, with the animals standing alongside him.
There is currently no specific licensing requirement for owning exotic pets like zebras in Ireland, but any individual wishing to buy or sell exotic animals is still subject to general animal welfare laws. Animal welfare charities have been advocating for stricter regulations and oversight on the sale and ownership of exotic species in Ireland for some time and the presence of the African animal at a local horse fair has reignited the urgency of this cause.
Martina Kenny, co-founder of My Lovely Horse Animal Rescue was alerted to the presence of the animal through social media.
After becoming aware of the animal through photographs shared on social media, Martina contacted the Ennistymon Garda station. She told The Clare Echo that she spoke to a Garda about her concern for the exotic animal. The Garda said that a colleague had spoken to Cross and confirmed that he legally owned the animal.
Martina said she asked the Garda over the phone if they had checked if Cross had a passport for the zebra or if he had the animal microchipped. She said the Garda replied saying she would make a call in regards to Martina’s questions and get back to her. Martina has had no follow-up contact with the Ennistymon police station in regards to her queries.
Martina explained to The Clare Echo that locals have contacted her to express their disappointment and anger that mistreatment of the animal was allowed to take place. “People in the town are outraged. I have personally been contacted by three locals from Ennistymon telling me that apparently the horse fair is a cruel place and the animals are mistreated. They have said that about time something was done about it”.
“This is an animal welfare situation. I think he should be done for animal welfare, I don’t think this should be allowed.”
Martina explained that although the welfare of the animals is the primary issue, there are also serious safety concerns with bringing live animals into a confined, busy pub. “At the end of the day, he brought a zebra and a pony into a pub. It’s a confined space. He put the animals in danger, he put children in danger and he put other people in danger. If one of those animals got spooked and one kick to a child’s, head that’s all it would take.”
