Documentary sparks concern across Europe over animal welfare in Ireland

Kenneth Fox

A German television documentary has sparked concern over animal welfare issues in Ireland, particularly involving horses.

Broadcast on public broadcaster WDR on April 18th as part of “Tiere suchen ein Zuhause”, the programme featured the work of My Lovely Horse Animal Rescue.

The documentary included footage of horses being struck and forced along public roads; animals driven at speed through busy urban streets, including central Dublin and unregulated sulky racing.

Campaigners say the footage has now reached policymakers, with concerns being raised to MEPs as part of efforts to strengthen animal welfare standards.

The reaction reflects a growing expectation among European citizens that animal protection laws must be consistently enforced across all member states.

At the centre of the documentary is My Lovely Horse Animal Rescue, a charity working to rescue, rehabilitate, and rehome animals.

The controversy over the documentary comes as a Fine Gael TD said there is a glaring gap in road safety laws surrounding the use of horse-drawn vehicles.

Michael Murphy, Chair of the Oireachtas Transport Committee, said: “A recent incident in Clonmel was shocking and deeply distressing. It resulted not only in a serious risk to public safety but also in the tragic death of a horse.

“This was an entirely avoidable situation. It exposed a deeply concerning reality where young individuals were placed in control of powerful animals on public roads, creating a clear danger to themselves, to other road users, and ultimately to the animal itself.”

Murphy said it is clear this situation cannot continue, and he is calling for a coordinated national response to regulate horse-drawn vehicles on public roads.

“This issue sits across multiple policy domains — including road safety, animal welfare, and enforcement — and therefore requires a whole-of-government approach."

Murphy is calling for the establishment of an interdepartmental working group involving the Departments of Transport, Agriculture and Justice to examine road safety risks, strengthen animal welfare protections and address enforcement powers available to An Garda Síochána and local authorities