Appeal for Mayo animal welfare officer amid rising reports of distressed wildlife

Members of Mayo County Council's environmental strategic policy committee have called for the urgent appointment of a dedicated animal welfare officer, saying the county is currently lacking any coordinated response to injured and distressed wildlife.

The issue has been raised by Councillor Harry Barrett, who said elected members were regularly receiving reports about injured animals and had no clear pathway to direct members of the public.

He said the SPCA was overwhelmed and that €1,000 had been allocated towards the issue, but that individuals had been left to bring animals to vets themselves.

He cited hedgehogs and swans as examples of wildlife left without proper care, and said a coordinator was needed to ensure animals received attention when required.

Councillor Donna Sheridan fully supported the call, saying she and former councillor Mark Duffy had previously done work in this area and had also previously allocated funding toward it, but it had not progressed.

She said Mayo was behind other areas which already had animal welfare officers in place, and that the role should cover all animals, pets, farm animals, and wildlife alike.

Director of services Joanne Grehan said that she would look at the matter directly.

* Funded by the Local Democracy Funding Scheme.