63 stray horses were rounded up in Wicklow Town today and impounded by the County Council.
Gardaí sealed off roads in and around the Ballyguile area at dawn today as officials from the Department of Agriculture and Wicklow County Council moved in.
They spent several hours rounding up the horses from green areas, arresting two men for public order offences in the process.
The seized animals will be removed to a secure location where they will be assessed, and checked for identification and registration.
Today’s seizure follows an operation two weeks ago when 15 horses were impounded in the Greenhills Road area.
Locals have been complaining about stray horses in Wicklow Town for a number of months, saying their presence has forced parents to keep their children away from public parks.
Over 3,000 horses have been seized nationwide this year, and over 350 have been seized in Wicklow since 2011 — 230 of which have been destroyed.
