Children ‘as young as 8’ involved in attack on goat

A GROUP of children, some reportedly as young as eight, subjected a goat to a brutal attack in which golf clubs were used.

The incident was one of the latest in a catalogue of sickening attacks on animals.

The Limerick Animal Welfare group said the horror attack was carried out near Hyde Road, Ballinacurra Weston.

Anne Kelly from the animal welfare organisation said that it was believed that some of the children involved were as young as eight years old.

She said: “They used golf clubs and planks of wood to beat her.

“They tied the goat’s back legs together and were pulling her along the road by the horns. They were definitely at her for a couple of hours,” Ms Kelly added.

She said gardaí helped their volunteers put the stricken goat into their rescue van.

Ms Kelly said: “The poor thing was covered in a lather of sweat and hyperventilating. Her eyes were rolling around in her head.”

She said the goat was still not out of danger due to the extent of the injuries she received.

“She’s able to stand but has barely the energy to do this.

“Her body is bruised all over. It’s like she is in a trance.

“I injected her with antibiotics on Monday. Every part of her body that I touched you could see in her eyes she was in pain,” said Ms Kelly.

She said the likely involvement of young children in this kind of behaviour was very scary.

“We had a very bad run of late with two ponies found dying in Moyross and Shannon Fields in Corbally.

“There was a pony in Moyross hit by a car, beaten with planks of wood and kicked.

“She had to be put down due to the severity of her injuries,” Ms Kelly said.