Pregnant Horse Abandoned: Dublin Road Appeal for Witnesses

Pregnant Horse Dies After Abandonment on Dublin Road

A pregnant horse named Anne has died after being abandoned on a busy road in Dublin, Ireland. The tragedy unfolded on Monday, February 3, 2026, on the N4 near Ballyfermot, according to reports from My Lovely Horse Animal Rescue and Dublin Live.

My Lovely Horse Rescue issued a statement describing the heartbreaking circumstances of Anne’s death. The charity believes Anne was part of a group of at least six sulkies spotted earlier on Monday near Dollymount Strand. She subsequently collapsed close to Ballyfermot on the N4.

Witnesses reportedly observed Anne being whipped and kicked by individuals believed to be her owners when she was unable to get up. These individuals then fled the scene, leaving the horse for dead on the busy road. The charity stated that Anne was also seen falling earlier in the day at a garage and being forcibly pulled back up before being continued to be driven in a sulky.

Rescuers rushed Anne to UCD Veterinary Hospital for emergency treatment, but despite their efforts, she succumbed to her injuries. Vets determined that Anne had sustained too much internal damage and “had given up on life,” ending her fight for both her own life and that of her fully formed foal.

“We are devastated and so angry… RIP Anne and her unborn foal. Her baby was fully formed. She fought so hard for two lives,” My Lovely Horse Rescue wrote in a statement. The charity also noted that Anne was “full of blood” and “cuts” when she was discovered, and that her shoes were in a poor state, suggesting exhaustion.

The charity has contacted the Gardai and is appealing for witnesses, particularly anyone with CCTV footage of the incident. They are vowing to pursue justice in the case, stating, “We won’t stop, in the name of Anne and her unborn foal, we will see this through to the end.”

This incident comes after another horse was found fighting for her life on a busy west Dublin road, also after collapsing from exhaustion. That horse, also named Anne by vets at UCD, was involved in sulky racing and was left “full of blood and cuts” at the side of the N4 in Ballyfermot.

My Lovely Horse Rescue has used this tragedy to call for action, stating “enough is enough.” The charity is seeking to address the ongoing issue of animal welfare within the sulky racing community.

Separately, on February 3, 2026, another horse was killed after being struck by a car on the R139 in Clonshaugh, Dublin. A woman driving the car was injured and had to be cut from the vehicle by the fire service. The horse was pregnant at the time of the incident.