Target: Justin Kelly, Commissioner, An Garda Síochána, Ireland
Goal: Sustain the cross-border inquiry into alleged horse identity fraud and possible unlawful slaughter, with protective care and prosecution of substantiated offenses.
A forged passport can conceal the history of a living animal. Investigators suspect that horse passports and microchips were manipulated to enable fraudulent trade, potentially diverting animals into the food chain without reliable information about their origins or eligibility for slaughter.
The coordinated operation involved Belgium, France, Ireland, and the Netherlands, with twenty-four searches reported across the participating countries in September. Authorities are examining records and other evidence to establish the animals’ destinations. Allegations of abusive transport and concealed medication histories require individual assessment.
Police, veterinary authorities, and international partners should connect documentary evidence with the condition and whereabouts of individual horses. Demand sustained cooperation, appropriate care for recovered animals, and prosecution wherever the evidence establishes fraud, unlawful slaughter, or cruelty.
PETITION LETTER:
Dear Commissioner Kelly,
Please maintain the Irish contribution to the investigation into alleged manipulated passports and microchips of horses sold for slaughter, and work closely with the authorities leading the wider operation. The allegations warrant careful examination of each animal’s identity, movements, and documented history. We ask that welfare concerns receive attention alongside suspected financial and food-chain offenses.
Preserve relevant records and communications, compare identification details with veterinary information, and trace sales and transport arrangements through lawful channels. Determine whether any horse excluded from human consumption was unlawfully diverted for slaughter. Examine allegations of harmful transport and undisclosed treatments against clinical and documentary evidence. Please distinguish suspected conduct from established findings and ensure recovered animals receive appropriate assessment and care through the responsible agencies.
Where sufficient evidence supports offenses within your jurisdiction, prepare complete files for the competent prosecuting authority and support proportionate penalties upon conviction. Continue lawful information exchange with international partners to identify further participants where evidence warrants it. Please help secure an outcome that restores reliable traceability, protects the horses, and imposes meaningful consequences for any proven deception or cruelty. Keep animal welfare central throughout the investigation and legal proceedings.
Sincerely,
[Your Name Here]
Photo credit: JoachimKohler-HB
