THE RSPCA believes the pony would have been dead and then the body was set alight, but officers are appealing for information regarding the upsetting incident.
The carcass was found in a ditch on Conways Road, Grays on Wednesday 1 April by the police who reported it to the RSPCA.
RSPCA Inspector Mitchell Smith, who attended, said: “This was a very upsetting incident and awful to think that someone has such little respect for an animal and disposed of the pony’s body in this way.
“We think that someone has burned the body at a different location before dumping it in the ditch – we think it was unlikely that the pony was burned alive, and it’s likely that someone has tried to burn the body in order to dispose of it.
“The pony’s body was so badly burned we could not tell what breed, colour or sex they might have been.”
The pony was not microchipped. The local council has been informed regarding the removal of the body.
Mitchell added: “I’m keen to find out more about this poor pony including how the body came to be dumped here. Anyone with information can contact me in complete confidence on our inspector appeal line by calling 0300 123 8018.”
Sadly, it’s not uncommon for the RSPCA and other equine welfare charities to be called about gravely ill, abandoned horses, and dumped dead horses. The country has been in the grip of an ongoing horses crisis for several years, thought to be caused by the recession, over breeding, the high costs of vet bills, the rising cost of hay and falling prices for horses.
Last year (2019) the RSPCA took in more than 820 horses in addition to those already in its care, and received more than 20,000 calls to the emergency line about horses alone.
To help the RSPCA keep rescuing animals like these and keep our animal hospitals and centres running for emergency treatment and round the clock care through these unprecedented times, please donate whatever you can spare at www.rspca.org.uk/covid
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